Deffheads Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Hi, Has anyone recently driven from Spain [ via Perpignan ] through France using Peage to Eurotunnel Calais and kept record of costs involved now Diesel is 1.45 to 1.61 per litre and including class 2 toll costs. I'm interested as my motorhome only averages 20 mpg and I thinking of using UK to Spain ferry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Yes - diesel is now as expensive if not more expensive than in the UK. For the first time ever we did not fill up at Calais on our way home. Here's the rise in prices in graphic form: https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/France/diesel_prices/ The culprit is the French Government and the strength of the Euro. Helpfully the French government publishes an up to date guide to fuel prices by area: https://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/ To check the motorway toll prices on any route use the Via Michelin website which gives you the current toll prices for the route: https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes Anyway with the new 80 kpm speed limit from July we will all be using less diesel anyway - not. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I never check fuel consumption, perhaps I should. I recently returned from Spain via Bordeaux, Poitier, Tours, Rouen etc . My approach is to fill up in Spain, Cost €103.6/ litre, reduced from €106.6 with a voucher. I then have 2 further top ups on route that I regularly use before a final top up at Auchan Calais. We use tolls whenever we can for the dash back from the sun! French fuel costs are comparable with the UK , if not higher! Tolls costs are maybe somewhere between 70/100€. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 When we need to fill up when travelling on the Autoroutes we use the POI button on the satnav to find the nearest supermarket fillup. It is generally no more than a few minutes, and it saves a lot of money. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Deffheads - 2018-06-10 11:06 AM I'm interested as my motorhome only averages 20 mpg and I thinking of using UK to Spain ferry. Hi Kevin; I can’t help with the request for detailed costs; but having used the Portsmouth-Santander/Bilbao for two trips to Portugal for some winter sun I would share my thoughts as follows. I’m not sure if I would spend the approx £800 return fare, to save money on fuel, even if I were only getting 20mpg. I have a pvc on a Ducato, so nearer 30mpg, but driven with a bit of urgency that probably goes down to 26-27mpg? Road tolls probably represent a possible, better budget saving. We took the ferry to avoid driving through bad weather in both directions. We would rather justify the cost on the basis of extra days in the sun: but after our last tip that’s questionable. Will we use the ferry again? Will we head for Portugal in the van again? The jury’s out Cheers, Snowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Hi Starvin Marvin Fuel costs in Spain now much more than you quoted, the best we could find is 1.15 and more normal 1.24. However thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Snowie, What's a pvc? I'm running a 5 ton A class tag axle with a 2.8 JTD engine so I hope that explains the mpg. I've looked at Santander Ferry for December 2018 but prices not out yet, and I think a return for £800 would a bargain for me, but I think one way is going to cost nearer £500 +. Thanks for reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJB Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 For info...'pvc' is a Panel Van Conversion. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I can never get my head round how a ferry can be cheaper. Calais to Bilboa is about 746 miles @ 20mpg = 37 gallons Fuel at say £4.50 a gallon means roughly £200 one way as compared to £500 > £800 for ferry. I appreciate time saved sitting for hours watching the blue sea can be a factor but how can it be cheaper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Hi, sshortcircuit I'm not suggesting ferry would be cheaper, but would like someone who has travelled in the last month to give me some idea of toll costs etc. Your fuel estimate is slightly wrong, in that a gallon of diesel in France now costs £5.87, then you have the channel crossing to pay for and overnight stops and wear and tear on motorhome to consider plus the milage to ferry port. [i am only 50 miles from Portsmouth] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I noticed diesel prices had risen significantly to what i paid last year in Germany. This year i paid €1.50 a litre but lower prices can usually be found at small village stations (unlike UK where it would be higher). I'm currently in Austria and it's not much less here, so am looking forward to seeing what pump price i pay for diesel in Poland as their price remains relatively stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I thanks for that additional info. There is still no way can the ferry ever be cheaper than road even taking into consideration these other factors which could vary for all different reasons ie 20mpg to 30 mpg. Same with the tunnel as I can never get a realistic price but it suits the doggy people. Its all horses for courses. When travelling up from Spain I only use a short stretch of toll road to Bordeaux and then just the other roads which are very good. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 We'll be driving down in October .........and then if I'm able to book the ferry before all the pet cabins go we'll be getting a return ferry from Spain back to the UK for a week at Christmas......otherwise it'll be a slog up through France and back in winter 8-) .......... Christmas dinner will prolly cost over a grand again this year :D ......... As ever its a time x family equation :-> ....... You cant take it with you ;-) ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 sshortcircuit - 2018-06-10 2:57 PM I can never get my head round how a ferry can be cheaper. Nobody says cheaper Hamish, but maybe value for money? We usually aim for 6 weeks of sunshine, so that works out at an extra cost per person per day of approx £10. If we went earlier and left later, say 12 weeks, that would reduce to £5 per day, on top of fuel, tolls and campsites. Even better value for money. If, as was the case this year, the weather is bad then this calculation becomes more relevant. And then we have to think about flights, apartment and car hire. Any views? Regards, Snowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Oh! And of course, it depends what you would do with £800 if you didn’t spend it of a ferry. Maybe a couple of weeks at home in the van, or a week for two somewhere warm on a package holiday Or actually, at Portuguese campsite rates you could pay for the sites for that extra 6 weeks, just about! Regards, Snowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Still finding this confusing. I can drive to Bilbao for a lot less than the ferry which means I save a lot and can stay longer, if that was an issue, so I am getting real value for money. What I do avoid by driving , in the tail end of the year, is finding the ferry cancelled because of weather or worse still, the vessel hugging the coast to avoid the storms, with all and sundry dreadfully unwell, however you takes your chances. Will drive down in Sept and back October, sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 My apologies for digressing away from the OP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 sshortcircuit - 2018-06-10 2:57 PM I can never get my head round how a ferry can be cheaper. Calais to Bilboa is about 746 miles @ 20mpg = 37 gallons Fuel at say £4.50 a gallon means roughly £200 one way as compared to £500 > £800 for ferry. I appreciate time saved sitting for hours watching the blue sea can be a factor but how can it be cheaper? I went Portsmouth- Bilbao this year and it cost me £344 ferry including a cabin I average 24ppg so at todays French fuel prices of around £1.50 a litre that's £6.84 per gallon it would cost me 32gals- £219 then a ferry/train of around £100 say £300 -plus road tolls and 2 overnight stops would be the cost.Don't know the road tolls but I suspect £100 at least so £400 minimum Or take the ferry sit back and arrive in Spain 24hrs later. Admitedly this is with a discount for Travel club of around £100 but still would be very comparable in my opinion and a lot easier/warmer! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plwsm2000 Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 In contrast, diesel was 85p a litre in Morrisons last week. Only problem was the queue to get across the border into Gibraltar. Alcohol was very cheap too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Mike B. - 2018-06-12 8:36 PM sshortcircuit - 2018-06-10 2:57 PM I can never get my head round how a ferry can be cheaper. Calais to Bilboa is about 746 miles @ 20mpg = 37 gallons Fuel at say £4.50 a gallon means roughly £200 one way as compared to £500 > £800 for ferry. I appreciate time saved sitting for hours watching the blue sea can be a factor but how can it be cheaper? I went Portsmouth- Bilbao this year and it cost me £344 ferry including a cabin I average 24ppg so at todays French fuel prices of around £1.50 a litre that's £6.84 per gallon it would cost me 32gals- £219 then a ferry/train of around £100 say £300 -plus road tolls and 2 overnight stops would be the cost.Don't know the road tolls but I suspect £100 at least so £400 minimum Or take the ferry sit back and arrive in Spain 24hrs later. Admitedly this is with a discount for Travel club of around £100 but still would be very comparable in my opinion and a lot easier/warmer! Mike You obviously got a tremendous deal as my quick search got no where near £344 including a cabin. Never paid more than £60 for ferry and do not use toll roads so with your fuel costs about £279 and the reassurance that I am not going to meet stormy sea conditions. We all have choices but still not convinced/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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