Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fuel & Spare Parts
Essence
(petrol or gasoline), also called
carburant
(fuel), costs roughly €1.65 a litre, or
€1.40 a litre for diesel.
Autoroute
service areas (
aires)
are priciest, but open 24 hours; hy-
permarkets are cheapest.
Unleaded (
sans plomb
) pump handles are usually green; diesel (
diesel, gazoil or gazole
)
pumps are yellow.
Many service stations close Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and in small towns during
lunch.
Some petrol pumps dispense fuel after-hours, but
only
with chip-and-pin credit cards.
North American credit cards (ie magnetic stripe instead of chip-and-pin) do
not
work at
24-hour pumps. To purchase fuel at night with magnetic-stripe cards, take the
autoroute
or
fill up by day.
When travelling mountain regions, keep the tank full.
If your car is
en panne
(broken down), you'll need services for your particular
marque
(make). Peugeot, Renault and Citroën garages are common, but you may have trouble in
remote areas finding mechanics to service foreign cars.
Hire
Rentals sell out at peak periods: make advance reservations.
Most companies require drivers be at least 21, have had a driving licence at least one
year, and pay with an international credit card (not debit - though debit cards are some-
times allowed if you're willing to pay hefty deposits or purchase zero-deductible insur-
ance). Drivers under 25 usually pay €30 extra daily.
Confirm you understand what's included - insurances, roadside assistance, tax,
kilo-
métrage limité
or
illimité
(limited or unlimited mileage) etc. You may be required to leave
a signed, blank credit-card slip as
caution
(deposit). Ensure it's destroyed upon return.
Arranging car hire or fly/drive packages before leaving home means lower-priced op-
tions (some only available when purchased overseas), but beware website offers that don't
include insurances, lest you double your cost or (worse) be liable for cost of replacing car
in the event of an accident.
Automatic transmission rare - reserve well ahead.
All rental cars registered in France have distinctive licence plates, making them in-
stantly identifiable - including to thieves. Never leave anything significant in the car
when parked, even in the boot (trunk).
