French Bank Holidays - Petrol?

[Bear in the Air]

Hi Guys,
A number of us are travelling across to France landing in Caen on Saturday 8th May which is a French Bank Holiday. Any one know whether they close up the Petrol Stations or are the 24hr ones really 24hr?
We are planning to go the Le Mans then down to La Rochelle during Saturday and will need a sup of go juice along the way.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[sven]

Never had a problem using UK Maestro or Visa cards the last time I went to France in 2007, although some folk still do

The petrol stations wih 24/24 signs tend to be a safe bet,especially those at the major supermarkets e.g. Carrefour, Le Clerc. Just include a major town enroute and search for supermarket filling stations on your GPS

 

[corsicandreamer]

take a credit card

Hi Guys,
A number of us are travelling across to France landing in Caen on Saturday 8th May which is a French Bank Holiday. Any one know whether they close up the Petrol Stations or are the 24hr ones really 24hr?
We are planning to go the Le Mans then down to La Rochelle during Saturday and will need a sup of go juice along the way.

Any help would be appreciated

Hi 24hour petrol is either autoroute which is exactly like our motorways [24 hour] or card operated so with chip n pin you can get your fuel 24/7 hope this helps Ken.B

 

[exeter_lad]

Or Cash

Group of us did the same thing 3 years ago. Rained like hell and France was shut - VE Day! Only place we could find to eat in Caen was a nice Mexican restaurant. Everything else was shut.

Went on to stay in Fougeres. Nice hotel, supermarket 24 hour petrol station next door. No problem. UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. No human - just card reader. Despite the large array of cardswe had between us, not one worked.

After scouting round the area, we found one small petrol station open and it took cash. Lucky for those who had not topped up on the motorway the day before.

So beware. That part of France shuts for VE day.

 

[Bear in the Air]

Oh Bugger, will have to plan it better, I'm alright, got a GS1200, but one on the guys is riding a Ducati, i'd better take a length of tube for syphoning!!!!!

 

[wessie]

Oh Bugger, will have to plan it better, I'm alright, got a GS1200, but one on the guys is riding a Ducati, i'd better take a length of tube for syphoning!!!!!

Exeter Lad needs to file his anecdote in the "do not use" archive.

3 years ago it was valid. In the last 2 years France has upgraded their system so that almost every ATM & fuel pump will take UK cards.

You will have no problem finding fuel on your route. If Ducati boy gets paranoid he has a choice of 3 different routes by motorway. You might find it is less hassle to take the autoroute as at least you will find somewhere open with food. On the N roads you will be able to get petrol from the automats but unless you like McDonalds, not much else will be open for food.

 

[thornley]

Exeter Lad needs to file his anecdote in the "do not use" archive.

3 years ago it was valid. In the last 2 years France has upgraded their system so that almost every ATM & fuel pump will take UK cards.

You will have no problem finding fuel on your route. If Ducati boy gets paranoid he has a choice of 3 different routes by motorway. You might find it is less hassle to take the autoroute as at least you will find somewhere open with food. On the N roads you will be able to get petrol from the automats but unless you like McDonalds, not much else will be open for food.

+1 chaps

 

[Glyno]

No probs with cards at all

 

[Riders Rest]

Your cards will be fine France is becomming more commercial and you may even find shops and garages open on Bank Holidays if in doubt head for the super markets. Only one I have a problem with down here is Super U

 

[Deleted account AWRT]

Exeter Lad needs to file his anecdote in the "do not use" archive.

3 years ago it was valid. In the last 2 years France has upgraded their system so that almost every ATM & fuel pump will take UK cards.

You will have no problem finding fuel on your route. If Ducati boy gets paranoid he has a choice of 3 different routes by motorway. You might find it is less hassle to take the autoroute as at least you will find somewhere open with food. On the N roads you will be able to get petrol from the automats but unless you like McDonalds, not much else will be open for food.

good advice

Include some autoroute in the bank holiday days ride and you will be more that OK

 

[stolzy]

3 years ago it was valid. In the last 2 years France has upgraded their system so that almost every ATM & fuel pump will take UK cards.

In our collective dreams.

Depending on what card you use you may find that no unattended point of sale machines will take your card.

I have 4 cards, one of them is accepted everywhere, the others never work in unattended POS machines (including fuel stations, car parks, railway stations etc).

My advice is to test a card at a supermarket automatic pump early in your trip. If it works in one, chances are it will work everywhere.

Also be aware of the rejected card problem. You try to pay in a hotel and the message 'carte refusee' appears. in all likelihood this just is for a manual (telephone) security check. Unfortunately, this system does not exist in France. If you call the number on the back of your card you can get usually get the transaction authorised straight away.

 

[madman]

I have no problem using any of my UK cards anywhere around here, and I live here all the time.

 

[Riders Rest]

Well this bank holliday has just finished (Easter) most super markets were open and most cafe's (it was 24 degrees here ) had 3 guests on BMW R1200 and K1200 variety, we had no problem filling up non-motorway routes, if you cannot find a petrol station look in the super markets most now are or have 24/7 pumps

 

[Wapping]

As well as taking English cards, many are now converted to give instructiuons in English, too:

A suitably rural Texaco unmanned site on a French public holiday:

Approach the machine:

A bit of French to kick off:

Then English:

Then a bit more:

It had, too:

The end:

Out of four separate automatic stations tried, they all took English cards.

All the cards worked except one, which had not been activated for foreign use.