# Are petrol stations in France all self service as in UK?



## Howlinwolf (Aug 25, 2008)

Going to be driving for the first time to France in the next few days. Our only experience of driving abroad has been using hire cars in Spain and mainly the Canary Isles. Our experience is that in Tenerife particularly they are mainly manned and not self service. My impression after reading many posts on here is that the French system of fuel sales is similar to here in the UK. Is that correct?
David


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

Certainly on the main routes you normally fill up yourself at the pumps and then walk to the shop to pay. I have some across some petrol stations in Spain where they want to fill the tank for you, but never in France so far.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Depends where you go. The great majority are self-service but, in some small villages you do meet the odd one that is not - but it is rare and you probably would not stop anyway as it would be expensive.

Most supermarket ones have someone in a booth at the exit and you have to pay there. Most autoroute ones are the same as UK, pay in the shop.

At weekends when the booths are closed there are- like UK- some machines where you can only pay by card. It used ot be that UK cards were not accepted but I believe this is no longer true. We still go for the pay at booth option when we can and try to fill up on Saturday lunchtime before the garages in towns and supermarkets tend to close or open late.

G


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

I would say the majority of supermarkets have a few self service pumps if you want to use them or turn up out of their normal hours. During normal hours mostly theres someone in a booth to take payment, and supermarkets are by far the cheapest. Autoroutes will have 24hour manned tills, but the restaurant bits may only do normal hours.
Shell Agip etc branded stations either have the same fill up then pay as here, or more rural ones sometimes they'll fill you up.
If I was somewhere rural I would fill up when I see one open especially heading into the weekend. After saturday lunchtime without a self service pump you may struggle!

Just to add that a few years ago between my mate and me we had 7 various credit cards and none worked at 24hour pumps. At one point we had to wait until a local turned up and persuaded him to use his card and we gave him cash! But over the last year every card every time every pump no problem. People still mention it but I've not heard of it happening recently while we were there from other tourers. There is supposed to be a higher risk of card fraud by using automated pumps, since anyone (disgruntled ex-employees) with a key (there are only 4 variations?!? Not sure how true this is!) to the box can get your card info so mostly I would aim to give cash to a person.

I'll shut up in a minute!

Also, bearing in mind the £ has been fairly steady in a bad exchange rate, and with a UK election possibly causing uncertainty on our debt future and therefore near future Euro/£ and $/£ rate, you can get a prepaid visa where you buy say 1000 euros at the rate that day rather than the rate on the day you spend it, but that is all that that card is worth. If stolen or abused, there is only that 1000 that can go missing. You top it up online or at an ATM when you want. $ ones are available too. Was recommended on a Which site, Caxton FX and Fair FX;

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/prepaid-cards/the-lowdown-on-prepaid-cards/index.jsp


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I think we're showing our age difference in the answers here !

By self-service I mean being able to operate the pump yourself to deliver fuel and then pay either at the booth or till or by credit card into the machine itself.

The alternative for me is the little man who pops out of the garage as you arrive and does all the filling and so on while you sit in the car. This is quite common in Italy but uncommon in mainstream France.

G


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

I fear you _*are *_showing your age Grizz! :wink:  

Remember when your little man would tap the window before he started and say, _"Shot of Redex Ma'am?"_

To add a sensible comment ( 8O ) I would always get out of the van if the little man does appear, and sneakily check that he is about to fill up with the appropriate fuel - especially if you have a petrol engine.

Most vans are diesel and they (_little men_ :wink: ) sometimes tend to assume without checking, as was discovered by an unfortunate person we got chatting to on an Aire in France. Fortunately he topped up before his tank was even half empty, so he got away with it - but he left a bit of a smokescreen until the diesel mixture had run through. 8O 8O

Dave 8O


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Lady p 
has no idea which side of the cars, van or mh the filler cap is on.


dave p


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> To add a sensible comment ( 8O ) I would always get out of the van if the little man does appear, and sneakily check that he is about to fill up with the appropriate fuel - especially if you have a petrol engine.


We were advised in Italy - where manned pumps are quite common- not to pay the man who fills up your tank in case he is nothing to do with the garage at all ! Make sure you go into the office bit to pay and - being Italy - get your receipt and be prepared to show it to the Fiscal Police if asked.

I don't like manned pumps as I'm never sure if I'm meant to give a tip or not and how much.

G


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Be careful in France, there are lots of filling stations you can get into quite easily but on the way out they funnel you towards the kiosk and that can procuce tight turns and gaps too narrow for long vans. I never go into one unless I can see that I can drive out, often someone will be behind you preventing reversing, Alan.


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

Erneboy makes a good point! Auchan in Angloueme has I think a 4m clearance at the pumps but 3.5m at the payment desk! Cheap though!


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