cherylforeurope

Touring Bavaria by car and just want to know if anyone has any tips on pumping gas...will it be
easy enough to figure out and do they take credit cards? Thanks.

AisleSeat

You shouldn't have any problems with the big gas and food places on the main highways. Credit cards should be good there and the gas pumps work just like the ones in the US. Small town gas stations may not take your credit card.

logos999

There is no need to swich on/off the pump. Self service. Credit cards mostly accepted, Eurocheque card (= Maestro Card) is always prefered. Most expensive downtown. Ausgburg cheaper than Munich. Diesel least expensive at about 110 Eurocent/Liter. Austria a lot less expensive than Bavaria /Germany.

ira

If the pumps are not attended, will an American credit card work, or does it have to have a microchip?

logos999

No microchip needed, but sometimes (most of the time unfortunately) they use their own custom cards, which of course doesnt help on a Sunday after midnight...

mr_compass

I used to charge all of the gas purchase to CC. Otherwise you need to pull a safe behind you to pay for it in cash. I think Mastercard is the most popular charge in Germany. Just plan accordingly to have enough gas.

flanneruk

Most of the time, they're the only grocery stores open in Germany, outside railway stations and airports. And many of them offer really great prices on really great beer.

chtiet

Gas in Austria is about 20 cents per liter less expensive than in Germany - so don't know if that qualifies as "a lot".... but if you're close to the border it certainly makes sense to cross and fill up. All the big name stations should accept CC's, but usually you need to pay inside. So just to be on the safe side, try to fill up during the day.

NB: Gas "quality" is much much higher in Germany than here in the US - the lowest grade there is 92, then 95 and 98, compared to 87, 89, 93 here... that's (a small) part of why gas is more expensive.

logos999

Lets check what you are paying for: ;-)
say you buy 1 Liter at 1.07 Euros.

Mineral Oil (Gas) Tax: 0.501
Eco - Tax: 0.154
This is used to subsidise old-age pension funds. So every time you fill up you make the old folks happy ;-)
EBB - Tax 0.005
VAT 0.138
VAT is in addition to Mineral Oil Tax, so this tax is taxed by 16% ;-)

Source:
http://www.avd.de/presse/spritpreise...terschiede.htm

tom22

There are different types of gas available at the gas station sin Germany than in other countries. Check with your car rental company to make sure, that you purchase the right type of gas.

- Diesel
- Truck Diesel
- Benzin Bleifrei
- Super Bleifrei
- V-power
- V-power Diesel

You can find gas-stations on highways (Autobahn), which have an opening time of 24 hours. There are more expensive, than gas stations in the cities and at normal streets.

The bigger cities have all gas stations, with extended opening times.

tom22

Forgot at gas staion locator, whic I found in the internet:
http://www.shell-tankstelle.de/14.asp

moatenote

Just got back from trip to Germany and Austria (June 5-19). We paid 1.21 Euros in Germany and 1.05 in Austria. Discovered that we couldn't pay at the pump, have to pay inside after you pump your gas. (Be sure to note which side of your car the gas tank is on!)

hsv

tom22,

there is no difference between Truck Diesel and regular Diesel fuel. The only difference is that truck drivers filling up a considerably larger tank are given a minor discount by some stations that hope to obtain their business this way.

V-Power fuel is in fact Shell's version of high octane fuel - 100 octanes.

V-Power Diesel is also a Shell- only product. The first Diesel fuel that is partially synthetic and thus allegedly burns a bit cleaner.

The Aral brand (division of BP) have some equivalent products called ultimate 100 and ultimate Diesel.

Esso (division of Exxon Mobile) and other brands will sell some Super Plus with 98 octanes.

Should people rent a normal rental car, sticking to ordinary Diesel (if it is a Diesel) or ordinary Super unleaded (there hardly is any leaded gas available anyway) should be sufficient.

Just be aware that even most compact cars these days require Super (i.e. 95 octane fuel).

Dukey

Topping this in case there may be new information to add and in preparation for my own driving trip in Germany

Roger1x

Many Esso stations(On The Run) around Freising (outside Munich, near the airport) are open 24 hrs a day. As has been mentioned gas stations are one of the few places you can buy things like beer, water, snacks on a Sunday and in the evening.

Beside knowing which side your tank is on, make sure you know how to open it. Some cars need the key, others have a switch inside the car. Unless you have a big car, a fill up shouldn't cost more than 50-60 euro.

I can't give any specifics, but my recollection is that the pumps are easier to use than those in the USA.

pauljagman

Simple question - Are most rented cars in Europe Diesel or regular gas? I'd like to rent a car in Germany and do an independent travel on the Romantic Road and Bavaria. Any other tips?

bettyk

While some rental cars are indeed diesel, I think most take regular gas. We are in Germany now on holiday and the rental car we picked up from Avis at Frankfurt Airport is an Opel Astra and it takes Super. Someone else at the counter at the same time requested diesel and they found one that had just been returned. It was the only one they had at the time.

iris1745

Hi; Just returned from Germany on the 17th of Sept and pumping gas was easier than in the 'states'. No credit card was needed until you went inside to pay. Just lift the handle and pump. For us, we had a compact 'standard shift' rented with Sixt and ended up with an automatic BMW [525 I think] with GPS at the same rate. We have never rented a car with a GPS, but times are changing. Never again without one in Europe. Navigating in cities was so easy. We used regular gas. One of the fill-ups was about 80 euros. Great time. Richard

altamiro

Try to get a diesel car, the fuel is cheaper and you need less of it. Plus, the car has a better driving "feel" due to higher torque at low frequencies (although automatic destroys it again)

logos999

Yes, diesel and manual transmission are the way to go.