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-   -   Driving through France (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/driving-through-france-1735200/)

Emmamaria Apr 9th, 2026 05:40 AM

Driving through France
 
We are going to Spain in May taking our car with a return through France in June. We are concerned about the petrol situation in France due to the Middle East war and we are thinking about returning from Spain instead as we dont want to be stuck in France. Any thoughts, what would others do?

hetismij2 Apr 9th, 2026 01:15 PM

From the UK I assume?
There is no way of knowing what the fuel situation will be in June at this point.

Fuel is cheaper away from the motorways so if you are planning on pottering back up through France over a number of days, rather than blasting up in the minimum time you can get away with, then fill up when the car gets about half full just to be on the safe side.

I personally would take the ferry any day rather than driving back up on French toll roads, but I guess it depends on if you are a good (or reasonable) sailor or not as you have to cross the Bay of Biscay. The ferries are of course designed for open sea and stabilised.
A mini cruise to end the trip. relaxing for all,
Ferries may add a fuel surcharge if the situation continues I guess.

bilboburgler Apr 9th, 2026 11:00 PM

Doing a France tour of their motorways sounds like a horrible holiday to me (live in the UK)

I'd either fly and hire or take the ferry with my car (we have done this once but spent 2 weeks on French back roads to get there before taking the ferry home). If I were hiring I'd hire EV to get around the fuel problem (Spain is running 100% renewable during the summer and France 100% renewable and Nuclear)

Fossil Fuels, who knows.

Emmamaria Apr 9th, 2026 11:59 PM

Thank you for your input
 
Wd were intending to drive through France back to the UK stopping off at places we hsd never visited, Mont de Marsan, Bergerac and the Dordogne, Loches, then Normandy. However due to the uncertainty of the war and the fuel supply in France we have decided to come back on the ferry from Spain and go to France lster in the year if it is sensible.

Mountain_Tom Apr 10th, 2026 01:24 AM


Originally Posted by Emmamaria (Post 17715754)
We are going to Spain in May taking our car with a return through France in June. We are concerned about the petrol situation in France due to the Middle East war and we are thinking about returning from Spain instead as we dont want to be stuck in France. Any thoughts, what would others do?

Hi! Living in France and travelling across the country myself (1500km over the last Easter weekend), I can confirm there is no real issue getting fuel for your car. TotalEnergies stations are often the only ones running dry because they capped their prices, so everyone flocked there. However, other stations - specifically those on the highways - are operating normally.
Of course, we don't know what the situation will be like in a month - and that goes for the rest of Europe too - but I'm not too worried about it.

kerouac Apr 10th, 2026 01:25 PM

The situation and prices are changing every day. Today the prices went down 0.20€ per litre. In May, anything is possible.

coops_sara Apr 17th, 2026 11:41 AM

We've done both before - the overnight ferry is fantastic and the kids loved it as an experience. I think that if fuel hasn't come down in price by June then we'll all have many more things to worry about that summer holidays :(

tomboy Apr 18th, 2026 04:34 AM

No doubt the world will end.

wildiowa Apr 18th, 2026 04:55 AM

A decimated military and dead regime will not hold the world's oil supply hostage.

shelemm Apr 18th, 2026 05:46 PM


Originally Posted by wildiowa (Post 17717281)
A decimated military and dead regime will not hold the world's oil supply hostage.

Which country are you thinking of?

wildiowa Apr 18th, 2026 05:53 PM


Originally Posted by shelemm (Post 17717377)
Which country are you thinking of?

Google it.


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