I have rented a small automatic car for driving in Provence. Is diesel preferable to gas? What is Petrol? Any ideas about prices for this spring? Thanks!!

We've only rented in Ireland and England but I think the rental agency will give you whatever car is available, gas/diesel. Having said that, the fuel will be more than in the states but then the cars get much better mileage over there so it will even out. Also, not sure if this is the case on the continent but in Ireland/UK, diesel is in black hoses and gas is in green...just the opposite of the US. Kathie

Diesel is preferable becuase you will get better mielage it is, therefore, cheaper.

Petrol is what most of the english speaking world calls the liquid that North Americans call gas.

You will get more miles to the gallon from diesel. 'Petrol' is the same as 'gas', it's the name we use in Europe. Gasoline = Petroleum. Fuel is sold in litres in UK & Europe. Approximately 4 litres = 1 US gallon. Expect to pay about 1 euro per litre.

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/eupetrolprices/

Here are recent petrol/diesel prices in Europe.

Gas = petrol

Diesel cars are more efficient to the gallon.

I wish it was 1 euro per litre - I pay about 1.45 here in Belgium, in France it's slightly cheaper.

Lawchick, sorry, of course you are correct. I had a senior moment with my exchange rates.

1 Euro per litre? I wish!
Make that € 1.25 - 1.30 per litre.
And in France, diesel is called gazole.
Bon voyage.

For fuel prices in France:
http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/index.php

Diesel will get you better kilometerage, but the price of diesel has been rising faster than gasoline in France. It's still about 15 euro cents a liter less, but not for long. (Of course, that still makes it 93 US cents a gallon cheaper than regular unleaded, and that is nothing to sniff at!)

Anybody driving in France should learn the 3 different names used for diesel: "diesel" (dee ez ell) "gazole" (gaz oll) "gasoil" (gaz wahl). I have no idea why one name or pronunciation has not yet won the battle since 70% of the cars sold in France are diesel.

"The French exception" ?

So - I pay abou 2.27$ a litre for petrol/gas. Thats over 9$ a gallon

My car has a capacity of about 26 gallons........hmmmmmm

Petrol is what most of the English speaking world calls the liquid that North Americans call gas.

What is more confusing is that some vehicles now do run on gas, real gassy gas.

In most of continental Europe, diesel is less costly than unleaded gasoline. I think that is a consequence of lower tax rates which is, in turn, a concession to truckers. That is, at least, the legend passed on to me in a French highway gas station.

I don't own a car, but I rent one every two weeks in Paris just to take my mother around a little (she is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's but loves to be driven around and above all wants to get OUT of that place).

Renting the smallest car possible through AutoEurope, I get a 3-day rate that varies between 91€ and 100€ ($141 and $155) depending on school holidays and other mysterious factors. My mother cannot walk much anymore, so I drive and drive and drive, which can rack up 200km on Saturday and Sunday, during which I have discovered every imaginable suburb, including the undesirable ones, while also including the major monuments of Paris and any other site that I can think of.

I am almost always given the car through Europcar, which has a pretty good number of Smarts now, my favorite car when I am just driving aimlessly without anything in the non-trunk, or else a Renault Twingo or Clio, sometimes some other strange model. But in any case, I have to pay between 30€ and 40€ just for driving around aimlessly, and it is a major segment of my budget.

A word of advice: assuming you are renting a stick shift, make CERTAIn you know how to put it into reverse BEFORE you drive it off the lot.

I know it sounds ridiculous but for some models of cars the reverse position is not readily identifiable.

" Is diesel preferable to gas?"

"make CERTAIn you know how to put it into reverse BEFORE you drive it off the lot."

"some models of cars the reverse position is not readily identifiable."

Come on people, you are giving me horrific flashbacks!!!

Spello!!! Gubbio!!! Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Not ridiculous at all, Dukey. Just two weeks ago driving my Twingo in the dark after having used other models on the previous 5 or 6 rentals, I couldn't remember where the R was, and I couldn't see it on the stick shift at night. So I had to abandon a parking space that I had found and go around the block because I didn't know how to back up. Naturally, the place was gone by the time I got back to the same area, which made me go around the block another 2 or 3 times until I finally got a space.

A few days ago I heard on the news that here in Spain Diesel is now more expensive than petrol. The demand has risen...so the prices follow.

Reverse: Pull UP on the ring. It's my mantra for our upcoming trip.

And then there was the time when we were trying to find a restaurant in Maddona di Campiligio. I said to my wife, "I don't know how you expect me to find the restaurant when I can't even find reverse."

Great info, Thanks to all. I am renting an automatic, for my friend's sake. I have driven sticks for the past 40 years and know in some models R is to push the stick in. this seems to show to "pull the ring out." Nonetheless, we have an automatic. I was quoted a Mercedes A180, "or similar." I know Merdcedes makes the smart car, but figure it would've said "Smart Car." We are getting some over here in the states now. Wonder if we'll have a choice of diesel or otherwise... Anyway, Provence will be a great adventure! -Dena