Good day everyone

Sorry if some of you might think im totally stupid for asking this question but i really need some help or advice.

My friend and I will be traveling to Europe in March 2008. We will be flying to CDG pick up a car there and then continue to drive through europe for the next 5 weeks.

My Question. In South Africa where we stay we pull up to any gas station at any time day or night they are always manned. We just say how much we need and our cars get filled up oil and water checked etc, we are spoiled. In europe it is different story. Can someone please explain to me how the gas stations in Europe function? how to pay? where to pay? Cash or Credit card? Any information you think is useful, besides the flight this is giving me the most headaches - i will ask my local pump attended to give me a short course in how to use a gas pump hehe but im totaly stupid when it comes to the rest. I have been on the net and have read a variety of posts here but none has given me the info i really need.

We will be visiting Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany and if we have time maybe a quick few days in London. We have both been to France, so we will just be using the airport because the car rental is the cheapest. Why are we renting and not doing trains? We got an amazing deal on car hire and we prefer to be independant wanting to explore the small little villages and going off the normal tourist routes.

Sorry for this lengthy post and thank you for any advice anoyne is willing to share..

You park your car in front of a free pump. Usually you have a selection of four or five types of fuel (check what your car needs), with a separate nozzle for each type. You fill your tank, and when you are done you hang up the nozzle again.

Then you go to the cashpoint (usually inside) and pay either cash or credit card (VISA and MasterCard are widely accepted - but nothing else and certainly no travellers cheques). There are a few gas stations which do not accept credit cards (usually the low-price, no-name stations).

Firstlt find out how to open the fuel tank. It sounds strange but it varies by make and model - some need the key to open them, others have a lever or a button inside the car - it may not always be obvious - it is often on the floor by the drivers seat.
Check which side the filler cap is so you can pull up with it next to the pump. Know which fuel you need - diesel or which grade of petrol (usually the cheapest/lowest unless you have a luxury car).
Lift the knozzle - the counters on the pump will reset to zero. Put the knozzle in the filler hole, and hold the handle - you will hear the pump start. When the tank is full the pump will cut out. Pay inside with credit card cash or an ATM card with 4 cifer pin and Maestro logo on it. Make sure you take the keys with you and lock the car if you both go inside!
There are an increasing number of unmanned fully automated petro stations now. They do not normally take cash or credit cards, so avoid them if you can, and be sure to fill up during the day to avoid one of these machines at a normally manned station.
Have a grat trip!

One thing to mention is that in France at least, gas is always cheaper at the supermarket. Virtually no one actually uses a service station.

Second, is that you really do need to be sure which type of fuel your car uses - and the car rental agencies are not always good about telling you. If your car is diesel, you will need diesel fuel, called 'gasoil'. If your car is not diesel, DO NOT use gasoil unless you want to have the tank pumped out.

Many large supermarkets have 24 hour pumps, which you can use if your credit card has a chip. European ones do, most NOrth Americans don't, and I don't know about South Africans. This allows you to put your card in the pump, which automatically debits your account. If your card doesn't have this, you will need to go to supermarkets when they are staffed. Large ones may be open from about 9 a.m to 7 p.m., smaller ones will close for lunch. So don't leave it too late if you need gas. Cars coming from the pumps are usually channelled past the attendant taking money.

I don't actually think this is a stupid post at all. We have been to the Western Cape several times, and are about to head off there for 7 weeks in January, and it was a puzzle to us what to do the first time. And having just been in Canada, where I spent most of my life, I had to ask for help on how to use a pump - 'these pumps are the pits' said the other customer as she showed me how. I really knew I wasnt in Frane then!

Practically no-one who hires a car knows where the petrol tank cap is. No-one operating a self-serve pump in a foreign country knows how those pumps work. Many people in Europe have problems getting their credit cards to work at foreign petrol pumps.

And a very large proportion of all motorists on Europe's major roads are from another country. Many will have hired a car at an airport - just like you.

So you're not going to look odd. The faff at the first petrol station in each new country (and the discovery that your card doesn't work at the automated stations you pull into at night in France) are essential parts of any holiday for any European. The petrol station attendants aren't going to look at you like a loonie: there aren't gangs of thieves weaiting to pounce on the first person they see struggling at the pump and you're not going to find yourself stranded in a wolf-infested forest because you've run out of petrol.

You'll just occasionally look a bit of a prat. Like all the rest of us. And you'll be amazed how helpful the staff in the kiosk always are when that happens.

At some petrol stations, usually very small ones in rural areas, the attendant will fill the car for you. I think it's best to wait a few seconds to see if anyone comes out or not; then if not, assume it's self-service.

Interested to see that the verb 'to stay' is used in SA the same way it is in Scotland (as opposed to how it's used in England) !

Regarding "any time of the day or night" -- stations on motorways are open 24 hours a day (and are more expensive because of this). However, they are manned for payment, not for service -- you will still pump the petrol yourself.

Frankly, I have never owned a car, so checking oil and water are something I know absolutely nothing about -- luckily, rental cars are supposed to be in perfect operating condition and don't need those things checked.

The gas/petrol question is the least of what should be your concerns. Can you change a tire? Did you get a spare key? Insurance? Licenses? Manual transmission? Shell has stations in many countries. So far, I have found them all, 'full service'. Happy travels!!

Hi Guys

Thanks for all of your help so far.


Caroline_Edinburg

Interested to see that the verb 'to stay' is used in SA the same way it is in Scotland (as opposed to how it's used in England) !

How is it used in Scotland?


GSteed

Yes although we are both girls we can change tires ( our daddies taught us well) and we drive manual cars in Sa. Licences have been sorted we both have and IDP's and insurance is covered.

Thanx for the concerns

Martiee, as a resident of Scotland, I stay in Edinburgh. I also stay in places on holiday.

When I was in England, I lived (amongst other places) in London, but stayed in places on holiday.

Martiee,

If you are renting a standard shift car, the FIRST thing I would do before leaving the rental lot is making sure you know how to <b>put it in reverse</b>. I'd also make not of where the fuel tank opening is and what kind of fuel as others have mentioned.

When in France this past Summer we avoided the &quot;credit card might not work&quot; issue by using stations as the large super markets but doing so during the day when there was an attendant available to pay.

Checking the oil may or may not be necessary but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to know how to raise the hood cover and I'd also make sure I know how to operate all the knobs and dials on the dash (especially for the wipers) before driving off the first time.

Hi M,

It is a good idea to fill your tank on Saturday.

It is often hard to find fuel stations that are staffed on Sunday.

I have also found it useful to bring a small travel compass.

Make sure that it reads the same direction inside the car as it does outside.

Many new cars have their own magnetic field.

Enjoy your visit.

Perhaps, a GPS navigator device?

P.S. As regards &quot;oil and water checked etc&quot; - they don't do that in garages here, but neither do I know anyone who has ever done it themselves. That's what the annual service/MOT is for, isn't it ?

LOL, Caroline....I honestly wish one could rely on the &quot;annual service&quot; for oil, filter, etc., changes.

Not that they don't do it...just that so many things can happen between those check-ups which can adversely affect the engine.

Always a good idea to know how to check water levels, oil, and of course, how to change a flat.

I think the OP said that she will not drive (much) in France, so the following is limited to Germany:

&gt; 99.9% of the stations are self-service
&gt; Unmanned stations or &quot;pay at pump&quot; are quite rare. Some gas stations operate night windows during the graveyard shift.
&gt; Several stations are 24/7 open, especially along highways and always along motorways
&gt; Pump first, pay afterwards
&gt; All major chains of gas stations accept credit cards (and, of course, cash, if you prefer)
&gt; Credit cards work by &quot;swipe and sign&quot;, no PIN necessary
&gt; Water/air is available, but only for self-service

By the way.. gas is much cheaper in Austria than in Germany, so filling up on the &quot;right&quot; side of the border would be a good idea.

hetismij: &quot;There are an increasing number of unmanned fully automated petro stations now. They do not normally take cash or credit cards, so avoid them if you can, &quot;

How do you pay at these unmanned places? Thanks.

By local debit card, such as Germany's EC-Karte. They are supposed to be aligned with Maestro, but not all terminals take other Maestro cards.
In France, there are many automated, unmanned fuel stations. For this you normally need French-issued bank cards with a chip. Other countries' chip cards may work, if the terminal has been converted to accept them, but in my experience the majority have not.

Oh. Thanks.

Someone please provide the French words for &quot;diesel&quot; and &quot;unleaded&quot;.