FUEL, SPEED LIMITS & SATNAVS

fuel

Most service stations in France offer 'Super Unleaded 98' (sans plomb 98); 'Unleaded 95' (sans plomb 95); diesel (gazole) and LPG (GPL). It is cheaper to fill up at supermarkets on the edge of time, and more expensive to use stations on the autoroutes.

Almost all petrol stations accept Visa and Mastercard. but take care with 24h automatic pumps in supermarket forecourts; many do not accept credit cards without integrated chip and PIN number.

If you think you may need to fill up in an emergency, check your card out at a supermarket self-service pump well before you run out. If it doesn't work, join the queue for the pay-at-the counter pumps.

To be on the safe side, keep you fuel tank topped up all the time.

FUEL PRICE CHECK

You can now check out the current price of gas all over France with their handy website Les Prix des Carburants. Just click on the map to find the city closest to you, or provide your driving itinerary and get a list of gas stations along the way. Within Paris, the gas prices vary today from €1.60-€1.93/litre. That’s a pretty big span if you’re filling up!

speed limits

Toll autoroute (péage): 130kph/80mph (but 110kph/68mph if it's raining)

Dual carriageways and toll-free autoroutes: 110kph/68mph (but 100kph/62mph if it's raining)

Main roads: 90kph/56mph (80kph/50mph when raining)

Urban areas: 50kph/31mph

Minimum speed limit applies on the left lane of autoroutes during daylight, with good visibility: 80kph/50mph.

Speed cameras

There are over 2,000 stationary speed cameras on France's roads and autoroutes. Where they were located used to be available online, but the radar speed camera map was removed from the Internet in 2011, following a government decision to stop warning drivers of upcoming speed cameras.

In addition there are mobile radar cars or the movable stationary speed cameras, of which there are currently over 1,000, and increasing all the time. So the sensible rule – is "Do not exceed the speed limit"...the last thing you want on a holiday visit is the grief of dealing with traffic police.

Average speed cameras

2012 saw the introduction of the first average speed cameras (Radars tronçon), on French motorways. These cameras, already used in other countries, calculate the average speed of a vehicle driving between two points. 

satnavs

DRIVERS with satellite navigation devices installed in their vehicle must update the software when driving in France, after a new law was introduced in January 2012 making it illegal to use radar warning equipment. 

Most of the major Satnav manufacturers have brought out updates that can be installed from their websites, or from a CD if you do not have internet access.