Cost of driving in France: Fuel prices & toll information
Toll roads
In the UK, toll roads are few and far between. They’re much more common in France, and something you’re likely to encounter, particularly when travelling on long journeys, or when using the main motorway networks.
Toll fees vary, so before setting off on a journey it’s worth making sure you know how much it’s likely to cost and that you have the money, or a bank card, to pay for them.
Doing your research should help your journey run as smoothly as possible, and ensure you’re not surprised by any larger-than-expected tolls.
Tolls are broken down into five categories, with differing fees for cars, cars towing caravans/trailers, buses, lorries, and motorbikes. As an example, the toll per car for use of the A26/A1 between Calais and Paris is just over €21, while a trip from Montpellier to Paris will see you charged just shy of €60.
With that in mind, take a look at the Autoroutes website for further information on costs. Here, you can input your departure and arrival destination, plus find out the fees for travelling the length of a route or for using a particular bridge.
Average fuel prices
When travelling abroad, it’s always wise to have a good idea of how much the journey is likely to cost before you set off.
One of the major considerations for people planning to drive in France will be the cost of fuel. Naturally, prices can vary but a little preparation ahead of getting behind the wheel should help you to avoid any unpleasant surprises and reduce the chances of getting stuck at the roadside with an empty tank.
It's all about location...
- While there's no shortage of places to fill up in France, it's worth remembering that petrol stations can be harder to come by in more rural areas.
- It's well worth keeping an eye out for them while you're on the major toll roads/main motorways, and filling up there, to avoid potentially running into problems later.
A really useful source of information for those keen to keep an eye on the cost of fuel, whether it's Super 95, Premium 98, Diesel or LPG, is the Autotraveler website. This updates data regularly to give you current average prices, as well as the historical maximums. It even includes a graph, giving you an overview of how the prices might have changed in recent days and weeks. To give you a rough idea of costs, as of March 2015, Super 95 had hovered around €1.40.
Translation tips
Petrol = Essence (Super/Super 97)
Unleaded petrol = Sans plomb (98 & 95)
Diesel = Gazole/gasoil
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Driving abroad
Be sure to check out our other driving abroad guides: