To make a 500 mile round trip this weekend during petrol shortage?

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We’re in London and it’s currently still very difficult locally to buy petrol. We’re supposed to be making a 500 mile round trip this weekend. We have just about enough fuel in the tank to get us there but would need to fill up to get home.

I hear things are getting back to normal outside London/SE - can I rely on just being able to stop at services to refuel or do we need to rethink our trip?

We’re travelling to Yorkshire for what it is worth.

Train?

I have family visiting this weekend from Yorkshire and they’ve just filled up their car in preparation with no problems, so I think you’d be fine. Maybe just try to fill up as soon as you see somewhere and don’t leave it until the car is running on fumes!

I'm almost certain you'll be able to refuel along your journey. No need to rethink your plans.

Things are pretty normal here (West Mids).

I think you'll be fine outside London.

Here, in my part of the Midlands, you can now get petrol easily and I gayher this is the case in most places, outside of London/SE.

We did Yorkshire to beyond London last weekend and Nottingham this weekend. Almost every service station until London had fuel although it looked like some were alternating (service 1 - no hgv fuel, service 2 - hgv fuel only etc). You shouldn't have any issue but I'd advise topping up on your way back so you have some before you hit the more difficult areas nearer London.

Sorry, meant to say, away from the service stations on the motorway there seemed to be little issue, if one station didn't have any the next one did in Nottingham, I'm not aware of any in Yorkshire who are without for more than an hour or two.

I'm driving to Devon this weekend. I've been advised that there's no issue down there with fuel, and Midlands/north are fine too.

I refuse to put my plans on hold because of this bloody government's incompetence!

Thanks - sounds like we should be OK (and hopefully things will continue to improve down hear over next few days too).

We need a car for this particular trip so train isn’t an option unfortunately, as I prefer it to driving!

I'm in the North East and it's fine here

Having seen the prices, however, I'd recommend trying to find a supermarket rather than a motor way service station...

I drove to Manchester from Cambridge last weekend. Lots of petrol available on the A1 (often cheaper than in Cambridge!) and once I was up there I filled up without queueing. Cambridge is still having problems - high prices, queues, petrol stations running out...

There isn’t a fuel shortage, but a logistics problem compounded by garages selling out once they have had a delivery.

In Salisbury things have calmed down, we don’t have constant gridlock on roads with garages.
Deliveries are getting in and garages are managing to sell without immediately selling out
But ultimately they do sell out of one or both of petrol or diesel.

If you can get fuel when passing if it’s available then you’re fine
But if you’re needing to make journeys and either don’t pass garages or you pass them at the wrong times then that puts people in need to ask on social media where fuel is available - someone replies that x garage has it and within the hour they sell out.

Make sure that you are only on the motorway if you have enough fuel to leave the motorway. It’s more likely that the motorway garages will be kept filled, but they are also generally more expensive

Keep an eye open for garages on the way and fill up when it’s possible - or take an amount such as £30 as applicable

In the last couple of weekends I’ve been away, so the weekend before last I had enough to get there and back, but filled up the night before as I passed a garage with fuel and no queues. As it turned out one person didn’t go so we didn’t need the extra car, so I just drove to meet and left mine parked up. I ended up with an almost full tank ready for the weekend just gone.
This was a longer trip and I would need about half a tank - mine was still almost full so no need to stop anywhere.
When I got back garages had fuel, but £30 limits so I topped up and now am about 3/4 full
(I must have panic bought as I took £30.01 of fuel)

Those who have panic bought with no need have full tanks and those who are making journeys that need fuel will get on fine if people are sensible
There’s a balance between filling up when convenient and taking a share.
I’d have felt a little guilty the other day if I had filled up but have a few weeks until I’m going to be on any longer journeys