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Original poster

France - How are you coping with the fuel crisis?

29 replies

flyingcloud · 20/10/2010 07:47

Is anyone still managing to get fuel?

I refused to buy into the panic buying, but did get a bit panicky when I realised I would have to pick my 16 yr old niece up from the airport and didn't have enough to get there and back.

I filled up on Sunday, having queued for half an hour behind people filling up fuel cans in addition to their cars. I haven't tried since, but having checked out a few websites/forums which are monitoring stations in the local area and it seems that we really are running out.

I am not going to fill up again until the crisis is over and will just stay at home, tant pis. (will it get a whole lot worse or better when the reforms are passed by the Senate, which they surely will be?)

I think official advice is for people not to travel unless it is essential, if I am right?

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 20/10/2010 08:02

I am grateful I can live my life on foot, and that the weather is clement!

Long, long queues at the petrol station in my road yesterday.

jenpet · 20/10/2010 14:09

I can't say it's affected us really (near Vannes) I've seen some petrol stations which have run out of unleaded or diesel, or occasionally both, but we've found others nearby that have both or either. There is a ?30,00 limit in many too. We did get stuck in "l'escargot" yesterday though which messed up the afternoon a bit. I'm constantly amazed by the wildly different reporting in the press too...

FluffyDonkey · 20/10/2010 14:16

I was surprised by the BBC website report - made it sound like France had ground to a halt. I'm in Paris and have hardly been affected by any of the strikes this autumn. The metro is running fine and I can avoid the RER which is good Grin as I hate it.

Don't know anyone who is on strike either.

scouserabroad · 20/10/2010 14:22

I keep hearing about shortages, but not experienced any yet. Did not want to panic buy, but then went and got a full tank of petrol anyway because I'm in a rural area with two young DC and it would be difficult to manage without a car. I know panic buying is a vicious circle...

My friend was part of an "escargot" yesterday (dressed as Father Christmas), someone threw stones at the CRS and then they all got tear gassed. That made for some exciting statuses on Facebook!

Fenouille · 20/10/2010 14:25

I filled up last week when they first blocked the Marseille depot and we had a premonition of how it might go! There seem to be intermittent deliveries here still (Toulouse) but lots of queues.

They're blocking the airport here today but no escargots yet.

Luckily, I don't have to go out at the moment and DH can go to work by bike, but as I'm 40 weeks gone we're going to have to drive to the hospital at some time soon...

jenpet · 20/10/2010 14:30

Oh scouserabroard was that the one after the Van'Ocea exit on the N165?? If so, we were in it too, but too far back to see all the action...blimey!

scouserabroad · 20/10/2010 14:39

Jenpet, yes I think it was! I wasn't in it, didn't see any of the action myself but my friend has put pics all over Facebook... they seem to see it as a fun day out tbh, I tried to discuss the economic reasoning behind the reforms but they weren't having any of it Grin Actually, some people (on facebook again, guess where I spend too much time Blush seem to be getting quite angry with the protesters now for "messing around"...

Not sure how long it will go on for, will they carry on if the reforms are passed or not? The police are intervening re. the fuel depot situation at the moment, aren't they? It looks like they won't let it become a proper shortage like there was in the UK a few years back.

frenchfancy · 20/10/2010 16:40

Our area was dry for 4 days until this morning. Big queues now at all stations.

We are due to drive to Spain on Saturday and we have changed out planned route so that we can get to the border on one tank without needing to fill up.

BriocheDoree · 20/10/2010 17:11

We're ok. Trains a bit of a pain (DH and I argue every morning about who is dropping DS off at school as the earlier train is bearable and the post-school-dropping-off one is packed!) Hardly any trains in the middle of the day but fortunately mine is one of the few running.
Petrol...well, I managed to fill up the other day and now have enough fuel to get me to Normandy and back this weekend, but have very unhappy friend who was supposed to be going down to Toulouse for the week for her mum's 60th and has had to cancel because they simply can't be sure that they will get back again. I also can survive without the car most of the time so that's lucky!

slinkyboo · 20/10/2010 18:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AuldAlliance · 20/10/2010 19:11

I drove a 770km round trip today, with no trouble.
There was lots of petrol available on the plateau du Larzac. Wink

Judging by the traffic on the Marseille-Montpellier motorway, the country has very definitely not ground to a halt, unless it is because of traffic jams due to the number of vehicles on the road...

Original poster
flyingcloud · 20/10/2010 20:59

slinkyboo - you're near me, I haven't tried since Sunday but was advised to cancel a work trip to Normandy today as the person I was meeting said they couldn't get any around them. Where are you getting fuel???!!! DH said there was a 100m queue for the fuel at Carrefour market in Chantilly at 6am this morning (it wasn't working when I tried on Sunday).

I went into Paris today though, having taken a day off due to cancelled meeting, and was expecting deserted highways, not a bit of it. Lots of people out and about, shopping, etc.

Having said that, I did notice quite a few open stations driving around Paris.

OP posts:
Fenouille · 20/10/2010 21:18

BriocheDoree That's totally rubbish for your friend. I'm in Toulouse and a very unscientific survey this evening of the 2 petrol stations we drove past showed: 1 closed totally, 2 with diesel only. They do seem to be getting intermittent resupply though so it might be worth her risking it.

frakkinstein · 21/10/2010 07:13

Well first effects of the strike showing for us....DH says the volume of shipping has dropped and expects a 2 week recovery lag. 1 for shipping companies to put contingency plans into action and 1 more for stuff to reach us. I've not seen anything though...

The bigger problem is trying to get a civil servant to do anything!

SylvanianFamily · 21/10/2010 07:30

We're meant to be driving to the south of france to see family tomorrow. Will it be OK?

We'd regret to cancel, as the kids are super excited, but obviously not great to be in traffic/queues / stranded

dilbertina · 21/10/2010 10:36

Just returned from trip to fill up with diesel...not so much panicking about fuel as being stuck in house with 3 dc for 10day half-term hols!

Most Petrol stations around us (West of Paris) have had nothing for last few days/week - espec no Diesel. Roads seem definitely quieter as people take to trains or working from home I guess.

Some deliveries seem to be getting through today (well I saw 2..although strangely enough only the more expensive diesel "Ultimate"Hmm).

As soon as a tanker delivers a long queue immediately forms and everything sells out quickly......a tank will last me a couple of weeks so relieved I can relax about it now and give up my new hobby of joining queues.

Good luck everyone!

maman2tom · 21/10/2010 11:56

God i'm really fed up with it all now. To be honest it doesn't affect me as i can't drive so i'm used to getting about on foot.

But my mum and dad were supposed to be coming for half term but now my dad is having a major panic attack and saying they're going to cancel the trip. The news in the UK are saying there is no fuel anywhere, the country is in chaos! there was even a mention of URBAN WARFARE!!! Biscuit I've not seen them in months and i just feel so Sad

Othersideofthechannel · 21/10/2010 12:57

Oh that's a shame maman2tom.

On Europe 1 yesterday they actually had a report on how the other countries media are reporting this and making it sound like the whole country is in crisis.

Up here we seem to be getting off lightly. Diesel at one supermarket was a lot more expensive than usual because they had to go to Belgium to get it but no queues at filling stations.

hattymattie · 21/10/2010 18:38

St germain-en-laye/Maisons Laffitte - no petrol to be had since last Saturday (luckily I filled up Friday). One of the supermarkets briefly had petrol last night but as everybody rushed to fill up it was soon empty again and I heard a checkout girl saying there was some left but the police had asked that it be kept for them and emergency vehicles!

Bonsoir · 22/10/2010 10:58

DP had to drive back from a day trip from Paris to Milan/Turin last night - flight back was cancelled as were all alternatives. He got back at 4am (having got up at 5am the previous day to get an early flight). Grrrr.

dilbertina · 22/10/2010 13:00

this site

Seems to be being updated fairly frequently with what petrol stations are closed. Might be useful for anyone considering longer journeys to get an idea of situation in different areas.

Fenouille · 23/10/2010 14:50

News last night was reporting that autoroute petrol stations are being reprovisioned as a priority.

OTOH the unions are saying the refineries only have 3 days more stock even if the government has managed to break a few blockades.

tb · 25/10/2010 18:30

In Brive some stations are out of certain fuels, but not heard of any that are completely dry. Some - SuperU/Intermarche - have stopped pumps while closed for lunch and the 24/7 availability.

MrsSchadenfreude · 25/10/2010 18:52

Paris, 16eme. They had petrol in the small petrol station where I work, but no diesel. The queues were stretching across Henri Martin and blocking all the traffic. Mucho beeping of horns and excitable waving of arms.

AuldAlliance · 25/10/2010 20:09

In the backwaters of Provence, one little local petrol station has run out of diesel.

SuperU and Carrefour - who, rumour has it, are importing petrol from Spain - have never run out of anything AFAIK. They did very quickly make 24/7 credit card self-service inaccessible, or they'd have run out on the first Sunday.

My workplace is usually a hotbed of student activism and shuts at the drop of a hat. Nothing like that this time. Montpellier's students are probably all off to join the wake, so may give up their protest.