nigelcave Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Not sure what the situation is going to be like this next week, but hardly any fuel on the Somme due to some form of industrial (in)action. None on Saturday in Albert or Bapaume and eventually got some in Acheux en Amienois (a rather unlikely place to find an Intermarche, but there you are)! None in the fuel station on the main autoroute south from Calais, I noticed, on my way back to Calais today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horrocks Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Thanks Nigel. I am driving over to the Somme in the morning, will fill up in Dover and pack a Jerry Can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 I had this problem last week, couldn't actually find out what the problem was though, saw garages closed and had to queue for 30mins to get some at a garage that still had some. An extra problem for me is that the automated pump has taken and extra erroneous amount (£100) from me ! My bank so far has not been too helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandy hall Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Eurotunnel have been tweeting about this for the last few days. I think they said it was industrial action at fuel refineries. The petrol station on the exit from the Tunnel in Calais is closed and is for emergency services only. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 If you are within striking distance, cross the border at Le Bizet (Ploegsteert). There's a fuel station just on the Belgian side. Discovered this on a minibus trip many years ago, when no French fuel pump would accept our credit/debit cards! It was only a minor panic ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Signs saying no diesel available all along the motorway Arras to Calais yesterday. Also got stuck in a long tailback (about 45 minutes) at Etaples on Friday caused by cars queuing for fuel. Luckily no problem for our coaches as they had filled up in UK and didn't need to obtain any in France. But certainly fill up before you leave the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 23 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2016 If you are within striking distance, cross the border at Le Bizet (Ploegsteert). There's a fuel station just on the Belgian side. Discovered this on a minibus trip many years ago, when no French fuel pump would accept our credit/debit cards! It was only a minor panic ... I remember those happy days, Chris. The time it most got to me most was once at the Gare du Nord ten years or so ago, when their automatic ticket machines would not accept UK credit etc cards and I had to queue for ninety minutes at the single open window (half a dozen others firmly shut). When I got to second place I found that the guy in front of me seemed to be trying to organise a ticket from Paris to Outer Mongolia via Venice, Bratislava and endless other stops. All I wanted was a single to Arras! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Does anyone have any idea whether these fuel refinery strikes and therefore fuel shortages are likely to go on all through the summer? Similarly the strikes at the French ports such as le Havre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Does anyone have any idea whether these fuel refinery strikes and therefore fuel shortages are likely to go on all through the summer? Similarly the strikes at the French ports such as le Havre? The strikes are all protests about the new work laws that have been passed. As usual all the strikers say reform is utterly essential as long as it doesn't affect them personally! Even the Police are now demonstrating as they are being badly assaulted by the strikers - over 300 hospitalised so far. How long it will go on is guesswork at best. No idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 It is all part of le mouvement social against a reform of the le code du travail which is hitting many aspects of public life. Petrol shortages don't bother me because at the moment I don't have a driving license. My UK driving license expired last month and I am looking at a four-month delay before a new one arrives from Permis de Conduire Central in Paris. It's been held up. It's not just the stikes - May sees three French public holidays. Undeterred I tried to take a train from Lille to Albert last Friday for a circular walk. Guess what? The train was cancelled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Thank you, David and Hedley. We need to get from near Thun in Switzerland in September. I've already booked the outward crossing to le Havre and then on to the Vosges. It sounds as if it might be as well to look into a return route via Germany or Luxembourg, maybe to a Dutch port. Sometimes it feels as if it would be so much easier to book a holiday in Dorset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 If you are within striking distance, cross the border at Le Bizet (Ploegsteert). There's a fuel station just on the Belgian side. Discovered this on a minibus trip many years ago, when no French fuel pump would accept our credit/debit cards! It was only a minor panic ... I found what I suspect must be that petrol station very useful when I went over a few years ago (with the late Tom Rutherford) as my car needed some special oil that diesel cars live on (apparently); they had shelves full of it. And took credit cards. What's not to like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Nice to see Mr Baker chipping in... Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 I found what I suspect must be that petrol station very useful when I went over a few years ago (with the late Tom Rutherford) as my car needed some special oil that diesel cars live on (apparently); they had shelves full of it. And took credit cards. What's not to like? I was there too - wasn't I? I must be getting vague in my old age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Managed to put 20 litres in my diesel motor this afternoon (all the garage would allow), which just about topped it up, but could find no petrol close to home for my other vehicle, which still has nearly half a tank, so hoping it will blow over in due course. Cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Just spoken to a chum. Plenty of petrol in Provence but not a drop of diesel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 I was there too - wasn't I? I must be getting vague in my old age Can't remember - I went twice with Mr Rutherford, once with you, once without. Once with his passport, once without. Both times with his teeth, fortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Ahhh........I was there the time he entered and left France without his passport (he had left it in Aberdeen). I remember we were nervous leaving France as we approached British Immigration. The officer at the desk was a fellow Scotsman and reckoned that no one could fake Tom's accent so he waved us on with Tom's sole means of identification being a Scottish Executive Bus Pass. Those were the days, wouldn't happen now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 24 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 24 May , 2016 Looking at today's French papers, the government has unblocked one refinery but others remain blocked. Looking at the map of affected regions, it would seem that the north is one of those particularly hard hit. Given the proximity to Belgium, I would suggest those travelling top up on the UK side and then keep enough in reserve to get across the border to Belgium if necessary. I suppose it could get 'nasty' or 'nastier'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_East Posted 24 May , 2016 Share Posted 24 May , 2016 It looks as if all 8 of the French refineries will be affected by strikes...it has been predicted that.output of refined fuel is likely to be down to 50% nationally.Reports indicate French police are attempting to prevent the Marseilles refinery being affected.. Interestingly there is an increasing trend in a policy of rationalising production costs by locating the refineries near to the areas of extraction.......a case of outsourcing overseas. There does not appear to be a refinery at all in the South West although I have noticed,in the past, oil tankers at anchorage in Torbay....probably awaiting for a favourable crude market price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 24 May , 2016 Share Posted 24 May , 2016 Signs saying no diesel available all along the motorway Arras to Calais yesterday. Well at least that should mean that consignments of British lamb and fish should get through uncharred this week. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/inverness/646560/highland-trucks-hijacked-in-france/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 24 May , 2016 Share Posted 24 May , 2016 More here: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/24/french-police-water-cannon-strikers-marseille-fos-sur-mer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillchadwick Posted 24 May , 2016 Share Posted 24 May , 2016 Here in Saint Lô we were limited to 25 litres of Diesel this morning, but no queues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 24 May , 2016 Share Posted 24 May , 2016 Here in Saint Lô we were limited to 25 litres of Diesel this morning, but no queues. Can't be much fun with a petrol motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dink_and_pip Posted 24 May , 2016 Share Posted 24 May , 2016 From the Foreign Office today Latest update: Summary - following industrial action (blockades of fuel depots), fuel purchasing restrictions have been put in place by local authorities in some parts of France; in certain areas you may not be able to fill up jerrycans, and fuel rationing may be imposed; some petrol stations may have run out of some types of fuel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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