European fuel on Sundays

[Old Git]

Now I may be going mad, but thought I had read that garages are generally shut on Sundays over there, am I correct????
Will be running through non motorway route Spain - southern France on a Sunday, 250 miles so will need 2 tanks full, am I in the She-ite ??

Yes, you are correct. Big ones (ie: motorway services that show food on the sign, or big garages at big intersections) will be open, so if you pass one that is open, get fuel, don't assume you'll find another. Lots of garages have pay at pump, but UK cards often don't work.

[Luckypants]

Not as bad as it used to be, but if crossing rural areas fill up whenever you can.

[sauluk]

You'll have no problem. I rode across France and nearly every garage had automated pumps that took cards, and not on one did my card not work (visa).

As mentioned though in rural areas stations are extremely thin on the ground so as a rule of thumb stick to filling up when you've got 1/4 of a tank left.

Originally Posted by sauluk

You'll have no problem. I rode across France and nearly every garage had automated pumps that took cards, and not on one did my card not work (visa)

Who is your card issuer? Having a French wife I spend so much time over there that I'd take out a credit card just to get round this problem, if there was such a card. I have Lloyds TSB Mastercard and AMEX, and Barclaycard Visa, plus of course the usual Visa debit cards. There are more stations where they don't work than do. Whereas the card works when swiped in the kiosk, it doesn't work in the pump. Basically it is to avoid fraud whilst the station is closed. If a UK card is used they want the cashier to see that it's a British person that's using it.

I would be interested to know a definite answer to this question as off with some friends to do the Furkapass this year and our trip does include riding on a Sunday.

I don't believe it's much of a problem these days, just don't start looking for juice when you have to have it.

with bank cards not working... banks often security block transations from abroad. They say its best to inform your bank beforehand that you are going on hols...

Originally Posted by Harry_Mc

with bank cards not working... banks often security block transations from abroad. They say its best to inform your bank beforehand that you are going on hols...

I'll try it, but as I said, the card works if you go into the kiosk when the garage is open. And works everywhere else.

My wife does come from a very rural and poor area (Laon), so by some of the comments here, it may be that I'm seeing this issue more than most, who stick the the track more regularly beaten by tourists.

Last time I flew to Paris Beauvais and rented a car mind you, about 2 yrs ago, there wasn't a single petrol station in Beauvais that was open or took my cards at pay at pump on a Sunday night when we flew home. I had to give the car back empty and be charged extortionate rates for the rental firm to fill it back up. You'd think somewhere with an (albeit small) Paris airport would have an staffed petrol station.