Getting gas before rental car return

When we did a similar drive, there was a station on the autoroute, about 20 km outside Bordeaux. Your gps can help find stations; however, there is a big drawback to relying on any of the tech methods. They don’t tell you if a station is manned. It is quite common for the pumps at unmanned stations not to accept American cc’s nor cash. At service areas on the autoroutes, there is always a cashier or person in a shop who can complete your transaction.

I agree with Rosalyn. I spent two weeks in SW France this summer. One week near Sarlat and one week in the French Basque country. I had two Visa cards, both chip cards that I specifically set up with PIN numbers before we went so they would work everywhere. One was US Bank Visa and the other Amazon Chase Visa. Neither one worked at "any" unmanned stations and I had to make sure to go to manned stations off the highway or manned stations in villages. Both cards worked everywhere else.

If you use Google Maps or Waze it will show you where gas stations are.

We had no problems using Google Maps to find a station and no problems using our credit card (we got a PIN for it before we left home). If you don’t fill up, they charge €4 a liter PLUS €15 “tax.”

Getting the gas was not a problem for us this April -- finding the rental car return location was. Make sure you get detailed instructions, since the area around the train station is under construction. Some agencies may be better signed than others.
FYI, after we circled the station for about an hour we finally parked the car at the garage below the station and walked into the station to find the Europacar desk -- and then handed in the keys and gave the parking space number, saying "we're done!" Just made our train to Paris. (Staff was very courteous, though.)

I dropped off a car there last June. I can't recall where I got gas but recall using Google maps to find a nearby gas station and asked for directions. Afterward, I used GPS directions to get to the garage. I still parked on the side of the street, got out and found where the entrance for rental car return was before driving further. Like most of these, I guess it's easy after you find the entrance. The car park is at one end of the building but, even looking at it now, I can't recall exactly where I went in? I'm going to guess this end of the building (see link). As I recall the car rental returns were on the top floors of the garage. If this link works, it shows the entrance to the garage I think I used.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8235169,-0.5546707,3a,75y,226.94h,95.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_2-rD5FRfsg3RR_LIqCAtg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

I set up a specific account with one of the few credit unions that offers a true chip and pin, just to be able to use automated gas stations. It worked. The CU is a pain to work with, however, so I rarely use it at all. When do you need to return your car? In the middle of the day there are lots of attended gas stations, big grocery stores, like here, often have the best price. The attendants know how to use our chip and signature cards.

If you don’t fill up, they charge €4 a liter PLUS €15 “tax.”

The one time I didn't fill up (no attended stations open on Sunday morning where I was), the charge was at least that, if not more. It's why I got an Andrews FCU chip and PIN card (the credit union Brad is referring to), which has always worked at unattended gas stations and metro/tram machines. I don't remember where I filled up before returning a car to Bordeaux, but I'm sure there are plenty of gas stations on the major roads leading into the city.

@Brad, you got better instructions than we did -- we were sent to 10 Rue St-Jean which was an unoccupied store. Maybe the directions improved between April and June...

Hi from Wisconsin,
There is at least one gas station near the train station where you return the car. Use Google maps and plot your fill up. We found a way into the city and the train station that was easy and had a nice gas station on our side of the road. Keep the pump receipt as evidence that you did fill it up. I have heard stories that ended well because the person kept their pump receipt. Keep it for at least a month after your rental ends.

And use your digit recording devise to photograph all sides of your car before driving away and upon returning it. I also keep a shot of the odometer from the moment when I first insert the key to moment of return. I have never had a problem, but others have the darndest things happen to them. Don't forget to adjust mirrors, seat, and find lights, blinkers, etc before setting off. In the excitement of the trip is is hard to do all these things.

wayne iNWI