I will be driving in France in a few weeks and a previous thread discussed the difficulties when trying to pay for fuel and tolls with cash or non-chip & pin cards. There was talk about how many gas stations and toll booths are unmanned. I was just looking into the Travelex chip & pins card and they don't recommend using it for the above reasons. Since they are the ONLY reason I would get one, I am wondering about the experiences of others. How much trouble is it to use cash for fuel and tolls? My driving will be in the South of France in Provence and the area near Perpignan. Thanks!
Posted by
Minneapolis
1219 posts
Hi Andrea. In my opinion, not worth worrying about. Just keep some cash on hand and refill your tank when it gets to 1/4. note that most gas stations are manned and are glad to take your cc card inside the station. I've traveled to Europe many times and never had a problem. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
OP
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10247 posts
I have driven in other countries, but the prior thread indicated that France was different. Thanks for the response.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
It's no trouble to pay tolls in cash in France. Any unmanned toll plaza will have an automated payment machine. You insert your ticket, the machine shows you the amount owed, you put in your euro notes or coins, and if you don't have the exact amount the machine will give you change . At the large toll plazas, the cash lanes are the ones with with the green arrow, which are always to the right. Avoid the lanes with the orange "t" or the blue rectangle. Carry a bunch of 5 and 10 euro notes and 2 euro coins and you'll be fine.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, US
1005 posts
I drove in France for two weeks this summer. Cash works fine at toll booths--to be safe, be sure you have bills smaller than 100 euros. Gas was a huge problem for me in rural areas. Twice I had to ask locals to come with me to the only gas station in town, which was fully automated with no attendant, to use their chip-and-PIN card at the pump. If you are sticking to the autoroutes and urban areas, you'll probably be OK with cash. If you are driving off the beaten path, I would seriously consider getting a Travelex card for France. Next time I go, I'm getting one just for the peace of mind it offers.