Petrol overnight car journey France to Lausanne?
Lucyliu88 is planning a road trip from Calais, France to Lausanne, Switzerland, and is looking for advice on finding 24-hour petrol stations along the way. Travelers suggest that as long as Lucy has a credit card, there should be no issues refueling in France and Switzerland, especially on the mentioned routes.
- Most petrol stations in France and Switzerland accept credit cards, enabling fuel purchases even when staff are not present.
- It's recommended to fill up your tank when it gets below half to avoid any concerns.
- Be aware of toll costs while traveling, and consider purchasing a Swiss Vignette for CHF 40 for seamless autoroute access.
AI-generated summary-
Can anyone advise which motorway is 24hrs petrol station as coming from France Calais Eurotunnel going to Lausanne travelling on A26, A5, A39, N5.
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AFAIK, they are all opened 24/24, at least for credit-card paid refills.
Hi Lucy,
I have not done that journey by car or overnight so can’t really tell you from my own experience, but while researching it seems that provided you have a credit card there should be petrol stations open in France overnight. You might run into problems when you arrive in Switzerland though.
We don’t really specialise on car travel on MySwissAlps but it seems this website is good for car journeys and route options: http://www.viamichelin.com
Hope this helps!
Maria.
Hello Maria, and Lucyliu88,
<< We don’t really specialise on car travel on MySwissAlps but it seems this website is good for car journeys and route options: http://www.viamichelin.com >>. Although Switzerland has a splendid system of public transportation, I hope that your statement does not discourage people who plan to visit Switzerland by automobile from posing questions and making plans. The road infrastructure is also excellent, and the Vignette allows travel on all of the Autoroutes for the bargain price of CHF 40.
As for Lucyliu88’s query, I would concur with Snowman’s response. Be sure to have a valid credit card at all times, as it will get you through situations such as a petrol station where there are no employees present but the pumps are open for business. I believe you have chosen the best route, using the A26 to the A5 to the A31, to the A39 near Dijon, then to the N5, and a host of secondary roads as you approach Switzerland. Keep your eyes out for signs indicating Lausanne. If you are travelling with a TomTom that will give you added confidence. The entire trip is about 760 km and barring unforeseen difficulties, it should take you about 8 hours. I would fill up as soon as possible and watch for petrol stations once your fuel gauge gets below one half if you are at all worried. That should get you to Lausanne.
You will be required to pay some tolls (the Michelin site says it’s 56.70 Euro) which makes the Swiss Vignette a real bargain at CHF 40 for an entire year.
Hi Lucyliu88,
I hope this you find all of this information valuable.
I have travelled quite a lot by car between Switzerland and Spain through France and have never had any problems finding an open petro station, even in the middle of the night (I’m aware I didn’t drive the route you’re using but that’s alike I believe).
I simply made sure to fill up before I got to a quarter of the tank, as France is a big country.
As Snowman sais, having a credit card handy will definitely help.
And do check these links about the driving in Switzerland:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ca r
– http://www.myswissalps.com/mo torwayvignetteHave a safe journey and a good stay.
Best,
Steph
Hi Peterli,
Definitely all questions are welcome regardless mode of transport. Our expertise is more on train travel though, and it’s the preferred mode for most itineraries I think. There can be good reason to travel by car, and I’ve done it all. Though within Switzerland 90% by public transport because it’s so amazing.
I am a regular user of the A26 from Calais to Switzerland. You will need a plastic bank card anyway for a speedy passage through the tolls on the French motorway.
Most fuel stations in France and Switzerland now take cards so that one can fill up ‘out of hours’ when the staff have gone home.
I like to make my way around France avoiding roads with tolls as much as possible. Not only are the tolls expensive but by using toll roads one misses the beauty of the departmental roads and all kinds of interesting villages along the way. If I had been rolling on the A42 instead of the D1084 I would probably never have discovered the medieval village of Pérouges. I attach a couple of images taken along a couple of D roads last September when I was over near Lyon. One toll I am looking forward to paying in France will be the one to go over the Viaduc de Millau (photo from Google Images attached) which spans the Tarn gorge. And of course they will accept my plastic.
If one is travelling by night and in a hurry, then by all means take the autoroutes, but during the daytime, if you are not in a rush, slow down and smell the roses. This last bit applies to Switzerland as well (as long as you are not in a hurry !).
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