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Just like old times - but none the less frustrating for the traveller.
The French Rail network (SNCG & TGV) will be experiencing strike action from 8pm Monday 9 June 2008 for 24 hours, as railway workers are unhappy about the reorganisation of freight traffic on the rails. This will involve some disruption to services both inter-city and in Paris and the regions, but there should be services on most lines, albeit at reduced frequency. Eurostar services from London to Lille, Paris and Brussels should not be affected.
French hauliers are still demostrating against the increase in the cost of diesel and look set to continue to demonstrate by disrupting deliveries from oil terminals, border crossings and rolling blockades along some autoroutes etc. Bordeaux seems particulaly prone to such demos, and a nationwide series of protests is planned for Monday 16 June 2008.
The best advice would seem to be to keep your tank filled up and listen to the radio to try to avoid trouble spots.
As a matter of interest BBC Radio 4 has been running a series called “1968 Day by Day” and on this week’s edition was the report of similar problems in 1968 - 40 years ago - plus ca change! - see BBC.
For the moment (9 June 2008) there appear to be no problems with cross-channel ferries from Dover, other than roadworks on the A20 on the approach to the ferry port which are causing delays - see Port of Dover
Petrol and Diesel Prices in France (as at 09 June 2008, exchange rate = £1 = €1.24)
unleaded = €1.449 (116.8p) per litre
super-unleaded = €1.467 (118.3p) per litre
diesel = €1.387 (111.8p) per litre
For up-to-date traffic information in France (in English) see www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr
For all the concerns about the falling exchange rate and rising fuel prices, the Telegraph(9 May 2008) still reckons that a holiday in France still offers good value for money:-
France looks a particularly good bet for a holiday this summer. With the euro soaring, your plat du jour will cost about 20 per cent more than last year, but it should still be significantly cheaper than in your local gastro-pub.
Accommodation, too, is cheaper: b&bs, gîtes and two- or three-star hotels charge 30-40 per cent less than many British counterparts. And fierce competition means that the cost of getting there is at historic lows. Here are some pointers to finding good value when crossing the Channel this summer.
By seaSixteen years ago it cost a minimum of £308 for a return ticket for a car plus passengers on the ferry from Dover to Calais. This August, P&O and Sea France have returns from about £50, and Eurotunnel from £98. Crossing the Channel with your own car has probably never been cheaper. But you will have to pick your travel times carefully to find these prices, avoiding peak times and school holiday weekends.
At today;s tourist exchange rate of £1= € 1.2176 euros, typical French hypermarket fuel prices are:-
Unleaded (sans plomb 95) € 1.3890 (£1.14 per litre)
Super unleaded (sans plomb 98 € 1.4290 (£1.17 per litre)
Diesel (gazole) € 1.2990 (£1.07 per litre)
You may have to pay more on autoroutes and branded petrol stations.
The Telegraph(28 Mar 08) has been running a series on eating locally in the UK, both to be environmentally friendly and to discover quality food beyond the supermarket shelves. It’s not too much to extend the focus another 22 miles across the English Channel to Calais( 59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) - train and ferry are both environmentally relatively benign, and into the bargain you benefit from the French obsession with quality produce.
There is a grand marché every Saturday morning in the Place Crève Coeur, where farmers bring freshly dug produce from their smallholdings. Look out for the lush, locally grown broad-leaved watercress and extra-long leeks.
Inside the covered market, buy ripe-flavoured, air-dried sausages - I loved the dark meat of the wild boar (sanglier), the pork with walnuts and the rich, buttery tarts filled with prunes and custard or savoury cheese, smoked pork belly and onion.
This is also the place to buy an athletically built poulet fermier (farmyard chicken), mussels, live langoustines and little fresh goat’s cheeses made 10km from Calais. If you want to avoid dull hotel breakfasts, note that the market cafés serve only coffee.
Instead, nip around the corner to the Café l’Impérial in Rue Lafayette for croissants and petit pains, but expect to share it with the café’s honoured canine guests.
But even in France, and especially in the larger towns, these traditions are being threatened by edge-of-town super/hypermarkets which inevitably threaten small producers and retailers. Calais has more than its fair share, especially with the Cité Europe Mall near the Channel Tunnel terminal. Tesco and Sainsburys are key players attracting many Brits who prefer the familiarity of known brands rather than the more risky adventure into foreign environments, French people who do not (or will not) speak English, and produce which is not uniform in shape or colour or nicely wrapped in plastic.
The escape route from the ferry terminal whisks you away onto the autoroute system via a chemical works and the usual untidy landscape of warehouses and freight yards, but it is worth exploring the town of Calais itself, which does retain the character of a fairly typical French town, with its impressive Town Hall (Hotel de Ville), markets and small shops.
And despite the disatrous exchange rate with the Euro there are still bargains to be had (especially on wine and spirits after the budget), ferry crossings are still cheap and the gallic atmosphere is free!
Fuel prices in France, now much the same as in the UK (except that Diesel remains cheaper) reflect the double impact of increasing oil costs and the poorer exchange rate:
Exchange rate £1.00 = € 1.2254 (as at 27 March 08)
Unleaded (sans plomb 95) € 1.345 = £1.10 per litre
Super unleaded (sans plomb 98) € 1.369 = £1.12 per litre
Diesel (gazole) € 1.2390 = £1.01 per litre.
Our list of toll-free autoroutes raised some interesting questions - what was the rationale for making some stretches of autoroute free, whilst others are charged.
It appears that there can be several reasons:-
or
or
However, word has it that the other significant factor has been the family connections of the President - both Chirac’s grandparents come from the Correze in the Limousin, which may explain why the A20 autoroute (L’Occitane) is toll free from Vierzon to Brive-la-Gaillarde. Given that the Lot département (46) in the Midi-Pyrenees is one of the poorest economic regions in France, it does seem strange that the toll section only starts south of Brive-la-Gaillarde (down to Montauban and Toulouse).
However, who are we to complain when in recent years the A28, A20 and A75 autoroutes have given us much better, safer and faster access to the south and southwest.
The toll-free element can make some difference to your budget - e.g. Calais-Montpellier using the A71 and A75 from Paris costs €58.50 in tolls, compared to the journey from Calais- Cavaillon (Provence), which is exactly the same distance where the toll charge is €71.00.
Current Fuel prices in France
The other thing you need to factor in to your calculations for a trip to France by car is the cost of fuel and the exchange rate.
Effective fuel prices have risen by about 6p a litre since the Spring caused in part by an increase in French fuel prices and a less favourable exchange rate (tourist rates currently about €1.36=£1 at Sept 07).
Unleaded (sans plomb 95) € 1.3190 = £0.97 per litre
Super unleaded (sans plomb 98 € 1.2690 = £0.93 per litre
Diesel (gazole) € 1.0490 = £0.77 per litre
These are best prices at a Hypermarket - you will pay significantly more at autoroute service areas and many branded petrol stations - the difference can be up to €0.10 per litre or more - or 7p a litre - so it is worth shopping around if you are filling the tank. Many local supermarkets (Intermarche, Champion etc) can often offer good prices - but not always!!
In the Telegraph’s Money Section (10 April 07) there is a useful article by Teresa Hunter looking at the economics of taking your car to France compard to taking a budget airline flight.
The cost of driving to your destination will be affected by local petrol prices and tolls. According to the AA, unleaded petrol is slightly cheaper than Britain’s 90p per litre in France (85.5p), Italy (87.5p) and Spain (71p) but more expensive in Germany (92p), although these prices will fluctuate. Diesel, at 74p in France, 79p in Germany, 82p in Italy and 65.5p in Spain, is considerably cheaper than the 92.7p you will typically pay in Britain.
The AA estimates the mileage from London to Bordeaux at 620, so using local petrol prices and average petrol consumption the trip would cost £151.71 in petrol or £105.33 in diesel. However, motorway tolls would amount to £45.43 each way, pushing up the cost by a further £90.86. The return journey would therefore set you back £242.57 in a petrol vehicle and £196.19 in a diesel.
As the article points out, the calculations are not straightforward when you take into account costs of the ferry or tunnel, fuel, motorway tolls, breakdown insurance, depreciation and possibly overnight hotel costs en route. But then airline prices are not exactly what they seem - the headline price can be doubled or more with the addition of various “admin charges” and taxes, including the infamous Air Passenger Tax which the puritanical Mr Brown has levied on every journey. Then there is the cost of getting to/from the airport, parking and transport at the other end, be it car hire, taxi or public transport.
Personally I hate the experience of flying, especially for short haul, when the hassle and time to get through the airport is often longer than the flight itself. I detest being treated like sheep or cattle in the terminal, especially in these days of heightened security. And once on board the plane it is invariably uncomfortable and you are literally a captive audience for the cabin crew to pester you with expensive food and drink, duty free goods or lottery tickets.
I usually choose the car, despite the costs and the longer journey times. I can still get a sense of adventure waiting to board the ferry at Dover, knowing that I have some control over my route and who I share the journey with. Besides, some of the best moments in France have been when we have diverted off the main route, followed a “Centre Ville” sign rather than the vague and circuitous “Autres Directions” and “Toutes Directions” signs - coming across a market, or a wedding or some little local festival - or finding some idyllic spot for a picnic of local produce. Besides driving in France (with the exception of Paris) is usually quite enjoyable and the autoroutes are much less congested and fraught than our motorways. But probably the main reason is the ability to bring back several cases of wine bought from the cellar of a small winemaker - and the memories which will go with every glass.
Maybe the train is a decent compromise - as long as you start from London or Ashford - it is fast, cheaper than the car (and much cheaper in France) and you get to city centres without all the hassle of airport terminals and transfers.
LINKS:-
Daily Telegraph article
Cheap4Ferries offer a best price promise on all cross-channel ferry operators
Rail Europe for train tickets and timetables for French destinations
Direct Line for European Breakdown and Travel Insurance
P&O Ferries are offering day trips from Docer to Calais from just £19 return for a car + 9 - and a free bottle of wine.
As long as you can get down to Dover early enough (bearing in mind the fact that France is 1 hour ahead of UK time) then you could have a leisurely lunch and do a bit of window and/or hypermarket shopping before an early evening sailing back to Dover. And Boulogne, Arras and Dunkerque are all within less than an hour of the ferry terminal.
Effective French fuel prices have risen slightly since January 07 but are still quite a bit cheaper than the UK - especially for diesel. With a tourist exchange rate of £1=€1.41 the following prices are likely to be found at the more competitive outlets (i.e. not autoroute service areas)
Unleaded (sans plomb 95) €1.179 = 83.4p/litre
Super unleaded (sans plomb 98) €1.229 = 86.9p/litre
Diesel (gazole) €0.998 =70.6p/litre
