It has almost become a quest for some. Where to find the cheapest fuel? Often, the search comes down to a few kilometers. Sometimes it’s simply crossing a border. Direction Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain etc. But is it still worth it today, before some distributors move to cost-price operations? 20 minutes asked the question to its readers and journalists in the regions. Overview.
Germany, the (almost) lost paradise
The Alsatians and Mosellans have not yet lost the habit of crossing the Rhine… but perhaps not so much anymore for fuel. Rather for hygiene products and certain shopping! “According to the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), one of the main motorists’ associations in Germany, a liter of diesel costs on average 1.86 euros and that of Super E10 (petrol) fluctuates around 1 .90 euro”, communicates the European Consumer Center located in Kehl, near Strasbourg.
But this average obviously hides exceptions. Opportunities seized in particular by Caroline, who responded to our call for testimony. “I downloaded a German application that shows me the prices in real time, as well as the times when diesel is low during the day, which allows me to gauge the time at which I can go there. Diesel is 1.72 euros or 1.75 in general. By going to Germany, I earn ten euros per tank of gas,” she explains. Alain confirms: “I use the “1-2-3 fuel” application which gives me prices in France and Germany.
Jean-Paul joins them on the advantage of switching to the pump across the Rhine and puts forward another argument. “Fuel quality is better: 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers in Germany compared to 6.6 liters in France! “, he assures.
Andorra, if you pass by…
The principality located between France and Spain has implemented very low taxes on manufactured products. The result is clear: 1.50 euros per liter of SP95, 1.59 for SP98 and 1.45 for diesel… You have to go to Romania and Bulgaria to find better in Europe. The only downside is that Andorra is earned in the Pyrenees. Unless you take the road between Toulouse and Barcelona for example… Catherine perhaps knows her, or lives nearby. “I use it in Andorra and I save 27 euros on a full tank of diesel,” she estimates.
Belgium is great
Even if this has not always been true, gasoline is generally cheaper in Belgium, in particular because of lower taxes, of around 40% compared to around 50% in France. Today, and as long as you don’t live too far from the border, it is indeed interesting to go and fill your SP 95 (E10) tank with your neighbors. For a 50 liter tank, it will cost you between 83.95 and 87.40 euros in Belgium compared to almost 100 euros in France. That’s a saving of up to 14%. Anne saw this clearly and did not hesitate to ride for “20 kilometers”. “And I find myself there,” she laughs.
For other fuels, the difference is less obvious. The SP 98 (E5) is priced between 1.90 euros and 2.068 per liter, or +2.38% and -5.95% depending on the regions of Belgium where you fill up. Finally for diesel, its price among our neighbors oscillates between 1,899 and 1,817 euros.
Patrick runs on LPG. “I fill up at the Belgian border which is 8 km from my home. The liter of LPG is today €0.61 at Q8, compared to €0.989 the cheapest 5 km from my home. That is a saving per tank of 15 euros Of course prices have increased in Belgium but not to the same level as France. »
In Spain, disparities and opportunities
” Long live Spain ! » Claude proclaims. It must be understood, “the price of E95 is 1.49, in the locality of Orihuela Costa, and we have been benefiting from it since March 2023”, he explains, speaking of a coastal town. between Valencia and Murcia. Or to the south of the peninsula. On the border to the northeast, it’s very different. The average prices in Figueres and La Jonquera are closer to 1.79 (SP 95) and 1.71 for diesel. Only unleaded 98 costs two euros, like in France. Which therefore allows, for the other two fuels, to make significant savings… “I am lucky enough to live in a town on the border with Spain. The cheapest price found is 1,609 euros,” points out Marie-José. “At 30 cents difference per liter, we don’t ask the question,” adds Mélanie. “By buying diesel in Spain, the gain is 16 euros,” says Abdoul, who also crosses the border for “food, gas, clothing, DIY, household appliances, bedding”.
Luxembourg, again and again
It is not the people of Lorraine who will say the opposite: their tiny neighbor has many advantages. For those who go to work there for the comfortable salaries (often provided they like traffic jams) but also for the alcohol, cigarettes and obviously the fuel. So, with the rise in the price of a barrel, the time of a liter for one euro is a long way off. It was “three years ago at Total in Remich,” recalls Gérard. At the moment, it’s more like 1.64 euros for the 95 and 1.70 for diesel. “I work in Luxembourg so it’s interesting,” summarizes Serge. For Didier, it’s a little further but he makes the effort.
“I am 70 km away and I have made it a principle to no longer pay tax on gasoline in France. So I go up to Luxembourg about once a month. I fill up my diesel there or that of my wife, managing to arrive with the tank empty. To this I stock up on alcohol (10 liters) for myself, family, friends. At 13 euros per liter of pastis for example instead of 21 euros on average; plus cigarettes for a neighbor (six euros profit per pack for a cartridge of 10 packs). By being in trouble for customs, my half-day at Lux is largely paid for […] And for your information, I have a loyalty card which earns me 5 euros for every 300 euros of purchase,” he explains.
Italy helps its lowest-income households first
If this has not always been the case, these days, on one side or the other of the border, in Menton or in Ventimiglia, fuel prices are approximately the same. Not enough in any case to encourage the inhabitants of the Alpes-Maritimes to go and refuel in Italy. For example, count 2.019 euros per liter of SP95 in a station in Liguria compared to 2.023 euros in the French city (1.979 compared to 1.999 for diesel). If the Draghi government had temporarily lowered excise duties, allowing them to be lowered directly at the pump, that of Georgia Meloni chose a more targeted measure. The least well-off households, whose annual income is less than 15,000 euros, will be able to benefit from a “benzina bonus” (petrol bonus) of 80 euros. Approved Monday in the Council of Ministers as part of a decree on energy, it must come into force next month. But the French will not benefit from it…
In Switzerland, some find themselves there
Who wrote that everything is expensive in Switzerland? This is often true for many products. But not always for fuel. If you search a little, some Swiss stations are offering SP95 this Thursday for less than 1.80 euros… but they are far from the French border! The price tends to fluctuate around two euros per liter for any fuel. “The SP98 is around two euros compared to 2.05 or 2.10 in France, the calculation is quick,” swears “tde”, not the only one to leave a few Swiss francs. “I work in Switzerland and for over a year, I only fill up there before returning home,” says Christophe, who must also find what he is looking for there. “Nowadays, every cent counts in the budget,” summarizes Philippe.