Fuel strategy for a long trip through Europe

Start with your range

Your range is the number of kilometers you can drive with the current tank content. Do not count to the last drop: keep a reserve for traffic jams, detours, or a closed station. Tankmapper uses a reserve by default and checks at every stop if the next stop or your destination is reachable thereafter.

Refuel where it's cheap, not where you happen to be

Price differences between countries are often larger than between stations within a country. Do you know you'll soon be driving through a country with lower prices? Then in the expensive country, only refuel what you need to get there, and fill up in the cheaper country.

Motorway stations

In France, Germany, and Belgium, stations directly on the motorway are usually more expensive. In France, supermarket stations (often at large hypermarchés) are frequently close to an exit. Note with toll roads: leaving and re-entering can cost extra toll or time.

Opening hours and unmanned pumps

• Supermarket stations in France can often only be used via an automated machine with a payment card at night and on Sundays.
• Not every machine accepts foreign cards; keep a second payment method as a backup.
• Tankmapper shows opening hours where they are known in OpenStreetMap and explicitly mentions if they are unknown.

Checklist before departure

• Fill in your actual consumption and tank capacity, not just the factory specifications.
• Plan the route in advance, but check current prices again on the way.
• Save the shared link of your advice on your phone so you can find the stops again.
• Take enough breaks: driving while tired costs more than any saving yields.