Crossing European Borders: Cheapest places to fuel up

When heading out on a road trip with friends and family, planning ahead and budgeting for fuel can make quite an impact on the overall cost of your trip. Petrol and diesel prices in Europe have seen a significant drop in the past year, however there are certain destinations whose prices remain lower than others, making them the ideal place to stop and fill up your tank.

When approaching border crossings, should you stop to fill up before or after crossing over? According to European car rental provider, Autoclick, here are their suggestions on where you should fill up to fill up your car to save the most money, so you have more to spend on the more enjoyable aspects of your road trip.

Traveling between France and Spain

The French and Spanish borders are quite a popular for for holiday road trippers. Visiting these two countries offers a foodie frenzy and stunning scenery, along with some fantastic sightseeing opportunities, along with beaches to die for.

Fuel prices in both France and Spain aren’t the cheapest that you will find in Europe, however if you’re looking forward to a holiday across both of these beautiful countries, you will find the cheaper fuel prices in Spain rather than France. At around €1.18 per liter compared to €1.33 for standard unleaded petrol, and €1.14 compared to €1.05 for diesel, you could find yourself saving a fair amount of money for choosing the right side of the border to fill up your car.

Taking a trip between Spain and Portugal

Thinking about moving on from Spain and visiting Portugal on your road trip? With fantastic natural scenery, a welcoming and warm culture, along with a variety of offerings for everyone of all tastes, Portugal is a fantastic place to road trip.

Similarly to the border crossing between France and Spain, you will notice fuel prices are a lot cheaper in Spain than they are in Portugal, so make sure you fill up on the Spanish side of the border to make the most of your holiday budget. Fuel prices in Portugal are around €1.48 for unleaded petrol and €1.21 for diesel.

How about a road trip covering France and Belgium?

Whether it’s for the warm waffles or frites, the amazing architecture or the wide range of beer, a road trip between France and Belgium could offer you a holiday you won’t soon forget.

Unlike the previous two border crossing, the cost of fuel is actually cheaper in France than it is in Belgium. With the average price difference being €0.02 per liter for unleaded petrol and €0.11 per liter for diesel. Make sure your car is full to the brim before leaving France and arriving in Belgium.

Planning a trip between France and Italy

The perfect crossing for a romantic road trip, a break with your loved one through both France and Italy will offer a holiday full of beautifully romantic settings and gastronomic adventures. It goes without saying that a trip through France and Italy isn’t complete without visiting Paris, Rome and Venice! To save some money that could go towards fantastic food and wine,  make sure you top off your fuel tank in France, rather than Italy. Italy is the third most expensive European country for fuel, at around €1.57 per liter for regular unleaded and €1.46 per liter for diesel.

Fuel prices across Europe

Of course, these are just a few of the border crossings that Autoclick are familiar with in Europe, however for a more comprehensive overview of the fuel prices in Europe, here are the top ten cheapest countries and top ten most expensive across the continent.

Top 10 cheapest European countries for fuel:

Azerbaijan
Belarus
Russia
Georgia
Moldova
Ukraine
Armenia
Macedonia
Poland
Andorra

Top 10 most expensive European countries for fuel:

Norway
Netherlands
Italy
Iceland
Portugal
Turkey
Sweden
Greece
Denmark
Finland

If you have any questions, or perhaps suggestions on saving on fuel prices in Europe, please leave a comment below.