Travel warning

[lowdrag]

Firstly, it is by no means certain that this will proceed as stated in the paper today, but you may not know that we have a petrol strike here which is escalating. The usual stuff with panic queues at the pumps, limits of 30 litres, petrol stations closed etc. Even the motorway stations are not exempt it seems, since my friend only just made it home from the coast yesterday, running on fumes. Every station on the motorway home was closed. Yet when I passed by this morning the supermarket was serving and there was no queue.

That is the least part of the problem, since in today's paper the dockers are coming out in sympathy, and at the moment the strike from next week will continue until the 14th June - at least.

Now all this is not meant to be alarmist but a heads up, and to warn you to keep an eye on the situation as regards your ferry. I am in the same but different merde because I am supposed to be at Prescott the weekend before Le Mans and my trip may also be prejudiced.

[Vette_1978]

Fingers crossed. The Corvette needs to have it's own dedicated fuel truck on standby as it is.

[RobbyJ]

Thanks for the heads up Lowdrag, will be watching this with interest to see if we'll be ragging the RS6 or hypermiling the A6 diesel!

[PositronicRay]

Thanks LD, is this likely to one of those prolonged painful things or a flash in the pan?

[lowdrag]

I have been studying in depth the context of the statement by the CGT and as always with the papers, they never let the truth get in the way of a good story. It seems - as of today of course - that the port blockages will be ONLY the 26th May and 14th June - for the moment. The trains - and I assume the TGV and/or Eurostar - are demanding rolling strikes each Wednesday and Thursday. Last week two out of three TGVs were cancelled.

So it seems my first post was a bit presumptuous, but I would add the warning that if the French are to be obliged to have more flexible working hours and even, God forbid, to work more than 35 hours a week then a national strike is not out of the question, as Le Monde puts it quite succinctly. Watch this space.

[eastsider]

And to think I have been winding up the Tesla driver in our group that most likely has to route via Paris/the Periperique for an IKEA car park supercharger. He might yet have the last laugh...

[Don1]

Thanks LD, noted.

[MrC986]

It would be ironic if there was a fuel shortage & yet there's the Classic British Welcome! You've got to admire the French though as they do stand up for their rights, rather than being far too polite at times as us Brits are this side of the Channel! There's nothing we can do in the meantime except hope they get it resolved....I'm off to study the long range weather as a distraction

[jason900]

This scares me slightly - need 2 tanks down and 2 back!!!

[fatboy18]

Im traveling down on the 14th! Could be interesting times in the Viper

[audidoody]

French go on strike.

Aah ... summer must be nearly here.

[vetteheadracer]

One of my Facebook friends in Le Mans says that 40 of 140 area gas stations are closed because of empty tanks and of course everyone is panic buying so long queues at the other stations.

This could cause Le Mans to be cancelled at this rate....get it sorted Hollande!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36358300

Edited by vetteheadracer on Monday 23 May 19:03

Edited by vetteheadracer on Monday 23 May 19:03

[magooagain]

The situation tonight in my local town in the Charente is that intermarche is empty as is the garage next door and the Total station has fuel but he said he will be empty by midday tomorrow. He is hoping for a delivery tomorrow as are the other two.

Mrs Magoo is a school coach driver ,the company's fuel account is with Total.They are being allowed to fill the coaches but will be rationed if they get no delivery.

So it could be school closures in rural areas if the shortage continues. Which has a knock on childcare problem for parents that are working.

[rdjohn]

Our local Super U had a delivery today, but within 20 mins the queue was round the block. I am talking a village of perhaps 3000 inhabitants.

I do not believe that there is a huge shortage, it is just that it now resides in fuel tanks, rather than the fuel station.

I would suggest you cancel nothing for the time being, but more importantly consign the Daily Mail to the bin.

[fatboy18]

Just found this website thanks to Beermountain

http://delaware.ripplemotion.fr/#sthash.Vv9FDm7u.u...

it lists the fuel stations on who has and does not have fuel

[apotek]

we woke this morning near Bourges about 450 miles from calais with about 150 miles worth of diesel.Both supermarkets had no fuel but once on the autoroutes there was fuel at every stop but bigger queues the farther north we got.
Some were rationed to 30 euros but others as much as needed.
BP seemed well stocked but I`m glad I am only 3 miles from DFDS. good luck everyone.

[webby23]

This is getting worrying, we head down to Le Mans this coming Friday night, Newhaven -> Dieppe

Slight relief that I recently bought a diesel XJ, not the V8

[lowdrag]

vetteheadracer said:

One of my Facebook friends in Le Mans says that 40 of 140 area gas stations are closed because of empty tanks and of course everyone is panic buying so long queues at the other stations.

This could cause Le Mans to be cancelled at this rate....get it sorted Hollande!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36358300

Edited by vetteheadracer on Monday 23 May 19:03

Edited by vetteheadracer on Monday 23 May 19:03

Reminds me of the strikes in the UK years back when I witnessed someone manage to get less than five litres in a full tank. Actually, the storage depot here at Le Mans announced in the paper that they have supplies for 30 days, but people still queue to get the last drop in. And the 30 litre limit is a farce. When the pump turns off people just put their card in again and get another 30 litres.

[RichB]

I am meant to be travelling to Hotel de France at Le Chatre sur le Loir on Friday with 15 other Astons. I will keep a close eye on this thread because I know Lowdrag, in particular, lives in the area. Fingers crossed it gets sorted today. Have been looking forward to this for some time.

[Jockman]

As you are aware Rich 8 Astons and a Mclaren have just returned from a 2,600 mile round trip to Monaco. No Problems. 15 mpg.

But then again, would they go today