Travel warning

[MDUBZ]

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/carriage-of-reserve-...

20L max in a metal can.. that isn't going to get me very far.. i have a max range of 300miles if i don't get excited...

man maths says a 20L can is a solid investment at ~£20.. you aren't allowed to fill more than a 10L container in the UK at the forecourts if they are watching so I read.

[suitable casual xenophobic grumbly remark about the french here]

worst case scenario is i have take the diesel family bus (dull but can carry a lot more beer) which if i fill up in the UK should get me to le mans: i might wait and see how this develops before deciding which car to apply stickers to.

[gt6]

As happens in the uk any romour of fuel shortages cause everyone to fill up, but once everyone has a full tank demand returns to normal as there is only so much fuel you can buy/store, anyway with 3 weeks to go problem will be sorted french usually have a habit of giving into strikers

[Jockman]

gt6 said:

.... anyway with 3 weeks to go problem will be sorted french usually have a habit of giving into strikers

It would appear that Hollande is determined not to on this one....let's see.

[fatboy18]

MDUBZ said:

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/carriage-of-reserve-...

20L max in a metal can.. that isn't going to get me very far.. i have a max range of 300miles if i don't get excited...

man maths says a 20L can is a solid investment at ~£20.. you aren't allowed to fill more than a 10L container in the UK at the forecourts if they are watching so I read.

[suitable casual xenophobic grumbly remark about the french here]

worst case scenario is i have take the diesel family bus (dull but can carry a lot more beer) which if i fill up in the UK should get me to le mans: i might wait and see how this develops before deciding which car to apply stickers to.

If you read that eurotunnel link it says you can take 3 Plastic containers containing 10 ltrs each , so that's 30 ltrs. Still crap for us with big engines but better than nothing!

[fatboy18]

Not sure I would want 30 ltrs of petrol inside the Viper!

[DMN]

MDUBZ said:

worst case scenario is i have take the diesel family bus (dull but can carry a lot more beer) which if i fill up in the UK should get me to le mans: i might wait and see how this develops before deciding which car to apply stickers to.

Same here, my derv can do the trip there and back on a tank. The car I plan to go in will need at leats four stops.

[lowdrag]

Look I am not trying to create a panic here, just to keep you informed of the current situation, which of course loses nothing in the telling. Today's Le Monde says that the CGT is digging its toes in and won't budge an inch, that the airlines are coming on board which will cascade to the air traffic controllers which will end in one domino after another. Except that France is not like the 1992 Billancourt days any more than the UK is the same as in the days of Scargill and Red Robbo. All the unions are posturing and saying that they won't back down. Well, that's what they are paid to say anyway, and they are paid big money to say it (one union official was outed for spending £250,000 on refurbishing his flat). It may be a fart in a thunderstorm or there might be some serious thunder and lightning. At the moment it is theoretically going to get worse, but it is darkest before the dawn etc.

So I'll post as things change either for the better or the worse.

[Moycie]

Thanks Lowdrag. Appreciate the updates.

We are convoying down from Wed 15th but taking a few days via Strasbourg, then Chablis before arriving late Friday in LM. Hopefully it's just a storm in a tea cup. 3 weeks to go.

[PositronicRay]

lowdrag said:

Look I am not trying to create a panic here, just to keep you informed of the current situation, which of course loses nothing in the telling. Today's Le Monde says that the CGT is digging its toes in and won't budge an inch, that the airlines are coming on board which will cascade to the air traffic controllers which will end in one domino after another. Except that France is not like the 1992 Billancourt days any more than the UK is the same as in the days of Scargill and Red Robbo. All the unions are posturing and saying that they won't back down. Well, that's what they are paid to say anyway, and they are paid big money to say it (one union official was outed for spending £250,000 on refurbishing his flat). It may be a fart in a thunderstorm or there might be some serious thunder and lightning. At the moment it is theoretically going to get worse, but it is darkest before the dawn etc.

So I'll post as things change either for the better or the worse.

Thanks

[anonymous-user]

Looks like Brittany have cancelled some of their sailings for this round of strikes fingers crossed it all gets settled before the next one which I think is scheduled for the 14th June

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/routes/sailing-u...

[RobbyJ]

At this rate I'll be crossing the channel in my little boat and cycling to Le Mans!!!!!

[LFB531]

MDUBZ said:

.. you aren't allowed to fill more than a 10L container in the UK at the forecourts if they are watching so I read.

Really? I didn't know that. I fill up four 20 litre jerrycans at the Tesco in Ryde when I'm playing boats, no one has batted an eyelid (yet!)

[Nosynchro]

I guess that tunnel limit would also cover fuel in a genny? Bugger it

[Riley Blue]

It's not looking good, a friend who lives in the Pas de Calais had to cancel a trip to England today because none of his local filling stations had fuel and he didn't have enough in either car to reach the UK.

[bort]

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/faq/travel-infor...

Worth noting

[RobbyJ]

Nosynchro said:

I guess that tunnel limit would also cover fuel in a genny? Bugger it

Yes but it's not hard to bury the fuel tanks amongst all the other crap we all take to LM, safe on the other hand...................

[DMN]

Looks like the strikes have effected all refineries now.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/24/frenc...

[Nigel_O]

My son's Alfa 159 diesel would probably make it from Folkestone to LeMans and back on a single tank, but with a roof box and three bikes on the back, I think it will be a bit of a challenge, even if we keep to 65-ish on the autoroutes. I foresee us having to give up some packing space for a 20-litre jerry can of diesel.

I'm all for worker's rights and all that, but what is it with the French and strikes?....

[Kitchski]

We're driving a car with a 400mile range to Disney next week. 190miles from the tunnel to DLP, spot of back and forth at the resort, then have to get back to Calais again. Last time, around 500 miles.

Brilliant timing

Heard you're not allowed to carry jerry cans in the boot in France - any truth in that?

[Hoolio]

Nigel_O said:

I'm all for worker's rights and all that, but what is it with the French and strikes?....

It's almost summer. The weather is improving and they have nothing better to do. They don't strike in the winter as it's cold.