You could pay a lot more for your journey if you get it wrong
Filling up at a petrol station in Paris
Drivers heading for the continent have been warned to fill up in the UK before they leave, as fuel prices are considerably higher on the other side. Drivers in the UK have seen record monthly increases in fuel prices in March amid the Iran oil crisis.
The RAC said the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts rose by 20p from 132.8p on March 1 to 152.8p on the last day of the month. Drivers of diesel vehicles suffered an even bigger price hike, with the average cost of a litre of the fuel soaring by 40p from 142.4p to 182.8p over the same period.
The increases surpassed the biggest monthly jumps of 17p for petrol in June 2022 and 22p for diesel in March 2022, which followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But prices are significantly higher on the continent.
Analysis of the latest European Commission data by motoring research charity the RAC Foundation found the average price of a litre of petrol in France on March 23 was £1.71, some 25p more than in the UK (£1.46 per litre). A number of other European countries also had significantly higher prices than the UK, such as the Netherlands (203p per litre), Germany (180p per litre) and Belgium (£156p per litre),
The figures show diesel prices were also higher on the continent, with forecourts in France (183p per litre) and the Netherlands (214p per litre) charging 13p and 44p per litre respectively more than those in the UK (170p per litre). Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “For those driving on the continent this Easter it is a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“If pump prices are high here – and indeed they are – then in many parts of Europe they have gone through the roof, including in France. It might seem counterintuitive, but filling up at Dover rather than in Calais could be the wise option.”
In France, taxes (excise duties and VAT) typically make up about 56% to 60% of the total cost of a liter of fuel. In Spain, this is closer to 47% to 49%. The Taxe Intérieure de Consommation sur les Produits Énergétiques is a hefty fixed excise duty. France ranks as one of the highest in the EU for this tax, currently around €0.68 per liter for petrol. France applies a 20% VAT not just to the cost of the fuel, but also to the TICPE excise duty itself. This compounding effect adds significantly to the final price.
Historically, France incentivized diesel, but recent years have seen a massive policy shift to discourage its use for environmental reasons. France has aggressively raised diesel taxes to match or exceed petrol taxes. In Spain, while diesel prices have risen, the tax burden remains lower than in France.
Travel trade organisation Abta estimated that two million people from the UK will travel abroad between Good Friday and Easter Monday. UK holidaymakers jetting off to the European Union are being warned to expect two-hour delays on arrival as countries are ramping up the deployment of a new border system.
The EU’s Entry Exit System involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU.
Trade body Airports Council International said the latest data collected from airports across Europe shows a “continued deterioration in waiting times at border crossing points”.
Delays are “regularly reaching up to two hours at peak traffic times, with some airports reporting even longer queues”, it added. EasyJet said it is preparing for its busiest Easter getaway, with up to 16,000 flights from UK airports during the two-week school break.
Meanwhile, thousands of Easter train journeys will be disrupted as Network Rail carries out more than 270 upgrade projects across Britain. This includes a six-day shutdown on the West Coast Main Line starting on Good Friday, meaning no intercity services will run between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
