Getting around by car: where to find petrol in France or recharge your electric vehicle?

In order to spend an eco-responsible vacation in France by reducing the environmental impact while driving, without stress, on the roads around the holiday resorts, using an electric vehicle is a good option. If you don't own one, renting one can be a smart and economical way to travel, as long as you know where to recharge your vehicle. To encourage green travel in France and simplify life for electric vehicle owners and renters, Atout France, France's tourism promotion agency, and the electricity distribution network operator Enedis have developed a best practices guide that answers the essential questions of users.

To locate the electric charging stations available near your vacation place or along your route, you can consult the interactive map regularly updated and proposed by Chargemap

Where to fill up with petrol in France?

With more than 80,000 electric charging stations available in France, according to the barometer carried out in November 2022 by the National Association for the Development of Electric Mobility (AVERE) with the Ministry of Energy Transition, the network of electric stations accessible to motorists is becoming denser and electric car vacations are no longer a myth. Nevertheless, it is advisable to locate the charging stations before leaving or during a stay with the help of easy-to-use mobile applications or by consulting the vehicle's on-board computer.

Here are the areas where you can recharge your electric vehicle:

• Highways: the 465 service areas on French highways must be equipped with fast recharging by January 1, 2023 according to a decree. This concerns in particular the A6 and A7 freeways linking Paris to the Mediterranean.

• Secondary roads and tourist routes: Visitors wishing to take their time by making a cultural or gourmet stop before reaching their vacation destination can recharge their vehicle at charging stations installed near tourist sites. For a serene trip, it is possible to book the recharging of your vehicle in advance. Once on site, you can explore the tourist attractions of a destination without the risk of a breakdown. Normandy offers a 6-stage itinerary adapted to electric mobility linking the Seine Valley to the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, where several charging stations have been installed.

• Holiday locations: The most far-sighted travelers will choose a vacation destination and accommodation according to the electrical equipment available. This information is provided by the most popular booking platforms, including Gites de France, or directly by the accommodation providers. According to the European interoperability platform GIREVE, more than 2,000 charging stations are available in hotels, restaurants and small businesses in France.

To find a recharging station on French highways and national roads, you can consult the interactive map on the Bison Futé website

Where to find a charging point for an electric vehicle?

Comment recharger un véhicule électrique ?

• Before setting off on your vacation and in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is advisable to recharge your battery to 100%. Once on site, it is not necessary to drive with a full battery. You just need to recharge the right amount. It is faster and more ecological. Once the charge is complete, remember to move your vehicle so as not to occupy or pay unnecessarily for a parking space reserved for electric vehicles.

• To choose the charging power best suited to your needs - normal, accelerated or fast - and therefore the length of time the vehicle is immobilized, between 30 minutes and six hours to recover 100 km of autonomy according to Enedis (1h30 and 18h for 300 km), start by planning your vacation activities! A quick charge is probably not appropriate if you spend a whole day at the beach. Conversely, a stop at a restaurant, a walk in a village or a visit to a museum will require an accelerated recharge. If your vehicle remains stationary for the duration of your stay (in the mountains for example), a normal recharge is sufficient.

• Finally, make sure you have a charging cable at hand (usually type 2), as not all stations have them.

Have a good trip!

Have a safe journey!