Posted on July 23, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

1. Steer Clear of Toll Roads

Cut costs on your driving with clever detours.  The return toll from Calais to Avignon on the French motorways is £108 for example.  The same journey can be done by following the cross-country Bis routes which avoid the congested Routes Nationales.  For details of Bis routes, see:  http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/ and http://www.mappy.com/ which allows you to choose a route that avoids motorways and tolls. 

2. Fill Up On the Cheap

Petrol prices vary from region to region and from country to country.  Compare fuel prices at  http://www.theaa.com/.

3.  Select Your Rental Car Carefully

Diesel is cheaper than petrol in Spain.  Petrol stations charge 83p (€1.05) per litre compared with 94p (€1.19) for petrol and Portugal (113p/119p), so if you are hiring a car in either, or in France, choose a diesel engine. In Greece (108p/98p) and Italy (126p/121p), petrol is the cheaper option.

4. Buy Petrol with your Pint of Milk

In almost every country, it is much cheaper to buy fuel in the supermarket service stations than in regular petrol stations.  In France, you’ll save about six percent for petrol and eight percent for diesel.  The French government runs a detailed website giving the price of fuel all over the country with locations on a map.  (http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/)

5. Avoid Traffic Fines

Speed cameras are almost as widespread in continental Europe as in Britain, and they may be hard to spot. In Italy, France and Spain, they are usually well hidden, and you probably won’t even know you have been caught until you get the fine.  If there is no sign and you are in a built-up area, the limit is normally 50kph (31mph) or less.

6. Buy Your Own Car Hire Insurance

Car hire companies add extras to your bill when you arrive to pick up your car, insurance to cover damage to the car is a favourite money-spinner.
There are at least four websites — http://www.dailyexcess.com/ and http://www.insurance4carhire.com/ (both part of the same company); http://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/; and http://www.worldwideinsure.com/ that offer policies that can cost half as much as cover offered by most car hire companies.

7. Bring Your Own Child Seat

Car hire companies charge hefty sums of money for renting child safety seats.  It’s much cheaper to take your own, unless you’re travelling with a no-frills airline that charges you for carrying it as hand luggage.