Do you have your itinerary? The mobile apps Waze (iOS and Android), Apple Maps (iOS only) which has just been improved in France, or Google Maps (iOS and Android) are your best friends, not forgetting ViaMichelin (iOS and Android) which adds a “Discovery” itinerary if your aim is not just to arrive as quickly as possible.
So off you go! And you are on the right road. Your next concern: the cheapest possible tank of gas. First option: use the Essence&CO app (iOS and Android), which relies on the community to update prices at the pump.
The process is as follows: you authorize the app to geolocate you; you indicate the fuel you are looking for and the search radius. The results appear with the cheapest first, but it’s rarely the closest. A second tab allows you to list the stations according to their distance and by clicking on “Map“, you can view them around you.
I recommend the second option, Petrol / Diesel NOW (iOS and Android), and not only because it does not require you to accept its general conditions of use first. Enter a route, for example Paris – Vauvert in the Gard. Prices appear for the entire journey, on the A6 then the A7. The most expensive are in red, the least expensive… in green. You know where to stop to get the best deal: between 1€89 and 2€11, the liter of unleaded 95. That still represents a difference of 22 cents!
If you have an electric car, planning your journey, from charging station to charging station that is suitable, optimal and in effect, is essential. And a collaborative app like Chargemap (iOS and Android), absolutely essential. For real-time traffic forecasts, it’s hard to escape the official Bison Futé app (iOS and Android) with its map of France, its list of 19 agglomerations and the intersection with Météo France weather forecasts.
And then, an app to anticipate your breaks on the motorway: “Aire de repos” simply needs to know your location and your destination. We will therefore pass, between Paris and Vauvert, through seven service areas and five rest areas (iOS only). The mileages are indicated as well as the name of the tankers, the motorway restaurants and the price of the fuels.