For petrol, or in your case diesel, we always turn off the A26 at junction 3 for central Calais and drive to the Mivoix Centre Commercial (http://www.mivoix.com/76-11960-Accueil.php) which has a large Carrefour supermarket and petrol station. You will probably have to use it during opening hours as I don't think the self-service/self-payment machines like UK credit cards. I think you'll need to take the exit BEFORE the A16 when leaving Calais.

Booze shops ... sorry no idea, BUT I found no bargains at all in the ferry shops on my recent crossing with P&O .. though two bottles of spirits for £34 was not unreasonable.

Thanks Alsacienne, just Google mapped the Carrefour and that looks nice and handy for us, will be there around 10am so should be fine .... we always fill up at the Carrefour (formerly Champion) in Theix on our return during opening hours as we never trusted the cards! Do the tollbooths on the Autoroute take UK cards ok?????

The booze was more a 'nosy around' thing to be honest, despite my username i'm not really a big drinker these days ha ha!

THe self service toll machines take UK Credit cards but I don't think they take UK Debit Cards

Thanks Judith, it's a Halifax Clarity card, so should be fine

On my recent trip to the UK I noticed that there was usually only one or two booths manned and taking 'real money' and several with credit cards ....

1. Put ticket in
2. Put card in
3. Take card out
4. Take receipt if you've asked for one
5. Barrier is raised and you're on your way far quicker than if you had paid in cash

............. but the T (télépeage) seems to have the quickest throughflow of the lot!

Cheers again
On our return journey we will be on the road quite early, around 5am, so card payment might be the most practical option

This year we filled up at the Auchan at Coquelles. It was a lot cheaper for Diesel than the UK but strangely was the most we paid during our 3 week visit over there. However I had been driving with the fuel light on since before the last toll booth on the A26 and according to my computer I had 3 miles left in the tank so couldn't afford to drive round for fuel!

As for wine the best deal we found was in carrefour at the Cite de Europe. 1 litre bottles of Merlot, cab suav and Chardonnay (AC L'aude) case of 6 for E9.69 As for the rest there were not many offers. Plonk is still available at about a quid a bottle but the good stuff is overpriced and you can get as good in the UK for less. Spirits seemed to be about the same price as the UK. perhaps a few pence cheaper. Food wise we stocked up on pate, cheese and pate en croute.

Alsacienne wrote:

Barrier is raised and you're on your way far quicker than if you had paid in cash

............. but the T (télépeage) seems to have the quickest throughflow of the lot!

The telepeage was brilliant for us this year. I have to admit the first time we used it we were nervous in case it didn't work but it beeped and through we went driving past long queues at some toll booths. We even did a couple of the rapide telepeage where you don't have to stop but drive through at 30 kph! (have to admit the first one we did we went quite a bit slower than that)!

HAve always filled up with diesel at Carrefour at CityEurope never had a problem with "post office" credit cards in the pumps and you get an option for it to display in English if you really need it.

Ditto with CC payments at toll booths.

We use Post office as they dont add a fee to the euro transactions. concur with what others say alcohol is not really any cheaper any more unless you want 1E bottles plonk.

......... and frankly in the UK you can get great wines from countries other than France at very much more reasonable prices. ENJOY ... in moderation* of course!

(* as the French government slogan goes!)

I was in Carrefour last month, but not wine shopping, just popped to France for the day, and I think the prices are fairly reasonable in my opinion. We always seem to get bottles of wine thrown in for the price to get over there (tend to favour the ferry instead of the tunnel), it works out well for us as we live not far from the port of Dover. x

I thought that there was a filling station just to the left as you leave the ferry terminal. maybe the first exit, saves going into the traffic at the big centres.Used to be used by lots of trucks.
As fas as booze, I like Franglais just off the junction for the trains. Maybe not the cheapest but a lot less hassle than the suprmarkets a good selection of wines with tasting facilities.

There is Del, or at least it was still there last time I drove to the UK, it's just off of the first big roundabout when you leave the ferry teminal. As you say popular with trucks.