Due to the sharp rise in fuel prices, many motorists are once again driving abroad to buy petrol. Tank tourism is not generally prohibited. But not everything is allowed.
Question: “In many neighboring countries, fuel is currently significantly cheaper. In view of the currently high prices in this country, is it worth going abroad to fill up?”
Answer by Thomas Schuster; Motor vehicle expert of the expert organization KÜS: Since the Ukraine crisis, the prices of petrol and diesel have exploded in Germany, putting many motorists in financial difficulties. In principle, residents near the border have the alternative option of taking a tank trip to the neighboring country Fuel costs to lower. However, it is important to calculate with a sharp pencil and also to observe some legal aspects.
Compared to local prices, the savings potential in some neighboring countries is enormous. Depending on the type of fuel, savings of 20 percent can be achieved in countries such as Luxembourg, Austria and the Netherlands. The prices in the Czech Republic and Poland are significantly lower again, where a liter of petrol costs 80 cents less. If you fill up 50 liters here, you pay 40 euros less for a filling. For those who live near the border between the two countries, it can currently even be worthwhile to take longer detours to fill up on the other side of the border.
Is tank tourism worth it?
In order to calculate whether the detour for a tank trip abroad is worthwhile, you should also take into account the general operating costs of a car in addition to the pure fuel costs. With the typically assumed kilometer operating costs of 30 cents, less than half of the 40 euros remain after around 70 kilometers. In addition to a realistic calculation of the costs, the time invested for the detour should also be taken into account. In addition to pure travel time, you also have to reckon with longer waiting times due to high demand. At some filling stations near the border, there is currently even a risk that they have been bought empty. With regard to the environment, one should also consider whether longer detours for a tank trip abroad really make sense.
In order to improve the savings balance, tank tourists like to take spare canisters across the border. For safety reasons, however, it is advisable to limit the amount of fuel in the spare canisters carried in cars to 10 liters, even if up to 60 liters are permitted in Germany. In addition, only canisters with so-called RKK approval should be used for transporting fuel. Plastic containers should not be more than ten years old, and a critical look at metal canisters for rust spots is recommended.
It is also important to pay attention to the take-away limits in the neighboring countries visited. In Luxembourg, transporting fuel in canisters is strictly prohibited. In most countries with low fuel prices, you can legally carry a maximum of 10 liters, in Poland it is 20 liters. Incidentally, only 20 liters can be imported tax-free from EU countries to Germany. Anyone who imports larger quantities in canisters is committing a tax offence. And: The fuel imported duty-free may only be used in the vehicle with which it is brought across the border. For example, if you use your petrol engine to get fuel for your diesel neighbors, you could also run into problems.
