Diane - going to Spain with a new Gaslow tank

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Diane

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Hi, I am a new member but have been a motorhome camper for 10 years. Next week we are travelling to Spain and Portugal. It is the first time we have been to Europe since buying our new van an Adria Twin, we have have a Gaslow tank installed and are unsure about the availability of LPG in filling stations in Spain and Portugal (France I understand has lots of LPG filling stations. We are aware that up to recently you could not buy LPG for private use eg motorhomes etc, only commercial use.

Is there a member out there who is either in Spain or Portugal now or has recently visited (another problem most posted info. is way out of date), who is used to buying LPG at the pump please?

Many thanks for any advice.

Diane
 
gpl

hi we have been travelling to spain and portugal for a number of years now,and have gaslow refillable bottles.in spain there are a few gpl stations around but not many.there is one near barcelona.alicante,murcia portugal is differant,you can refill at most garages especialey along the algarve.if you can get your hands on all the aires spain and portugal from vicarious books there is a list of all the gpl garages and its full of info regards ancient mariner
 
Lpg

Hi Diane and welcome, if you could put in a rough idea of your route then i think a few members will come on giving you some places to get refilled, I last went to Portugal via Bilbao and over to Porto had no trouble getting refills, the book mentioned does give maps of some stations but we found a few which were not shown. You'll also need to get an adapter, think the French one was OK, but I stand corrected on that.

Regards Mick
 
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Hi Diane

We are in southern Spain at the moment, having travelled through France and Portugal on the way. We also have Gaslow tanks and the situation is much as others have described - ie:

1. In France LPG is widely available in garages just as it is in England (and at similar prices)

2. In Portugal there are fewer outlets but still sufficient for you not to worry about running out.

3. In Spain there are few outlets, they are not on garage forecourts and they are all run by Repsol. If you look up the Repsol website you will get an idea of where they are but a word of warning - the coordinates given by Resol are not always accurate (and in the case of the Granada outlet the address is also wrong). But if Repsol say there is one in any particular town then there will be (if not exactly where they say it is!). I can vouch for the fact that the Coruna one IS where they say it is but the Cordoba and Granada ones are'nt. The good news is that once you have found one they can provide you with a map showing where there are others and if you think you might be near one then find any Repsol garage and they should be able to tll you where it is. The even better news is that LPG, once you can find it, is very cheap in Spain.

It all depends on exactly where you are going but there are LPG outlets in San Sebastian, Coruna, Vigo, Madrid, Barcelona, Valladolid, Murcia, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante and Jerez, among other places.

All the best and have a good trip.

PS It is a good idea to get the adapters but we have found that, although the so-called "French" adapter works in France and Portugal, neither this nor the one that was sold to us as an "EU" adapter work at any of the stations we have used in Spain. But don't worry, they all seem to have banks of adapters and will find one that works!
 
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***** said:
John, are you talking of the new euro adapter that has recently been released at about £29 ish

New Euro Quick Release Filler Adapter

we carry 4 different types
Autogas LPG Euro Dish Adapter
Autogas LPG Flush filler to UK Bayonet
Flush Filler to 1 3 4 ACME
New Euro Quick Release Filler Adapter
Click to expand...

Of the four you carry, the first was sold to as as the "French" type and does indeed work all over France and in Portugal (it probably works in other places too but since getting the Gaslow tanks fitted we have only taken the van to France, Spain and Portugal)

The second I do not have.

The third is the one that was sold to as as suitable for the rest of the EU - but we have never found anywhere that uses it.

The fourth we do not have but from the look of it, it would not work in all outlets in Spain (some of them have an adapater with a screw thread at both ends and the pump thus attaches via a screw thread). But as I said, don't worry because they will find one that works!
 
***** said:
John since having the system fitted we have only filled up in the UK and France.
The first we have used a few times in France.
The second we use in the UK as it threads into the fitting on our van.
The third and fourth we have not used.
According to Autogas and MMM the fourth is to be the new European standard and is starting in Spain. I take it you have not seen it as yet?
i
Click to expand...

Just looked again at number 2 and realise that the reason I don't have it is because it is the fixed fitting on the van!!!! Sorry for any confusion here.

It is probably true that the fourth one (which, as it turns out is the ONLY one I don't have!) will be the new standard but as yet I've seen no sign of it. It is also interesting that some outlets in Spain are using adapters that are not on the list at all!
 
the days of no lpg pumps at filling stations in spain are long over , out of town stations are now allowed to install them , and this is gradually coming about ; they are certainly not all repsol !

be warned though , most of these new ones are filling with the new euroconnector , the older ones mostly have both [ for the moment ] that , and the dutch ones as in the uk ; don't understand the understand the ...some outlets in spain are using adaptors not on the list ..comment ...and I have been filling in spain for more than 20 years!

as already stated france and portugal have the italian cup system

Spainautogas

this is pretty up to date , having said that lleida and the edge of town one in zaragoza were no longer in the lpg business last time I went there ; notice the link in english !
 
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lebesset said:
the days of no lpg pumps at filling stations in spain are long over , out of town stations are now allowed to install them , and this is gradually coming about ; they are certainly not all repsol !

be warned though , most of these new ones are filling with the new euroconnector , the older ones mostly have both [ for the moment ] that , and the dutch ones as in the uk ; don't understand the understand the ...some outlets in spain are using adaptors not on the list ..comment ...and I have been filling in spain for more than 20 years!

as already stated france and portugal have the italian cup system

Spainautogas

this is pretty up to date , having said that lleida and the edge of town one in zaragoza were no longer in the lpg business last time I went there ; notice the link in english !
Click to expand...

I am currently in Spain, I spend a lot of time in Spain, I am always on the lookout for new LPG outlets and I have never seen, nor have I ever met anyone who has ever seen forecourt sales of LPG. That doesn't, of course, mean that they don't exist, but if they do, could you point us to where they are or to a website that might tell us? The link you post is virtually a replica of the information on the Repsol website (including the inaccuracies!) and browsing through it reminded me of something I forgot to say before - the one in Santiago de Compostella no longer exists - there are only two in Galicia now (both Repsol!).

As for the point about adapters, try the outlets at Coruna and Granada (which incidentally is now at Bobadilla, not the location listed). I have within the past month and they used an adaptor that screwed into my fixed filling point and had a screw thread sticking out which they then screwed the pump nozzle onto. This adapter is not on the list that ***** provided. It is therefore different. Anything else you don't understand?
 
clearly YOU don't understand ; in europe there are only the four 'pistolet ' as listed , with one of those being the new euroconnector

the fact that this place didn't have the correct adaptor for your system is neither here nor there ; there is no regulation that says they have any adaptors at all , that's up to them ..the only screw pistolet available is acme , which wouldn't fill any spanish lpg powered vehicle ; I cannot , of course , guarantee that the places you refer to don't have an unauthorised system and bodged up some adaptor

and if you haven't filled up at , for example , an agip or a galp filling station in spain it shows that you haven't travelled in spain as widely as I have , or needed to purchase as much lpg ; perhaps you haven't met as many people either

some of the filling stations selling lpg are listed on the website ; the one on av.de universidade in alicante appears to be shell from google earth , and the one on the autovia south of barcelona is agip , or was when I filled there ; haven't been there myself but the pump in malaga [ euroconnector ] is at a filling station on the industrial estate near the airport ; the one in valencia is on the industrial estate by the hospital ..it's at the taxi co-op filling station [ incidentally they have also installed a CNG pump !]

is that enough to begin with ? perhaps if you got around more instead of being rude you would learn more
 
lebesset said:
clearly YOU don't understand ; in europe there are only the four 'pistolet ' as listed , with one of those being the new euroconnector

the fact that this place didn't have the correct adaptor for your system is neither here nor there ; there is no regulation that says they have any adaptors at all , that's up to them ..the only screw pistolet available is acme , which wouldn't fill any spanish lpg powered vehicle ; I cannot , of course , guarantee that the places you refer to don't have an unauthorised system and bodged up some adaptor

and if you haven't filled up at , for example , an agip or a galp filling station in spain it shows that you haven't travelled in spain as widely as I have , or needed to purchase as much lpg ; perhaps you haven't met as many people either

some of the filling stations selling lpg are listed on the website ; the one on av.de universidade in alicante appears to be shell from google earth , and the one on the autovia south of barcelona is agip , or was when I filled there ; haven't been there myself but the pump in malaga [ euroconnector ] is at a filling station on the industrial estate near the airport ; the one in valencia is on the industrial estate by the hospital ..it's at the taxi co-op filling station [ incidentally they have also installed a CNG pump !]

is that enough to begin with ? perhaps if you got around more instead of being rude you would learn more
Click to expand...


I do apologise. Clearly I havent a clue what I'm talking about. When I fill up at LPG stations in Spain I am clearly imagining it. When they appear to use adapters different from the ones listed then I am clearly so drunk that I should not be driving at all. Please feel free to ignore everything I've said - unless you live on this planet.

By the way, the places that I mention where they have adapters that don't exist are both reputable outlets run by Repsol and the staff at both are extremely helpful. This may not impress Lebesset but Dianne, I am sure it will help you.
 
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LPG or GPL

Hi all, in Spain LPG is called GPL, Glp, Autogas or sometimes Gas Butano. If its still there, north of Barcelona there's BP El Valles, pumps on both sides of AP7 - Gps taken from service station travelling towards Barcelona - N41-31.626' E002-10.044'. as alot of first timers like to visit this area on the way south, thought this one would be useful.

regards Mick
 
well , I thought I had filled lpg powered vehicles at every pump in spain over the last 20 years except for those opened at filling stations during the last year or so [ no lpg powered vehicles currently ]

but I don't know that one mick ...is that a pay road ? I don't use those
 
Lpg/gpl

Not sure - but dont think so looking at the signs on g-maps, they are between junc 19 and 18 on the Autopiste del Mediterrani, ones Shell other side BP, havent used it myself, but it is in the Aires S&P Book

regards Mick
 
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lebesset said:
well , I thought I had filled lpg powered vehicles at every pump in spain over the last 20 years except for those opened at filling stations during the last year or so [ no lpg powered vehicles currently ]

but I don't know that one mick ...is that a pay road ? I don't use those
Click to expand...

AP7 is a paying road. A7 is not a paying road. I stand corrected if I am wrong. All roads marked AP with a number in Spain are paying roads.
 
Hi Diane

Just a few more thoughts that you may or may not find useful.

By definition there is a lot of misinformation on the web but there appears to be more than the average with regards to LPG in Spain! As well as the inaccuracies and out-of-date stuff on the Repsol map (reproduced here on the link provided by Lebesset) there is some that could be a deliberate attempt to mislead. For example, I was interested to note that one website made reference to a new LPG (in Spain, generally referred to as Autogas) outlet in Almeria. This would have been a lot more convenient to me than going to Murcia or Granada so I checked it out. I was a little suspicious because, as I said before, they tend not to be on garage forecourts, and it turned out that not only did they not sell it but they had no intention of selling it. I could list lots of other examples but that would be boring!

Suffice it to say that the locations I listed in an earlier post I have either visited myself or know someone who has - so they are probably all reasonably accurate. Incidentally, I am told by Spanish friends that the reason why Spain is so different to other European countries is because bottled gas is widely used domestically and heavily subsidised for domestic use. By linking LPG pumps to gas bottling plants they can at least keep up the pretence that it is for domestic use (which in our case it is!) and not break the terms of the subsidy. If they put the pumps next to petrol and diesel on the forecourt they would find it difficult to say it was for domestic use. This will all change - and one or two posts suggest it is changing now, but I have no knowledge of that so can't comment. What interests me is that when lpg becomes widely available on Spanish forecourts will the subsidy be removed and Spanish prices rise to British/French levels? Probably.

Finally - and you may actually find this bit useful - if you only buy one adapter, buy the "French" one (the first link of *****'s four) - it will get you through France and Portugal. Don't worry about Spain - the nice Repsol man will sort you out - at one station they had eight different adapters lined up on top of the pump and you don't want to carry that lot around!

Happy travels
 
despite what many spanish people think there is no subsidy on bottled gas in spain

there is , however , a controlled maximum price which is why it is cheaper than elsewhere ...I suppose it is equivalent to the low rate of VAT on domestic fuel in the UK , or zero rate on kids apparel
as lpg from the pump contains an element of duty as a road fuel it is more expensive than the bottled gas ; I haven't been in spain since the spring but at a guess it is at least 25% more expensive than buying by the bottle which is why , even as a lpg powered vehicle driver ,I always just swopped spanish bottles for domestic use...partly for convenience as well I admit

Overview of the Spanish LPG market - Siraga

without knowing the exact figures I imagine that calor in the uk hold a monopoly position similar to repsol in spain ; repsol butano are profitable at a price of €1 / Kg

what do calor charge ? are they being allowed to exploit their monopoly ?
 
Whether it is a subsidy or a contolled maximum price, I'm still willing to bet that if and when it becomes widely available on forecourts the price will go up!
 
Good link but the problem with Spain is that nearly all the information out there is derived from the Repsol site I referred to and, as I have already pointed out, it is not entirely accurate. I have checked your link and can confirm that these inaccuracies are included in it. Until Repsol get their act together and produce a revised accurate version or until lpg is indeed as widely available in Spain as elsewhere, about the only way of being sure where you can get lpg in Spain is to ask someone who has been there. I have tried to be helpful in this respect. I dont claim to know everything but I know for sure that all the information I have given Diane is accurate.
 
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