Travel: Be warned, and fill the tank up first: Departures

USERS of the newly opened stretch of the French A26 autoroute from Troyes to Chalons-sur-Marne should make sure that they do not have to stop for petrol.

Theo Steel of Stroud says that last month at the Sommesous service station, queues for petrol were so long that it took them more than 30 minutes to get to the pumps - and there was a similar delay at the Leclerc service station north of Dijon on the A31.

'The A26 seems capable of getting you to Dijon from Calais in under five hours, even on peak days - but not if you have to buy petrol] I hope something will be done to improve matters before the Channel tunnel is completed.'