Where to find the cheapest fuel in Italy
Filling up your tank remains very expensive in Italy as fuel prices are over €2 a litre once again in many areas. Here's how to save.
Fuel costs for Italian motorists are spiking again in January, with prices back above two euros a litre in some areas.
Investigations have been launched following allegations of price fixing, and the transport minister says the government will hold talks on the issue as it suggests market speculation is to blame.
READ ALSO: 'Someone's being smart': Italy launches investigation as fuel prices soar
But in the meantime, what can drivers do to minimise the financial hit?
The obvious suggestion of simply driving less isn’t always realistic in Italy, where 55 percent of people rely on a car to get around - whether that’s because they live in a rural location or in a city with famously unreliable public transport (we’re looking at you, Rome).
So if you have to fill up your tank, here are a few tips on how to save:
Choosing the right place to fill up could save you a significant amount of money. Italy has both serviced and self-service petrol stations. If you choose a serviced station or pump, be prepared to pay more.
If you want to save on fuel, it’s best to fill up in your local town before you hit the road, advises Italian motoring news website Quotidiano Motori.
Gas stations with the lowest prices tend to be in agricultural areas and smaller towns next to large cities.
Prices at Italy's manned petrol stations are always higher than at unmanned pumps. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP
As in other countries, it almost always works out cheaper to refuel at smaller, local petrol stations or supermarket gas stations than along the motorway. Petrol stations owned by oil companies also tend to be more expensive than smaller, unbranded petrol stations, notes Quotidiano Motori.
Refuelling on weekdays can also mean significant savings as the price of petrol and diesel generally increases on weekends.
READ ALSO: What will your Italian energy bills look like in 2023?
Prices vary from region to region and area to area, so how do you find the cheapest place to fill up?
Google Maps
One of the best ways to find out the cheapest prices is in fact via Google Maps, where you can find the up-to-date prices for each station. It works both on the mobile app and a computer.
First, click on the Petrol Station or ‘Benzinai’ button, which appears below or next to the search bar. This will generate a map of all the nearby petrol stations and their prices. You can also change the search area, if you want to check the prices somewhere else.
Keep in mind that not all petrol stations will display prices. If you want to find out the prices of different types of petrol, as well as diesel at a particular petrol station, simply click on it and it will give a list of the types it offers and the prices.
Other websites
- Prezzibenzina.it is probably the best-known Italian website devoted to helping drivers find cheaper fuel, based on user reports of pricing at stations in their area. After registering, you simply type in or find your region and the site will produce a map, along with a list of the cheapest petrol stations near you. You can also search by area or along your route.
- Benzinaitalia.com is another similar site, though it only allows you to search by region and Quotidiano warns that prices “are often not so up-to-date.”
- Carburanti.mise.gov.it The search function here is not particularly user-friendly, but for the most reliable and complete data on fuel prices see the website of the Fuel Price Observatory of Ministry of Economic Development (MISE).
Other popular websites used in Italy to detail the prices of petrol near you and allow you to compare the price of different types of fuel include BenzinLitre, IlPieno2, Ecomotori, and Gaspal.
Apps
There are also several free apps available allowing users to compare gas station prices in Italy and beyond.
- Prezzi Benzina - this is the app from the price comparison site of the same name (above). Available on Android and iOS.
- Waze - This app gets rave reviews from Quotidiano Motori. Like Google Maps, it has a navigation function as well as displaying petrol station prices where available. On Android and iOS.
- Osservaprezzi MISE - the Ministry's app. For iOS .
- Carburante più economico - Does what it says on the tin. The ‘cheapest fuel’ app shows the cheapest fuel prices at gas stations in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. On Android.
Do you have another favourite resource or more tips on finding cheaper fuel when driving in Italy? Please share them with us in the comments below.
See Also
Fuel costs for Italian motorists are spiking again in January, with prices back above two euros a litre in some areas.
Investigations have been launched following allegations of price fixing, and the transport minister says the government will hold talks on the issue as it suggests market speculation is to blame.
READ ALSO: 'Someone's being smart': Italy launches investigation as fuel prices soar
But in the meantime, what can drivers do to minimise the financial hit?
The obvious suggestion of simply driving less isn’t always realistic in Italy, where 55 percent of people rely on a car to get around - whether that’s because they live in a rural location or in a city with famously unreliable public transport (we’re looking at you, Rome).
So if you have to fill up your tank, here are a few tips on how to save:
Choosing the right place to fill up could save you a significant amount of money. Italy has both serviced and self-service petrol stations. If you choose a serviced station or pump, be prepared to pay more.
If you want to save on fuel, it’s best to fill up in your local town before you hit the road, advises Italian motoring news website Quotidiano Motori.
Gas stations with the lowest prices tend to be in agricultural areas and smaller towns next to large cities.
As in other countries, it almost always works out cheaper to refuel at smaller, local petrol stations or supermarket gas stations than along the motorway. Petrol stations owned by oil companies also tend to be more expensive than smaller, unbranded petrol stations, notes Quotidiano Motori.
Refuelling on weekdays can also mean significant savings as the price of petrol and diesel generally increases on weekends.
READ ALSO: What will your Italian energy bills look like in 2023?
Prices vary from region to region and area to area, so how do you find the cheapest place to fill up?
Google Maps
One of the best ways to find out the cheapest prices is in fact via Google Maps, where you can find the up-to-date prices for each station. It works both on the mobile app and a computer.
First, click on the Petrol Station or ‘Benzinai’ button, which appears below or next to the search bar. This will generate a map of all the nearby petrol stations and their prices. You can also change the search area, if you want to check the prices somewhere else.
Keep in mind that not all petrol stations will display prices. If you want to find out the prices of different types of petrol, as well as diesel at a particular petrol station, simply click on it and it will give a list of the types it offers and the prices.
Other websites
- Prezzibenzina.it is probably the best-known Italian website devoted to helping drivers find cheaper fuel, based on user reports of pricing at stations in their area. After registering, you simply type in or find your region and the site will produce a map, along with a list of the cheapest petrol stations near you. You can also search by area or along your route.
- Benzinaitalia.com is another similar site, though it only allows you to search by region and Quotidiano warns that prices “are often not so up-to-date.”
- Carburanti.mise.gov.it The search function here is not particularly user-friendly, but for the most reliable and complete data on fuel prices see the website of the Fuel Price Observatory of Ministry of Economic Development (MISE).
Other popular websites used in Italy to detail the prices of petrol near you and allow you to compare the price of different types of fuel include BenzinLitre, IlPieno2, Ecomotori, and Gaspal.
Apps
There are also several free apps available allowing users to compare gas station prices in Italy and beyond.
- Prezzi Benzina - this is the app from the price comparison site of the same name (above). Available on Android and iOS.
- Waze - This app gets rave reviews from Quotidiano Motori. Like Google Maps, it has a navigation function as well as displaying petrol station prices where available. On Android and iOS.
- Osservaprezzi MISE - the Ministry's app. For iOS .
- Carburante più economico - Does what it says on the tin. The ‘cheapest fuel’ app shows the cheapest fuel prices at gas stations in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. On Android.
Do you have another favourite resource or more tips on finding cheaper fuel when driving in Italy? Please share them with us in the comments below.
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