We’ve all been there – cruising down the motorway feeling tired from all the driving, needing the loo and starting to get peckish. You look at the signs for the services hoping to see some of your favourite roadside vendors… but where did all the good ones go?
We asked our drivers to rank their favourite UK service stations to make a pitstop in. So, let’s find out their Top 5 and what they like so much about them.
The Welcome Break, five minutes’ drive from the centre of Milton Keynes, is mainly used by people flying in and out of Luton Airport. It’s celebrated for its convenience, which is exactly what 13% of drivers in our survey were after, and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular.
With free shower facilities and a well-placed hotel, it’s pretty handy if you’ve just got off a plane. One driver describes “a well-cared-for service [that] provides a great spot to take a break when driving North” while another highlights the “great coffee!” This stop was also noted for its EV charging facilities and plenty of food spots to choose from (something that 7% of drivers in our survey wanted).
Another Welcome Break, you’ll find this one in Hampshire near the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort. Our drivers appreciated the “convenient location” (voted for by 13%) and that it’s “clean, tidy and [has] plenty of parking.”
With 15% of our surveyed drivers wanting a clean service station to stop at, and 10% looking out for usable bins that are regularly emptied, Fleet ticked their boxes. It proved a popular place to stop and enjoy that much-needed break from the road with lots of places to eat, drink and go to the toilet – much to the relief of 14% of our drivers.
Located just five miles from RHS Garden Wisley - between junctions 9 and 10 on the southern section of the M25 - our third stop on the list is also the third Welcome Break.
Drivers appreciated this service station’s “clean facilities,” “huge parking and resting area,” “lots of great amenities” and the fact that “everything is there!” From EV charge points, pet-friendly outdoor space, free Wi-Fi (a requirement for 9% of the survey) and even a Pizza Express, Cobham Services has it all to offer.
You rarely hear the words ‘gourmet’ and ‘service station’ used in the same sentence but that’s the vibe you get at Gloucester where you can expect a VIP motorway stop experience. No wonder it won 19% of the vote in our survey.
Our drivers remarked on the “lovely natural environment and high-quality food,” also revealing it’s “clean, tidy, and there’s plenty of spaces to sit outside.” With 6% of drivers in our survey wanting nice views and natural scenery, Gloucester Services seems like the place to stop.
On top of the basics, there’s a Farmshop and butchery that works with 130 local producers and, what’s more, up to 3p of every £1 spent there goes towards supporting local people and projects.
Feeling peckish? Gloucester Services’ Kitchen has you covered with its glass-fronted restaurant serving everything from a Full English to proper partisan pies. And if you're travelling with hungry children, you’ll be glad to know kids 10 and under eat for £1 when bought with an adult-sized hot meal.
If you’ve ever been, it should come as no surprise that Tebay takes top spot, after collecting 21% of all votes. If you’ve not had the pleasure, you may be wondering what makes Tebay Services the best motorway stop in the UK…
With 12% of drivers in our survey wanting their stop to have lots of choices in terms of food and 7% wanting a good choice of shops, our drivers loved that Tebay offers “artisan food and a campsite” and that “the quality of facilities and shopping is outstanding.”
It also has a “superb setting and it’s well looked after” which surely pleased the 6% of drivers who desired natural scenery and the 7% wanting outdoor space. Plus, it’s a service station that’s accessible for all drivers – something 6% of our survey voted for. Tebay really seems like a no-brainer.
Like Gloucester Services, they have a Farmshop and butchery with a lovely glass-fronted restaurant to eat in. This was opened in 1972 by John and Barbara Dunning after the M6 motorway was built through their farm. Similarly, they support the local people and communities with up to £100,000 donated every year.
On top of everything, Tebay Services won “Specialist Food Retailer of the Year 2022,” and you can tuck in to your award-winning grub while you look over the duck-filled pond with a background of rolling hills in the distance.
Thanks for reading our poll of the top 5 service stations in the UK according to our audience of 1,000 drivers in August 2022. In terms of what people look for from their services, there are two key features that stood out – cleanliness and availability of toilets. Along with wanting a wide range of food outlets to choose from, many people also like having a picnic area and enough outdoor space to walk their dogs.
