To ask your favourite UK Motorway Service Station?

[Livelounge]

Totally nerdy I know but I was on the M4 yesterday and stopped at Chievely and remembered the whole Gavin and Stacey debate about which one was best. That or Leigh Delaware.

I think they were all wrong and Membury is best.

But my favourite of all is Strensham on the M5 heading towards Worcester, only the North bound one though!

They are all shite (a view slightly coloured by the fact that, as a family our journeys are always awful, and stopping at the services is just a way of doing that awfulness in public)

But the worst ever is Taunton Deane, where a bunch of arseholes banged on the door of the disabled toilets shouting that we shouldn't be in there. Fucking awful place.

Tebay.

Tebay, fabulous place. Always stop on way to and on way back from visiting family in Scotland.

“Medway”

I am thinking of making a special trip to Tebay services - AIBU????

Yes. It's only a service station, and it only seems really great because most other service stations are so utterly awful. The quality of the food has dropped recently, too.

I like Grantham - go shopping and have tea etc in the vast retail park instead of going to the actual services. Very good bargains to be had.

Gloucester is lovely but Tebay is better because it's views are to die for as well as it being an unusually good services.

Out of the regular services I'd choose Stafford on the Northbound M6 because of the lake and the amount of grass (great for giving the dog a leg stretch).

Tebay is lovely but expensive.

I travel the M6 a lot and I like to find 'alternatives'. I recommend New Hollies Truck Stop on the A5 just off J.12 M6. It's typical fry up fare but soooo cheap and you get loads and loads of it.

M6 J43. Carlisle. Just off the m/way there is a Tesco 24 hr. Petrol and Cafe available. Good field next to it for dog walking purposes too.

That's my two top tips!

My favourite bit of the journey is at M6 - the view is better heading north - passed Lancashire and before Shap, with the Yorkshire Dales on one side and the Lake District on the other through the Pennines. On a sunny day it is simply breathtaking! Shame it seems to rain on Shap 99% of the time though.

Haven't been to tebay in years but it remember it was great. Beaconsfield also good and have a soft spot for Cambridge but it gets very busy and the new pay system at maccy D's doesn't work.

Medway services are horrible. Not too keen on Lakeside either

I like wetherby services. Had the best jam doughnut there coming back from London last year. Also like Peterborough and Nottingham Airport services too.

Not going to lie, I just bloody love service stations.

Leicester forest because you eat on the actual bridge so can see the cars go by :)

Beaconsfield or Weatherby. Also have a soft spot for Corley even though it’s terrible as I drive through it so regularly late at night and a stop there often helps keep me awake.

Donington is just annoying. Rothersthorpe (Northampton) as we used to meet there with my mum (nottingham) and my auntie (London) as the halfway point to swop my Gran :) You can access from both north and south carriageways 😃

I love service stations too @questionablemouse! I really need to get out more I know. (To visit more service stations) there's something about an overpriced Waitrose meal deal in those that you'd never fathom buying at home.

Weirdly, I have seen people I know (work colleagues) at service stations on more than one occasion! It's like calling bingo or something then!

@OVienna

I am thinking of making a special trip to Tebay services - AIBU????

Yes YABU. Just because so many posters on here have jumped on the TEBAY bandwagon and said 'ooooh I love it too!' it's still just a service station with decent views, and there are plenty of others that are just as nice, with good service, nice food, and nice views.

I mean 11 out of 25 on the first page of the thread say 'oooh Tebay for me too!!!!' 😍 I find it hard to believe every single one of these people has actually been, and also think it's the best one in the UK out of around 120.

I have a soft spot for Fleet as we stopped there every year in the way to and from Devon. Always try and stop there if I'm passing.

Tebay!

My DH has just reminded me that the swirly entrance for Reading services eastbound is awesome to swooshy drive into!

I also pine for the days of Little Chef at SS. Ok will stop sock puppeting my own thread how!

@Livelounge I hate that bit of motorway! Amazing as a passenger but sketchy as fuck to drive along, as the views are so distracting - and I also worry about going over the edge!

@hiphopchick I have been to Tebay, and I like it better than other services I have been to. I haven't been to all 120, so I can't say it's my favourite out of all of them because I haven't seen them all. It's not unbelievable to say that I like it the best!

Aww @puglife15 I love it, I or DH often drive to Weston "for chips" just to drive that way. Never crossed either of our minds re driving off the edge.

Oxford. It's the Florida mall like fountains, when they're on...

Tebay.

And yes I have been.

Many times.

Peterborough because it was the nearest KFC when we lived in Rutland. (The only county not to have one nor a Macdonalds!) and Leicester forest east as like a PP said you can eat KFC on the bridge with the cats going under. Also it was the beginning of being 'nearly home' to Rutland.
And obviously Gloucester cos that's right next to our 'real home' where we were both brought up though we have had some adventures involving Strensham!

Cars not cats!