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These services blew my mind. The golden arches of the McDonalds were really clearly visible from the motorway so there was no chance of missing out there! Upon arrival at the McDonalds we were shown to where we could order and pay electronically then collect (a bit like Argos but better because its FOOD!!!) Loads of bins and mint machine in toilet. Even if you're not planning a trip via these services - GO ANYWAY! :)))
Lorna, Mon 30 May 2016
We stopped here with my 90 year old mother who finds walking difficult but manageable with our help at either side. It is ridiculous that disabled people have to negotiate the whole length of the site to reach the toilets, often needing them urgently. This is undignified and stressful. The floor of the service station is tiled and quite slippery causing further anxiety. There is only one disabled cubicle provided, which was occupied. More thought and consideration should be given to the needs of those with disabilities. I suspect service station layouts would be different if the owners had first hand experience of disability. All of these observations equally apply to Cambridge Services (A14).
M Brown, Mon 4 Jan 2016
Worst breakfast I've ever had, ashamed that they call it English breakfast. For £5.50 and did not include hot drink.
Craig, Wed 15 Oct 2014
Hi, I am just wondering what it's like here, I am a Grimsby Town FC supporter and I will be travelling to Ebbsfleet United FC on Saturday 1st December on the supporters coach, What's the parking for coaches like, and do many coaches of football fans visit here, That is all, Thank you.
Louis Chew, Fri 30 Nov 2012
We called in here recently, with our caravan, and followed the signs to the allocated caravan spaces. Who ever designed this car park obviously had no idea about caravans and the space they need to both park and manoeuvre. To put caravan parking spaces in the middle of the car parking area is so stupid, and with todays larger outfits the bays were WAY too short, even smaller outfits would struggle to fit in them. Trying to get out of the carpark whilst towing a caravan....horrendous, with cars coming and going ninety degree corners, and way too narrow access roads for the caravan driver to turn the corners safely. I would be very interested to know how many accidental bumps involving caravans there have been since this place opened.To top it all there is a huge coach parking area away from the car parking that is sitting there empty ...more than enough space to accomodate caravans as well. Might I suggest that there is some signage used to indicate that it is not suitable for medium and large caravan outfits.
Francis Muncaster, Wed 10 Oct 2012
as someone who tows a large folding camper,,,I have very often found it difficult to find a parking space at this otherwise superb service area....the main problem being that commercial vans and non towing vehicles have taken all the caravan parking spots.....I do use this area several times a year, and it can be quite frustrating not to be able to break my journey, because some people cant seem to be able to read.....sorry to critisize
william grist, Tue 26 Jun 2012
some of you people seriously neeed to get a life
mr blobby, Wed 7 Mar 2012
Good clean facilities with a wide selection of take-away / sit-in and good coffee shop! Also my favourite, M&S Simply Food - Simply the Best! The staff at this M&S were very friendly and helpful: Thank You
Forrest, Wed 7 Mar 2012
not happy no toilet roll at all in the gents is this normal for a services ??
jame daniels, Sat 19 Nov 2011
My husband and I stopped here as we travelled from Sheppey Kent to Cleethorpes in May this year we were back in UK for a visit after living in Perth Australia for 26 years. Would love to know what the name of the doughnuts were called that were sold here as they were sooooooo nice. Please can they come to Australia and sell them as we are craving one now. Nice rest stop .
linda, Fri 2 Sep 2011
On my last trip I stopped here specifically to use the cash machine and was disappointed to find that there is now a charge of £1.80, (if my memory is correct). I think it's a shame because, as service areas go, it's quite good. Surely the operator makes enough money to not charge for cash withdrawals.
Sheila, Tue 12 Jul 2011
I have visited this service station many times when travelling to Lincolnshire with my parents to see my grandma who's in a care home. Here's what I generally think when I visit:FIRST IMPRESSIONSWhen I first walk in I can see some toilets and a cash-point in the distance with a large seating area and shops and food outlets surrounding the seating area. The floors and walls are clean and don't look like they need a makeover.FOODThere are four food outlets. Three of which are fast food. McDonalds, KFC & Pizza Hut. The other is a more "posh" restaurant. The Le Petit Four serves good English style breakfasts and coffee and small snacks throughout the day. The LP4 has nice food with friendly staff. The McDonalds has a fast service and friendly staff like the LP4. The food tastes like any McDonalds which in my books is good. The Pizza Hut has a lack of staff. When I've been, a maximum of two members of staff are there. Looking bored and tired. However, the food is nice. I can't comment on the KFC because I don't eat there but people were coming and going quickly. FOOD OVERALL: Good for families and those stopping in for a quick bite, but don't expect any upper-class food.SHOPSThere are two shops at Peterborough Services. A McColl's which is great for getting a newspaper and a few chocolate bars. McColl's is a typical newsagents with your everyday stuff and it's perfect for people popping in for something quick which isn't food. The other shop is a little M&S which sells a small range of food. Nothing too fancy - just a small supermarket! It's good but since it's small, you may not be able to find what you're looking for! SHOPS OVERALL: A couple of small shops but nothing particularly noteworthy.ARCADES, CASINOS & OTHER NON-FOOD/GROCERY SHOPSThere are two gaming areas. One is a Namco Arcade where there a quite a few games to keep gamers busy. The other is a Namco Vegas which is a casino. However, they are mainly computerised games. Slots and Bingo is what you'd find as well as electronic classic casino games. ARCADES, CASINOS & OTHER NON-FOOD/GROCERY SHOPS OVERALL: Only one arcade with a few games and the "casino" isn't big and the roulette and poker is all electronic.FACILITIESThere are male, female & disabled toilets which are clean. There's also a cash-point which is free to use and is normally working. There's also a small picnic area and children's playground which are OK. There's also free high-speed Wi-Fi. FACILITIES OVERALL: Toilets and a cash machine are good and clean. The other facilities are clean but small. The Wi-Fi is nice.OTHER ADDITIONSThere is a hotel on-site but that's going into a different topic. A hotel review is different and I don't want to go off-topic. OTHER ADDITIONS OVERALL: N/A.PARKING CHARGESVisitors get up to 2 hours free parking which is good considering there's nothing you would need to stay here for in the long term.PETERBOROUGH SERVICES A1(M) OVERALLOverall this is a good service station for use on the journey from London to the Midlands. The restaurants are good if you don't want anything fancy. A few more shops might be a good addition to the services. The facilities are nice and clean and the addition of free Wi-Fi adds to the enjoyability of the service station.RATING6/10
Alexander Banks, Wed 13 Apr 2011
m&s staff very helpful
Anonymous, Thu 18 Nov 2010
Very good food services, only thing I would complain about is the fact that anyone seem to park in the disabled spaces, which do not seem to be regulated or have anyone checking or even looking to see if cars have a blue badge on show.
Ian Tyers, Sun 14 Nov 2010
On Thursday 28 October I left my jacket in this service area. I only realised my mistake when I arrived in Cambridge. I phoned and spoke to a lady called "marie" I think. She gave me oustanding service. Finding my jacket and calling me back with arrangements to collect when I passed the following day. This was excellent customer service and please pass on my thanks.
Nigel Smith, Sat 30 Oct 2010
Love this service station. Toilets always clean, and no queues for the ladies.Foodhall, always plenty of clean tables and reasonable priced food. M&S useful too.Always plenty of spaces in carpark.
Robert Dennington, Mon 27 Sep 2010
After a recent visit to peterborough services i was charged twice using Pizza Hut will be using cash from now on
r young, Wed 4 Aug 2010
this sevice station looks great,not baby friendly,no facilities for heating baby food or bottles,and it seemed to be full of familys with small children having the same problem,
joanneappleby, Mon 31 May 2010
There is now an M&S Simply Foods outlet @ P/Boro, and it is excellent.
Peter James Bartlett, Wed 16 Sep 2009
Have used this facility on many occasions both as a motorist and also towing a 7 mtr long caravan. For a motorist the services are mostly good and acceptable, basically clean, and if the weather is good, plenty of outdoor seating for "al fresco" or picnic style eating. On balance the food is good (We always seem to spend around 20 pounds on a meal for two). If you are towing a caravan be prepared to drive away because the allocated and clearly marked parking is within the main car park area and frequently (mostly) occupied by commercial vans or car drivers who are presumably too lazy to park correctly in the car parking area. At the same time the car parking spaces are too small for the larger type of commercial van so maybe there should be a clearly defined and marked out area for commercial vans in the same way as provision for HGV vehicles and coaches. I endorse all the prior comments made by drivers who tow caravans. If there is an empty space though, then the facilities here are better than most. If there is no empty space then there are no more stopping places heading south until you reach the M25, and there facilities for cars towing caravans are worse still!As for best time to stop? I have used the facilty at noon, and between 2-3pm in the afternoon. Clearly noon time the parking is usually completely full, most caravans will not find a space (see above) mid afternoon is better. I have not had occasion to use the facility before noon so cannot comment.
Don, Wed 2 Sep 2009
I have been in this service area 3 times this year towing a caravan and on all 3 times the allotted parking bays for caravans was full of cars and white vans.I was on my way out and saw the owner of one of the white vans sat behind the wheel and told him he was parked in a caravan parking area to which his reply was F--K O-- tell all the others what a waste of time you dont deserve custom you should have someone monitoring the area.date visited Thursday 27 aug 2009 @1215
GORDON HALL, Mon 31 Aug 2009
I regularly drive up to York from the South-east for work purposes, for my journey timing this place is perfect for a break. It started off as a really pleasant services back when it opened, but its really become almost intolerable. The popularity of its gone up over the years as you'd expect, but its now just too small to cope with the influx of traffic- theres not nearly enough parking, toilets are constantly broken/out of use and often unclean and smelly at peak times, and they've got rid of many of the nice restaurants and outlets to make way for the big commercial fast food giants instead. Im really considering changing where I stop now.
Alex, Sat 27 Jun 2009
We always stop off at Peterborough Services on the way up north. We park by the picnic benches where it's quieter and we always find the services are clean and friendly. Sometimes there's a bit of a queue at McDonald's and KFC (especially if coach loads of football fans stop off) but I suppose it reflects the decent prices there. Good facilities all round.
Keith, Thu 27 Nov 2008
probs the best i have been in the uk so far. friendly staff and good food. gotta recommend the spicy chicken salad, they make it for you fresh on the spot. top drawer!!!
malcolm key, Thu 16 Oct 2008
A excellent stop off with good clean facilities and plenty of choice to eat & Shop.
Cordery Family, Sat 9 Aug 2008
As usual the (too small) caravan spaces were filled with white vans. Does this service station not want the caravan trade? This is a shame as it is one of the cleaner and more inviting services on the road network
Keith Raynes, Mon 14 Apr 2008
massage chairs!!! cool but out of order so i couldnt use
hayley, Thu 7 Feb 2008
This service area generally seems to be reasonably pleasant and has a nice sandwich bar that serves up a mean bacon and brie bageutte, although at msa prices. Its toilets are clean and in a good condition which is more than can be said for certain other places on the A1 corridor.
Kevinho, Sat 22 Sep 2007
Though the site is rather awkwardly situated, I found the facilities satisfactory and reasonable clean. Staff were friendly too.
Mark Darby, Fri 7 Sep 2007
Awful, access roads full of boy racers, caravan slots full of white vans and cars.
Tom Parker, Sat 14 Jul 2007
I tow a small caravan and called into your services for refreshments at the approx time above. However all the caravan spaces allocated in the car park were full with 2 motor caravans but all the rest had either 2 cars in each or white vans. There was no-one monitoring the car park and when asking in the services no body seemed to know who to put the complaint to. Normally in services we are directed to park with the lorries but that is not so at your services as there are not many spaces there either. In the end we had to park at the kerb which luckily did not block exit/entrance to the motel. The car parking area needs to be larger as services on the A1M are few and far between especially for access with a caravan or lorry. Also the car park should be monitored closely for correct parking and also that the disabled spaces are not abused as they certainly were on that day. I would be interested in your comments.
Peter Stevens, Sat 30 Jun 2007
I am a coach driver and I called at these services for a lunch break of 45mins I took my membership card to the garage to collect my meal voucher as I had only six passengers on board they would not issue 1 most of the other service operators at least let us have a meal.I did not expect my £5 reward as you need 30 passengers for this so at least I was honest.
Chris Vernon, Thu 8 Feb 2007
I recently visited your peterborough site food choice was acceptional also tryed your massage chairs but have found that the chairs in the moto and roadchef services were way better quality and give a far superior massage.
erin jane groves, Wed 31 Jan 2007
I always thought that Motorway Service Areas were required to stay open 24/24. We arrived at this one just after midnight on 28 December to find the doors locked (though staff could be seen clearing up inside).
roger Brett, Sun 7 Jan 2007
good services - good choice of food - love the massage chairs!
paul, Wed 18 Oct 2006
Copy of a letter to Extra MSA Forcourts who run the site.
Dear Sir.
I am writing to complain of the trap you lay for your own customers at the Peterborough services that you run.
To have a company employ someone to sit in a car on the service area specifically with the job of catching out your own customers seems to me somewhat bizarre.
There is no clearly visible sign to warn that clamping is liable to take place and that a fine will be imposed to remove the clamp.
I shall be forwarding this letter to companies that have facilities on the services area and shall be taking up the matter with the Trading Standards Authority., though I find I am not the first to do that.
I suppose you find quick £135s worth the loss of customers.
Horrible.
Paul Chapman, Fri 13 Oct 2006
Facilities for caravans are very poor for all but the shortes of outfits. A 7m caravan plus tow car will not fit into the allotted area, consisting of double car spaces, without dangerously blocking access - even if it is not already full of cars. The, virtually empty coach park threatens clamping for all but coaches and the lorry park specifies lorries only. So what are caravaners to do? Just move on? It's a nice service station, so some better facilities for us please.
Anne Foord, Tue 8 Aug 2006
Because these services house a McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut, it makes this a pretty cheap place to stop, as they charge standard prices rather than rip off Motorway prices.
The services are clean throughout, have a great layout, toilets great and fee-free cash machine.
The Only downside is the car park is a little small, and at peak times, you WILL queue to get off the A1 Southbound at this junction.
In reply to an earlier comment about Disabled parking - if you don't display a badge, what do you expect? Enough people abuse the system, so I wish more places were zero tolerant of people without badges.
Mark, Mon 7 Aug 2006
this is a very good service station it is always clean and has good choice of food offering mcdonalds kfc and pizza hut and also le petit four which does healthy rolls and very good breakfasts not to mention excellent coffee. it also has good arcade area with a great pacman game and other good devices. all in all a very good service station offering good food, sleep inn hotel at £49 a night which is clean and tidy, and an excellend petrol station with great shop.
mark riggall, Sat 5 Aug 2006
I was appalled to have been treated with the contempt that I received from the illegally operating Clamping company that this service area employs. I have reported them to trading standards & to Customs & Excise.There are signs stating there is clamping, but no signs stating the release fee, which is against regulation, or that a Zero tolerance is operated, I had 2 people who where unable to walk distances, I checked the front area, which had no spaces, the coach area was empty, so for less than 5 minutes I parked there so the disabled people, who were traveling back from operations on their hips, could use the facilities, I seated the people and returned to the car to find a very unpleasant and unhelpful rip off merchant who charged me the princely sum of £125.00 + VAT, he gave me a non VAT receipt and damaged my car
Richard Sharpe, Tue 1 Aug 2006
Stopped there on a lovely sunny June day, was very impressed with the French baguette place (Le Petit Francais), got a delicious Bacon & Brie Provencette, a large portion of fries and a 500ml bottle of Diet Pepsi for a very reasonable £4.99. The only thing which I think it needs is somehere serving proper hot meals rather than fast food outlets, but overall excellent!
James Chapman, Sun 4 Jun 2006
Ate at KFC today at 1330hrs. Food spot on but service area the pits. No clean tables - full of rubbish and dirty. Floor was littered and dirty. Only one person on cleaning up duty and he wasn't exactly working at lightning speed. Toilets also messy. Totally unimpressed. Management need a good talking to!
Jackie Jackson, Sat 8 Apr 2006
Great choice of Food, facilities excellent definitely one of the best
Mark Craven, Sun 26 Feb 2006
Good clean site with an Abbey non fee charging cash machine on site which is a bonus.
Ian, Tue 21 Feb 2006
Peterborough is one of the newer services operated by the Extra group. Cambridge servcies on the A14 is identical to Peterborough, and both buildings are well designed, attractive and clean.
Food options are above average - burgers,pizza, chicken - all from their most well known vendors. But there's also the more healthy baguette supplier, and a good coffee shop.
Atmosphere is light and airy, and only becomes noisy when it's particularly full as it has a central seating area (like South Mimms). Loos are always clean and well maintained.
The fact that I always stop at either Peterborough or Cambridge en route from the North and the Essex coast where I live is a solid recommendation for both services.
Martin, Sun 12 Feb 2006
The best MSA in the country, great choice of food outlets, clean and tidy toilets. Also, the carpark is nice and spacious as well as very easy access to the A1(M). Well done Extra !
James Whittred, Fri 6 Jan 2006
Peterborough Services A1(M) is a 4 burger rated service area.
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