Current Poll Topic
What's the most important thing that needs improving at motorway services?Surveys, both on this site and elsewhere, tend to show a low opinion of most MSAs among the travelling public. Which aspect do you think the MSA operators most urgently need to improve?
Comments on This Topic
As food is obviously the main issue of concern, and is inceasingly a popular topic in the media (health, obesity, etc), I think it would be interesting to find out what travellers are looking for when eating at service stations.
Phil Chisholm, 29 April 2008
Disabled parking when towing a Caravan due to the inability to walk too far.
Geoffrey Spearpoint, 28 May 2008
Some of the MSA are a disgrace, they are disgusting some should be shut down imeadiatly, the owners and managers taken to Europe and shown how to do it properly!!!!!!!
Stuart McCabe, 25 June 2008
you should pay your staff more money for the unsociable hours they have to work after all you must realise how much the cost of living has soared how do you expect them to live on the wages you pay.
jim, 7 July 2008
Generally nowadays motorway services have improved greatly.
Nick Attwell, 27 July 2008
In general motorway services provide poor quality food at premium prices. why should a sandwich which costs £1.50 in a supermarket cost £3.79 in a services. Best Main operator Roadchef worst MOTO.
Kenny Argent, 6 August 2008
While travelling in Holland last week, I stopped at a service area between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. When I entered I thought that I had somehow arrived in a very smart Farmer's Market - but no, this was the food area, where there was a vast range of freshly prepred and wholesome foods, a salad bar area, where you could help yourself to whatever combination you chose, freshly cooked dishes, prepared in view of the customer with real fresh ingedients, not fom a packet or out of a freezer, fresh fruit and other desserts. I had an excellent lunch for €10.95 - just under £9 at the current bad exchange rate. The staff were friendly and helpful. The standard made all British service areas seem very, very poor by comparison and it was a pleasurable experience. Why oh why can't we have some attampt to do something similar here in the UK. With more than 25 years of travelling nationally for my work behind me, I try and avoid service areas in this country, since they offer poor quality food at high prices and often surly staff. In particular I find that the type of food offered here is very poor, with very few genuine fresh healthy items available.
Mark Pendleton, 1 September 2008
Why do motorway service stations feel the need to stock their shops full of porn mags? get rid of the porno and make some more room for decent food, i say.
Geoff, 13 October 2008
It is about time that something was done about the cleanliness of the wash and shower facilities for Lorry drivers, in almost every M/way services the showers are disgusting and really need looking at, If the same standards were needed for them as are needed for the kitchen Enviromental health would shut them down, i would put money on it that no manager would take a shower in one.
Grumptrucker, 26 October 2008
As a regular user of Motorway Services, I think several area could be improved. Free Parking could be increased to 3 hours, and a reasonable charge for the following 24hours could and should be enforced. Knutsford Southbound is currently £35 for 24 hours! Also, the cost of EVERYTHING on site is extortionate.
Mike Baxter, 13 November 2008
I think the food in most of the services is of an extremely high quality. There are usually generous helpings given in the Welcome Breaks- I especially like the pizzas. Just could be a little bigger and more value for money. The costa coffees and coffee primos are another favourite of mine at the service stations!!! =] Overall standard is very good. Keep up the good work xD
Esmond, 21 December 2008
Having stopped at the Peas Pottage near Crawley services a cpl of weeks back cost 20 notes to park up,which only had 4 toilets, broken all of them, no showering facilities, no tv lounge or anything for the drivers to watch or do, typical MOTO services stopped going there all together and now always try and stop at Roadchef services
Kriss Smooth, 24 December 2008
Some Service stations can be really horrible poor ratings for food, can be really filthy and disgusting. Another thing that I hate about some is that they have background music playing everywhere. Thank you.
Andrew Kerr, 9 February 2009
Whilst reading the above comments some good points have been made and I would agree with all of the above. Before I plan my journey I go on this web site to make sure my route consists of a half decent service area for me and my family. Kind Regards
Abdul Gaffer, 25 February 2009
I think Mr Gaffer makes a very fine point. From now on I will start and plan my journeys in this way thanks for the tip Mr gaffer!!! All the best Mr Meakin Huddersfield
Simon Meakin, 5 March 2009
modern services are not designed with noise in mind. I long for a quiet rest when I take a break; new services, in my experience, are much noisier than the ones they have replaced. Hence, I tend to sit in the car now!
treve smitheram, 27 March 2009
As a vegan the choice of food at service stations is almost zero for me. I usually take my own sandwiches with me these days but it would be nice if there were more Vegan options at service stations. Catering for Vegan is not hard! Just go to the Vegan society website to have a look at their recommendation.
, 18 April 2009
Why does the choice of crisps and snacks usually include more large and king size versions than is strictly necessary? Snacks are always overpriced.
Andrea, 1 May 2009
We use the motorway services alot when travelling from bournemouth to scotland then back down to north wales then back to bournemouth, I always find that food is over priced and these kfc facilities how tight they are with the chips compared to the kfc back home and they charge a bomb for them as well. I never been in a service station where toilets are dirty they are always spick & span
maria, 17 June 2009
Quality varies from Place to place but the prices of food, goods and fuel are all over the top. If the prices were more reasonable then more people would spend more money. Also like a previous comment, european services are much better.The A4 services near schiphol Airport are perfect and some of the French ones are also of a high standard
Bazza critchley, 22 June 2009
I used to do a lot of motorway driving (and hitch-hiking.( I dont know if people hitch any more using red number plates - but if you see one give them a lift! They may be a bit odd, sometimes, but they are usually in too much of a hurry to get somewhere to be a bother) Anyway, We used to hitch from m/way services, but we always used the big super stores outside towns for food and fuel. Much, much cheaper and often better quality
Clive D, 28 July 2009
Lorry parking at £20 a night (the drivers pay this out their own pocket)is disgusting and its just taking advantage knowing lorries are obliged too stop by law for 9 hours.
Jem Allaway, 3 August 2009
It may be an idea for Uk service station operators to use some of their profits to take a trip to France or Sweden etc, this would highlight how poor a job they are doing with some of the service areas in the UK
Adam Kay, 13 August 2009
I always plan my route and turn off the motorway and find a cafe or pub in a small village or town. It may put a bit of time on your journey though.
Tracey , 15 August 2009
Having recently visited Cornwall for a week, we used various service stations. I think like many people that they are a complete rip off! They have a captive audience so to speak and they completely exploit it by over charging on food. When you are travelling especially with a family, it can work out to be an expensive experience.
Mrs L Cook, 23 August 2009
For various reasons my husband and I have used a number of service areas in the west midlands recently and for the most part have been very impressed with the availability, quality and cost of meals compared to what we had been used to in the past. My husband has been particularly impressed with the fact that as a coeliac he has been able to eat there whether requiring a meal or a snack. The only regret that we have is that, for the most part, hot drinks are only available from self-serve machines after about ten at night and are generally horrible. Still, I suppose it keeps you awake on the journey home. I was thinking of starting a site like this myself but got told off when I tried to take a photo at one of the food areas one night! A pity, really, as I was thinking of recommending it!
Linda Cooke (not the last writer), 28 August 2009
I have written on this column and pretty much the replies about over pricing on foods, drinks from motorway services is the most talk about subject, I would like to know is the services doing anything about this, perhaps everyone needs to boycott all services to get a point through
maria, 11 September 2009
I avoid all Motorway Services whenever possible, especially Roadchef and Moto - even detouring off the motorway to find a decent place to stop. They are dirty, badly managed, seriously overpriced in every respect, and an absolute embarrassment frankly. About the only nice one I have come across is the Westmorland services at Tebay.
anon, 5 October 2009
I agree with those who want some peace and quiet! When you are weary and stressed after a long drive with traffic jams and battered ears (even in a modern car) as I was after driving up the A303/M3 recently, what you want is a quiet coffee and relaxation for a few minutes. The music in the whole premises - even the toilets- was not only loud but got louder while I was resting. The choice of music seemed to be rock anthems and fast pieces, whose effect we know is to increase the heart rate and stress reactions. Is it not time to have no-music areas, in the same way as smoking has been restricted and eventually marginalised?
Warwick , 6 October 2009
If everyone took their own sandwhiches and stopped spending money at the services they would soon drop the prices. Unfortunately we English will pay whatever price without question, stop spending money at their outlets and hit them where it hurts (in the shareholders pockets)
Paul, 23 December 2009
The food choices are discusting a service stations, its no wonder that we are getting so fat as a nation. There is almost no healthier options available in most service stations, in fact it is either heart attack in a bun or nothing. for example who needs cheese in there bacon sandwhich? is bacon not fatty enough?
Greg Hancock, 1 March 2010
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