Prompted by my international Autobhan stormers description -
Who has the best Motorway Service Areas? I avoid the UK ones like the plague but have found the Italian ones to be excellent.
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Agree with you on the Italian ones ( although it's really quite hard to get a bad meal anywhere in Italy ) French ones aren't bad. In the UK Tebay is pretty good. If a bit expensive.
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Tebay is privately owned and is a big farm shop and cafe with a fuel station.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 26 May 16 at 13:42
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My mother has rather taken to biddy bus tours in UK. Rather than stopping at MSAs, the driver usually stops at a garden centre. The biddies happily spend an hour wandering around, use the cafe etc and the driver gets her statutory break. I imagine cash passes from the garden centre to the driver to ensure continued visits.
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I will almost certainly decide to end it all if I ever find myself even contemplating with any level of enthusiasm, a bus trip to a garden centre.
;-)
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Gloucester services are nice - operated by the same people as Tebay, although not to be confused with the nearby Michael wood which is not as nice
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>> Gloucester services are nice -
Agree.
Known in B family as Hobbity services on account of buildings likeness to a Hobbit House.
Stop of choice when we visit daughter in Plymouth or vv.
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The Aire at Baie de la Somme on the A16 takes a bit of beating.
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I tend, both here and abroad, to head down a slip road signposted to any major conurbation or large town rather than use the MSAs. Almost always, there will soon be a large supermarket with a cafe, clean lavs, cheap fuel, free parking, no coaches and no tourists. These are all good things.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Thu 26 May 16 at 20:16
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Exactly what we do. I have seen cars queueing on MSA slip roads waiting to get into packed MSAs during summer weekends. Madness when there is a nearby junction with facilities as described by Runfer.
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>> I tend, both here and abroad, to head down a slip road signposted to any
>> major conurbation or large town rather than use the MSAs. Almost always, there will soon
>> be a large supermarket with a cafe, clean lavs, cheap fuel, free parking, no coaches
>> and no tourists. These are all good things.
>>
If you're driving through Luxembourg and only need fuel, don't bother coming off the the motorway as it's the same price off the motorway more or less, and it's pretty darn cheap.
Most of the German ones are pretty good, also the Belgian ones. And here in Austria, there are some that people go to when they want to go out for a nice meal - waiter service, good food etc.
Second the comments on the Gloucester services, went there last year with son and d-i-l for tea and cake - the shop has fresh meat, fresh fish, and fresh cheese counters.
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But remember that German Services charge for using the toilets. If you are desperate
after driving 500 kilometres remember to take your small change from the car before sprinting across the car park.
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>> But remember that German Services charge for using the toilets. If you are desperate
>> after driving 500 kilometres remember to take your small change from the car before sprinting
>> across the car park.
>>
True, but you pay 70 cents for immaculate toilets and get a 50 cent voucher to spend in the shop, which you can accumulate over time if you wish. Until recently, you paid 50 cents for the loo and got a 50 cent voucher back so effectively free.
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>> The Aire at Baie de la Somme on the A16 takes a bit of beating.
French Aires are in a different league though.
Kids (when they were kids) loved the Aire de Jugy on the s/b A6 with its mushroom sculptures and connecting tunnels. Lost The Lad in there for several minutes when he was about 4. Not seriously worried but very glad to see him waving at me from one of the mushrooms!
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My last visit to a MSA was about eighteen months ago when I called in at Membury on the M4. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pie and chips, not restaurant standard but certainly up with a decent chippy. Reasonably priced too.
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>> My last visit to a MSA was about eighteen months ago when I called in
>> at Membury on the M4.
If you happen that way again I can suggest a far better alternative, though they don't sell petrol;
www.chippenhampitstop.com/
One of the best truckstops in the UK, recently rebuilt, excellent food, and cheaper than Membury. Seperate parking for cars at the front.
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>> www.chippenhampitstop.com/
Thanks HM, The Full Tank on their breakfast menu does appeal.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 27 May 16 at 01:24
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>> The Aire at Baie de la Somme on the A16 takes a bit of beating.
>>
It's jolly scenic and the buildings are impressive. But I tend only to use it for pee/coffee stops rather than meals as I find the food formulaic and wanting.
The best food on the route I use each summer (IMHO) is at the services at the foot of the Pont de Normandie. It's a proper independent restaurant with a comprehensive menu, sit down waiter service stuff. Great views of the bridge and bay, too, and an exhibition about the construction of the bridge with scale models containing moving parts which the children and twiddle with.
That's my favourite. Generally I find food standards in French services have slipped dreadfully in recent years.
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MSAs - Runfer D'Hills
