overnighting at a motorway services

[samk]

hardly living the dream i know! off on a trip this friday and was thinking about going half way on friday night - particularly if the mass London exodus causes traffic misery.

Have many of you stayed at at a service station offering overnight facilities? did you just show up or did you have to book?

[simple]

Have done quite a few late night overnighters, parked up in the lorry park. Just arrived late, paid for overnight parking at the machine, and went to bed. Have done it on me own & with the kids.

[samk]

thanks, good to know it's a simple solution

[Willoughby]

Some are better than others.

Best so far was the svs on the M6 Toll.

They are all rated on http://www.motorwayservices.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

K

[getunder]

Have done it ok. I was in one on M25 and a caravan with four elderly people pulled in. Legs down and kettle on when one lady returned aghast that you had to pay for overnight. Kettle off, legs up and away to Lord knows where at 12.30 a.m. All to save £8 as was then for 4 people. Nowt so queer as folk !

[weldore]

i was wondering about this too,i didnt know if it was the done thing or not but it seems alot safer than in a laybye

[getunder]

Parked for the night in one in near Birmingham once. Unfortunately just the other side of a hedge from the motorway. Thought the lorry noise would abate at about 1.00 a.m. but it didn't stop all night. Didn't sleep a wink and ended up with a blinding headache. Every 30 seconds whoooooooooosh. This was with a caravan with eveyone else sleeping to so didn't move elsewhere.Chose your spot preferably with company.

[ginge]

find a layby on an a road lorry parks stink of peeee tooo i know used to be a driver or a pub car park

[weldore]

your not wrong ginge.when i towed the camper home from cleethorpse we stopped in a layby just outside retford,parked infront of a lorry and i got out to stretch me legs and check everything was ok with the van..got down to see if there was anything hanging off under neath ...and feeeowwww........ the stench of pee was unreal

[andisnewsyncro]

Motorway services are a necessary evil somtimes. It's never ideal but if you have to do it it's bearable, just...
Some of them even let you redeem your ticket in the morning for a free cup of coffee (it was on the M5, but can't remember which one now).

Andi

[Ian Hulley]

Just don't pull in too close behind a lorry, otherwise you may not get a very nice awakening Don't laugh, it can and has happened.

Ian.

[T'Onion]

google earth is your friend , pull off and find a nice lay by

also ask on here , some local member will tell you the local secrets

[..lee..]

last time we headed south we ended up pulling in to a differant service station that wanted to charge us to stay overnight. personally thought it is a bloody cheek, you get sod all for the money.

we ended up staying down the road in a little lane with houses both sides, quiet and safe didn`t cost us a penny.

[Flibbertigibbet]

I have only kipped in services last year when comming off ferry from dublin and driving from Holyhead to Brighton .I just got tired and had a child with a broken leg so pulled over at 3 ish in the morning and kipped wasn't even sure I had to pay was too tired to care ..woke up early in the morning bought a coffee and drove off

[Mocki]

if your van is set up in the right way you can just pull into a residential area, park between two cars on a street and kip.
if you have to mess about putting roofs up and chucking stuff outside or into the front seats or have curtains then it isnt going to be an option....

most motor way services have a rear acess road onto a "A" or "b" road, or a staff car park.