Why do they bother?
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To be honest, I'm a bit fed up with Highways Agency, who chair the National Towing Working Group. They put out a survey about caravan parking on service areas, in the Spring last year, which many of us filled in. Try as we might, we (myself or the Club) have not been able to find out the results of the survey (as yet), let alone a strategy for dealing with any problems they have found. If we do not get a response, I intend to bring up the subject again at the Club Council Meeting in the Spring. I won't be letting this one go..... 🙂
David
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the quality and quantity of the bays is in a different league to anything I have seen in the UK
Why are we not surprised David
It is probably 15 years since I last drove in mainland Europe. But I do remember that it was possible to get decent food at the services that I used from time to time, Far better than UK's Unwelcome Break etc
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We rarely use the motorway services but have a mixed experience. Our most used route is via the M5 or M4, both with the Milton Keynes area as the destination, and the Gloucester services are of a good standard but we have seen the separate caravan parking area quite full. At Leigh Delamere you are lucky to find a space not occupied by an LGV and I have seen an AA recovery vehicle parked alongside the ‘Caravans only’ sign which I took a photo of and sent to them but received no reply.
So far as over there is concerned we have had days travelling when it was virtually impossible to find a space on an Autoroute service area with Switzerland being the worst but France at a weekend being a close second.
The easiest and most spacious we found in Spain en route from Barcelona to Santander where all three stops were almost devoid of other vehicles.
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Same for us, mousey. For our 330 mile trip to Cornwall we usually do a one-night stop at the Cadeside site near Wellington. Easy reach and access from the M5.
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"At Leigh Delamere you are lucky to find a space not occupied by an LGV and I have seen an AA recovery vehicle parked alongside the ‘Caravans only’ sign which I took a photo of and sent to them but received no reply."
Here's a little tip for anyone travelling along the M4 and thinking of using Leigh Delamere services - don't! They are truly dire.
Instead, leave the motorway at J17 (just a mile before/after LD) and follow the sign for Sutton Benger. Within half a mile on the right is the award winning "Pit Stop" cafe - originally a truck stop but now open to all. Good restaurant, refuelling stop, much more spacious and relaxing than LD.
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Agree with Deleted User User we had the same problem coming over to UK in September 4 Aires all caravan/Motorhome spaces full with cars and even the other day a local village which has recently had a charging point for electric cars had an old Peugeot parked on it as it was nearer to the shops!!
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Yes, you have my utter sympathy peedee. Many the time I have driven straight through a services and back onto the motorway simply because there is absolutely nowhere to park. It is very frustrating especially when you need the loo . I would write a strongly worded letter to the company involved and suggest they are losing business - nothing makes a business take more notice than the thought of lost profit: Just a thought- anyone noticed that they are BMWs and Audi’s? mmmm?
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Just a thought- anyone noticed that they are BMWs and Audi’s? mmmm?
No, hadn’t noticed. Is this an indication of something?
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so do I.....
I am actually at a French service station on the A83 and have just fuelled up and having a coffee and brekkie....
large services here. about half as big again as (say) Fleet, more like Gloucester in it's layout (which is a really good example and, pretty much, how most French one's we've used are).
theres one lorry getting fuel, one lorry parked up, about five cars, us in one of a dozen MH spaces and a 2nd MHer dumping his waste at the provided MHSP...
an oasis of calm....
....but time to go, the Spanish border beckons.
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Hi all
Having read all of this thread I think it is time we used our muscle, given the size of this club. So who should the club target? Easy, all of these service areas have a contract with the Transport Ministry and have to meet certain levels of service quality. You could argue that the Ministry are poor at policing these contracts, so how do we approach the club to take this on seriously.
The only official response I saw was from DSB, so maybe he could take this forward. The club needs to go to the top of the pile in the first instance and get the Transport Minister involved. Then keep up the battle until we see change. And perhaps continue to after that to keep the standard high.
What do you think, comments please?
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Hi BB, you are on your way then. Hope the fair weather we have been having continues for you. I am very envious of you getting away so soon. Have a good trip.
Bill
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Good point Kontikiboy about contacting the DoT about the standard of parking provision at service stations but aren't you forgetting that the Minister is 'Failing Grayling'. What with the fiasco with train timetables and the 'practice' lorry park, not to mention the ferry company with no boats and takeaway terms and conditions maybe it is best he leaves things alone.
Just saying.
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hi Bill, lunch stop just south of Bordeaux, heading for Irun, about 2 hrs, then, tomorrow, up and over via Pamplona, Zaragoza to Beni.....
weather sunny and (relatively) warm at 12 deg or more.
back to OP, I agree with the comments about things generally back home, but thinking just now about the comparison to the services I described with, say, Fleet...
over here, they seem to make sure they have decent road space and access to each area along with green/picnic space and then allocate the remaining space to cars or lorries or caravans etc...and Gloucester is done this way...
looking at say Fleet, it's ram in as many car parking spaces as will fit on the land then work out how folk are going to access them (and other areas) later...making for a cramped, crowded space where everyone struggles to get in, out or move around...
we are a hundred mtr back from the A63 and can't really hear the traffic, we have a dedicated caravan area with only 8 or so spaces but they are only occupied by caravans/MH.
the same general area has around 30 car spaces and only one is in use at the moment....other car parking on other side of service block has more cars.
clean, tidy, quiet and not an ANPR camera in sight....
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Regarding lay-bys, about 10 years ago we travelled back to the UK on B/F Cherbourg-Poole route and landed at around 11.30 PM. No chance of getting on a campsite at that time of night, and all the lay-bys were full of HGV's, all the way to Leicestershire. We now return to the UK on B/F St Malo-Portsmouth route (6:20 pm landing) and stop at pre-booked Morn Hill site for a few days. The HGVs can have the lay-bys as far as we are concerned.
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Yes my favourite services when going south. Whoever designed those caravan bays knew what he/she was doing
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t the end of the day the motorway service operators do not want us and I doubt anything will help in most cases.
Basically we take up a lot of room, usually bring our own food, many probably only come once in a year and often spend nothing but use the toilets.
Cars come also often come once, but some quite often but take up less room and are likely to spend on food at least. Lorries take up room but visit regularly and spend money there.
Coaches are the prize as they are full of people who spend.
Given all that, why are services going to put themselves out although a few are quite good.
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Hi Wildwood,
You are missing the point. The services operators have to bid for a contact to provide a range of services for all. They need to fulfil that contract and the Gov Dept that lets that contract needs to police it. If the operator doesn’t meet the range and standards in the contract the Gov Dept needs to end the contract and find another operator. These services are gold mines and if the operators were given relevant warnings they might improve.
Another step that could be taken is for all of us on here to write to our MPs, with facts and photos.
BillC
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In Italy there are many stretches of motorway where trucks are restricted to the near side lane but also this restriction can apply to cars towing vans and can be a real pain.
One such stretch is heading South from the Bolzano/Dolomites areas and can lead to long periods stuck between trucks travelling at less than the legal limit that you could travel at.
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Hi, I know the regulations but the reality is that we are a minority that they do not care about. They can cite the difficulty of policing caravan spaces and at nthe end of the day I doubt any action would be taken on their licences for failing to keep caravan spaces clear. You have to face facts and I feel that we simply are not a big enough proportion of their business to affect them.
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Gretna Services are yet another motorway stop where HGVs regularly fill the small number of dedicated caravan bays - despite the very visible signposts warning of the financial penalties for incorrect parking.
I often leave a motorway in order to find a suitable stopping point as my medical condition dictates when a comfort break is necessary, I can then use my 'van facilities without incurring the wrath of traffic police by stopping illegally on hard shoulder for a non-emergency.
The long & short of this problem is that it is not going away. As individuals, we are powerless. We must do something or accept it as it is. As a number of posters have suggested, the NCC acting on behalf of us should be pressing the appropriate Government Officials to do more to improve this much needed facility.
Perhaps if the various caravan clubs, divisional caravan organisations etc, etc were to combine & direct their muscle & might toward the NCC, it would be a start. As a member of the CAMC, I hereby request that our office bearers start the action. Regards.
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