Motorway parking spaces
I just returned from a fab 2 weeks in The Firs club site just outside Belper (thoroughly recommended). On the way home we stopped at Gloucester Services for lunch and had to circle the caravan parking area three times before we found a space. There must be about twenty bays there but at least half of them were occupied (or half occupied) by motorhomes. Now that would be fine if they were stonking great long beasts, but most of them were transit sized which could easily fit in one of the car park bays (as indeed some were). Come on you motorhomers, move over and make room! If you must use our caravan bays why not pull up behind another motorhome rather than take up an entire car & van space, better still find reverse and use the car park!
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My van is longer than ABM’s so a car park space is usually no good in service areas. Sometimes I have no choice but to use a cvan space.
What you cannot assume, Geoff, is that the PVC was solo in that lane before you arrived as there could well have been another MH behind him which has since reversed and driven off. Things are often not what they appear. For instance, there was probably a perfectly good reason for a caravan and car to park blocking access at Sedgemoor Services the other week. Who knows?🤷🏻♂️
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"our caravan bays", Geoff?
i thought this thread might have been about white van man or other 'naughty folk' using the caravan spaces...
but no.....it about (motor) caravans using caravan spaces
if half the (caravan) spaces were occupied by Motorhomes (along with towed caravans, what these spaces were set aside for) weren't half available to caravans?.....sounds about fair....
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I struggle with the 'them and us' mentality with caravans and motor homes.
Surely its down to a common sense approach by all. Surely we all enjoy using whatever form of get away from it all kit we have. We share facilities on site. We all must enjoy a similar experience why the sniping?
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Bet you hate the fact Motorhome has been added to the name of “your” club. If I need to use them I do and if there is no space at the inn then so be it, it’s first come first served
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What is the appropriate bay for a MH which is too long to fit in a car park space yet shorter than a car and caravan but is in the correct caravan parking area?
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You were lucky the bay's were a least occupied by Motor caravans they are normally being used by anything but LVs
and you found a bay so what's your gripe
Ps if it had not been the off peak time you would have found it dificult to find a space anywhere
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At least Motorhomes are supposed to be using the bays. This was the sight that greeted us at East Midlands Airport Services a few weeks ago. There are only 6 spaces, 3 had HGV's and one had several cars. We parked our MH behind the small tanker HGV, although we still stuck out the back.
You have to drive through the HGV park before you get to the caravan bays, and to be fair that was full. While we there there some HGV's came and parked in the coach bays. I am afraid at most motorway services there are just not enough spaces to go round. So wether it is a MH filling the bay you want to park in, or as in our case an HGV the space is taken.
Our MH although not large, certainly will not fit in a car space. To sensibly park would affect 4 spaces. Which is not really sensible when it is busy.
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I’m not complaining, DD. It was AD who objected and suggested idleness on the part of MH drivers.
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OK folks, I apologise for the word "our" when talking about caravan bays and I acknowledge that some MHs may have moved on and left single units in the bays. And no, I did NOT mind Motorhomes being added to the club title. As I said in my OP I don't mind when the MH is very long and just wouldn't fit a caravan bay, It was just infuriating when a company has clearly invested a lot of money creating bays where caravans can pull in and out without reversing to find them clogged up by single little MHs and one Polish HGV!
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I’m glad you’ve been taking notice of my posts, David. As you’ll know there is a world of difference between kerbside parking at seafronts and the like and parking in service areas where they like you to fit in a bay.
Why would I head for the HGV area in m/way services when I’m not a HGV or a delivery van? Why the fixation with reversing as surely we’re all capable of that? I’ll always do my best not to inconvenience others wherever I park which is more than can be said for some.
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Geoff, it’s life and not worth getting worked up about. We never know what circumstances forced others to park where they did so it’s best to accept things and move on - maybe literally.
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And move on is something that we had to do twice yesterday after finding no space at the inn with service areas packed with LGVs and many caravan spaces being used by cars, trucks etc.
We found a space at the third attempt, in clearly signed caravan parking area, and on leaving saw that a truck was pulled in ahead of us.
As this was at Saint-Leger we expected it might be horses but it was pigs!
Apologies for going off thread but it seems to be a problem everywhere.
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We were on a coach tour in Germany and all the coach parking bays were filled with HGVs ,which means that even vehicle loaded with people who will actually spend in the cafes are it seems not a priority in thes "rest areas"in most countries
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The only real spaces which are protected and guarded are the coach spaces simply because a bus load of people looking to spend money is more attractive than providing for people who want somewhere to stop and make a cup of tea and eat food purchased elsewhere. It’s all down to potential profit. I have asked cars and trucks to move before and normally not an issue, obviously only an option if driver is in the vehicle.
Slightly off topic but trying to find anywhere to stop at the weekend anywhere in Europe is a complete nightmare. Every inch of the services is packed with Eastern European trucks. Why the services don’t react as even the cars can’t find somewhere to stop. Must have a huge impact on business.
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The truly clued up tourer avoids motorway services. We have our catering facility and comfort zone with us. Caravan or MH, makes no difference. We know what the services are like and avoid if possible. Did stop at Gloucester North one time, newly opened, not so busy. But it’s probably the same as everywhere else now with nicer food.
We have to cross over country if travelling to SW, but don’t use the M42, ghastly route. We use M69, A46 and stop off at Evesham Country Park. Loads of room for the biggest of outfits, nice walks to stretch legs and give dog a break, great food and other outlets. Easy pick up of M5 at Tewkesbury. It’s an enjoyable part of our journey........and no HGVs to tangle with on park up.😁
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Certainly Gloucester Services, the subject of the OP, expect them to be used by MH's as well as caravans. Below is an extract from their web site:-
Relax with 3 hours free parking in our car park.
ANPR is in operation on both our North and Southbound sites.
Please pay for stays in our car park over 3 hours at our Filling Station or at tills within the mains services building and display the ticket in your vehicle.
CAR PARKINGCar parking tickets are available for stays between 3 and 24 hours for £12.
CARAVAN / MOTORHOME PARKINGCaravan and motorhome parking tickets are available for stays between 3 and 24 hours for £23 and you receive a £5 voucher to spend on food in our Kitchen.
Facilities include free, clean showers in our main building and Filling Station. Please be aware there is no waste water or electric point provision for caravans and motorhomes.0 -
I agree, TDA. Service areas are to be avoided whenever possible. On the few occasions per year when we do use them, it’s only for the briefest of stops and we often don’t set foot outside the door.
I feel an element of sympathy for HGV drivers who are forced to take a break and don’t have the option of detouring off the m/way. It’s no wonder they end up in caravan bays at times if there’s nowhere else to go.1 -
It’s not good value Steve. £5 wont get you two coffees there, and whilst nice, the food is still very expensive. I agree GS are the best in the country, but very expensive still and sadly the people using the services are as selfish and unthinking as anywhere else. But I know some folks like to stick to motorways and are willing to put up and pay up whatever is required.
Back when we were both working, we used to stop off occasionally at Taunton Deane South. We usually just got our heads down for a few hours and hoped that the HGVs around us didn’t have refrigerator units grinding away. No charge back in those early days, M5 wasn’t that busy. But as roads have got busier, we explored alternative routes that were nicer for us and our dogs. Not least a few CLs that were happy to take arrivals past 8pm. It’s made our long journeys much pleasanter, and hassle free.
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I certainly wouldn't want to stay overnight TDA. I would imagine the high cost of parking is meant as a deterrent. Which is sensible if you want the spaces to be available for those just passing through. Wouldn't buy the coffee. The roast vegetable pasties, they sell in the farm shop, are very nice though.😋
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I appreciate what you do is very different to what we do over here AD, and the distances are much greater. If, when, our turn comes, what you do is the kind of information that would be essential for us, as we have only driven in Spain and OH says their motorways were virtually empty. The M5 used to be very quiet in the early 1980’s, it was a lovely part of the journey to Cornwall. Nowadays it’s as much of a nightmare as M1.
Hope your current trip is back on track, and the weather is being kind. Seems to be a lot of bad weather this year various parts of Europe. We watched end of Criterium cycle race yesterday in Southern France, appalling conditions.
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You ought to try our route Steve, probably a good mid way stop for you. We are around an hour further up M1 than you, but get to Evesham easily. I have a sneaky feeling that it wouldn’t be hard to overnight up at the very top of the car park, which is a lot quieter. But I think they do lock the lower gates. It’s a great little stop, and even if you don’t use the Country Park area, there is a filling station and I think a small Coop for any requirements. It’s outside the town, just off a dual carriageway. We use it when travelling in car as well. Stop off at a Travelodge on route, then 10 minutes on stop for a good decent priced breakfast, and to give dogs a decent walk.😁
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👍🏻👍🏻
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