M6 Toll Norton Canes Overnight

Trailmate
Trailmate Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited February 2020 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Just last weekend 25th Jan'20 we set off late on a 300 mile journey with car and caravan and planned to stay a few hours overnight at Norton Canes Serevice Station on the M6 Toll road thus cutting our mileage for the following day. I'd checked first on https://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Norton_Canes and found "First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £12 and HGVs, caravans and coaches £28, or £30 to include a £10 food voucher and free toll travel". We thought this a fair compromise but when we went to buy our ticket we were told the Free Toll is for HGV only and the £10 food voucher was only exchangeable in McDonalds and could not be used anywhere else thus we could not simply buy sandwiches for the onward journey. We thought sandwiches were food? Be warned, after paying the Toll it cost us £38.90 just to do the 27 miles of M6 Toll Road. It would have been cheaper had we been in an HGV. I've written to Roadchef the Operator as the published information is obviously very contradictory but yet to receive a reply.

Comments

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2020 #2

    Why not just stop at a site or CL rather than a noisy service area?

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810 ✭
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2020 #3

    Cut a little slack eh? It’s just a cautionary tale.

  • Trailmate
    Trailmate Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited January 2020 #4

    Not sure any CL would appreciate an arrival in the middle of the night. Have to say it certainly wasn't noisy as the caravan park was well away from the HGV's and it was the early hours of Sunday morning in the middle of winter so much less busy than a holiday period thus it suited our needs for a late arrival and early start in this particular case.

  • rayjsj
    rayjsj Forum Participant Posts: 930
    500 Comments
    edited February 2020 #5

    I avoid the M6 Toll like the Plague, i pay enough taxes already the normal M6 is fine away from peak travel times.

  • Trailmate
    Trailmate Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited February 2020 #6

    Yes, me too but the info implied a free toll with the parking. We actually returned via the M6 Thursday afternoon and it probably took much the same time as if we'd used the toll. We chose to use Norton Canes on the basis that it would be quieter, which it was and we knew we would need an overnight rest, and there was to be a free toll.

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited February 2020 #7

    Having read the relevant page I agree it is very misleading.  It clearly says: ".....cars must pay £12 and HGVs, caravans and coaches £28, or £30 to include a £10 food voucher and free toll travel".

    Surely that can't be interpreted in any other way than that the payment including free toll and food voucher applies to caravans as well as HGVs.  I'd also argue that it doesn't stipulate the food voucher is only to be used at McDonalds.

    We wouldn't use that service area anyway, but it's a good warning for those who may think of doing so.  

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