Pampam Posted September 30, 2013 Posted September 30, 2013 Drove from Devon to Scotland and decided to stay at wetherby services as we have stayed there before , went to pay at wh smiths and was told £19.00 it was only £12.00 three months ago you could have knocked me down with a feather :!! How can they warrant that amount? god knows so we didn't stop so we never refuelled and didn't buy any magazines from wh smiths or food from m&s .mind you the look of disbelief on the better halfs face was a picture lol .pp
colin Posted September 30, 2013 Posted September 30, 2013 Could that be the price between with and without a breakfast voucher?
Pampam Posted September 30, 2013 Author Posted September 30, 2013 No breakfast voucher that was just to park.
colin Posted September 30, 2013 Posted September 30, 2013 Just checked and £12 is for a car £20.50 for a HGV, last services we stayed at was Taunton Deane and we where 'only' charged car price,but then we did say we where in a campervan and did stay in the carpark and not HGV park.
Pampam Posted September 30, 2013 Author Posted September 30, 2013 Yes last time we stayed it was £12. But this time the young man said "oh we can't charge for cars anymore so it's £19 for the motorhome " I know it's over £20 for hgv but I think they get a breakfast voucher and yes I know all businesses have to make money but I think £19 is over the top hence we didn't stop and we didn't spend: pp I hope they haven't all gone up cos they are so handy especially when am working and pull the van out of storage can park up at services and then have an early start next day :pp
colin Posted September 30, 2013 Posted September 30, 2013 Previous years the price was about that IIRC, this year was a bit cheaper, seems they may be going back up again then :-( We find them convient when going to Cornwall, can leave work, put the last few items in van have evening meal then drive down to bottom of M5, ready for early start in the morning.
Pampam Posted October 1, 2013 Author Posted October 1, 2013 Have just checked on moto website and a £19 isn't mentioned so I might give them a ring and clarify the price although young man did say it was new : we parked in caravan area .and they look on their eye in sky to see where you are when booking in which makes you feel secure when parked up . Never mind i suppose all good things must come to an end. Pp
chas Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Hell would have to freeze over for me to be ripped off with that fee. If mugs pay it they will be more than happy to have your money. Have a back up plan of a CL/CS, or a quiet lay bye off the motorway. (^)
peter lambert Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Don't try stopping at the Early Arrivals stopover near the Channel Tunnel then, it is £20 a night.
pepe63xnotuse Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 8-) ..19 quid just to pitch on a carpark?! ..Bl**dy 'ell!.. ... although I dare say, for just a tank o' diesel and a ferry ticket, you could do it for only 12-15 quid in France..! (lol)
rolandrat Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Join the Wild Camping website and download all the wild camping locations, no need to pay silly money to park up for the night.
Tracker Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 If you take into account the time and diesel needed to find a site, plus the fact that with a service area you can stop when you want to and not when the site owner says you can, plus the cost of a site, plus the time taken to get back on route the next morning, and assuming no water or emptying is needed, there is a case for paying £19.00 for an overnight halt. Not that I would be enthusiastic about it, especially as motorway service areas are not always crime free. But if it works for you why not use it? The UK is not a pick and mix society - it comes as a complete package - warts and all - and anyone who is unable to live with that is free to live in any other country in the world that they feel, on balance, offers a better overall package.
Southender Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Last time we stayed on a motorway services it was Michaelwood Services on the M5. We got charged £10 car rate however we had what was probably the worst night we have ever experienced in all the years we been motorhoming. From midnight onwards we had the overnight shunters swapping bloody trailers right next to us and leaving their damned engines running all the time they was there. At 3am i got out and asked them to show a bit of respect as it was obvious we was in the motorhome but the 2 guys just told me to f*** off. The next day i rang the company TNT to complain but just got told that their drivers would not do anything like that.
pepe63xnotuse Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Tracker - 2013-10-01 10:03 AM If you take into account the time and diesel needed to find a site, plus the fact that with a service area you can stop when you want to and not when the site owner says you can, plus the cost of a site, plus the time taken to get back on route the next morning, and assuming no water or emptying is needed, there is a case for paying £19.00 for an overnight halt. Not that I would be enthusiastic about it, especially as motorway service areas are not always crime free. But if it works for you why not use it? The UK is not a pick and mix society - it comes as a complete package - warts and all - and anyone who is unable to live with that is free to live in any other country in the world that they feel, on balance, offers a better overall package. Although staying on a service area wouldn't be our first(or second or third choice. (lol)),I am tending to agree with the bulk of that...
Tracker Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-10-01 11:42 AM Although staying on a service area wouldn't be our first(or second or third choice. (lol)),I am tending to agree with the bulk of that... You better be careful - agreeing with me can damage your reputation!!
colin Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-10-01 11:42 AM Tracker - 2013-10-01 10:03 AM If you take into account the time and diesel needed to find a site, plus the fact that with a service area you can stop when you want to and not when the site owner says you can, plus the cost of a site, plus the time taken to get back on route the next morning, and assuming no water or emptying is needed, there is a case for paying £19.00 for an overnight halt. Not that I would be enthusiastic about it, especially as motorway service areas are not always crime free. But if it works for you why not use it? The UK is not a pick and mix society - it comes as a complete package - warts and all - and anyone who is unable to live with that is free to live in any other country in the world that they feel, on balance, offers a better overall package. Although staying on a service area wouldn't be our first(or second or third choice. (lol)),I am tending to agree with the bulk of that... It`s not our first, second, or third choice for most of the while, but if wanting to go to cornwall on a satarday IMO leaving on a friday night after rush hour then parking up near bottom of m5 at around midnight to complete journey first thing is the best way to avoid the sometimes massive traffic problems, but try finding a site that is convient and is happy with a midnight arrival. We use the carpark as the truck parks can be very noisey esp with freezers, also the truck park cqn be full of caravans and motorhomes as many do as us.
pepe63xnotuse Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Tracker - 2013-10-01 12:50 PM pepe63 - 2013-10-01 11:42 AM Although staying on a service area wouldn't be our first(or second or third choice. (lol)),I am tending to agree with the bulk of that... You better be careful - agreeing with me can damage your reputation!! It's okay...*whisper* I think I've got away with it...it doesn't look as if Eddie and Crinkly' were looking..?! ;-) Besides that. I promise I won't be making a habit of it.... (lol)
yeti Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 You have to consider the cost incurred in providing the facilities at the services. for instance it is very difficult to find the skilled workers who can congeal an egg and dry the cooked bacon as well as the teas somellier who achieves the correct stewing of the tea. Additionally the art of mixing urine of just the right odour with diesel and spreading it on the tarmac,is a very specialised trade. Who would stay at a services out of choice,even a caravan club sites with their own breed of jobsworths is better. If you need to be near a port or chunnel there are many sites which will accommodate an early start.. For the Devon to Scotland run,there are sites just off the motorways,one in particular is Teebay on the M6. Teebay was the first privately run MSA and now has a hotel as well as a site and the food is superb concentrating on local produce.
Tracker Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Yeti has some true and valid points but I think he is missing the original point that no matter how close a site may be you still have to get there, check in and get back to the main road. For those of us who want to spend time at our destination and not en route and for the purpose of time saving alone, especially late at night when covering lots of miles, and regardless of any other issues the motorway has it purpose, well sometimes at least!!
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-10-01 1:56 PM Tracker - 2013-10-01 12:50 PM pepe63 - 2013-10-01 11:42 AM Although staying on a service area wouldn't be our first(or second or third choice. (lol)),I am tending to agree with the bulk of that... You better be careful - agreeing with me can damage your reputation!! It's okay...*whisper* I think I've got away with it...it doesn't look as if Eddie and Crinkly' were looking..?! ;-) Besides that. I promise I won't be making a habit of it.... (lol) U sure about dat!.......................TRAITOR! :-D
yeti Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Tracker - 2013-10-01 2:47 PM Yeti has some true and valid points but I think he is missing the original point that no matter how close a site may be you still have to get there, check in and get back to the main road. For those of us who want to spend time at our destination and not en route and for the purpose of time saving alone, especially late at night when covering lots of miles, and regardless of any other issues the motorway has it purpose, well sometimes at least!! I think that it is a question pf planning. My routine is leave early stop between 8-30 and 10,leave any rush our to the rats,while a leisurely breakfast is taken and move off to arrive at stopover by 2pm giving time to explore the area.
pepe63xnotuse Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-10-01 2:48 PM pepe63 - 2013-10-01 1:56 PM Tracker - 2013-10-01 12:50 PM pepe63 - 2013-10-01 11:42 AM Although staying on a service area wouldn't be our first(or second or third choice. (lol)),I am tending to agree with the bulk of that... You better be careful - agreeing with me can damage your reputation!! It's okay...*whisper* I think I've got away with it...it doesn't look as if Eddie and Crinkly' were looking..?! ;-) Besides that. I promise I won't be making a habit of it.... (lol) U sure about dat!.......................TRAITOR! :-D ...but someone hacked me 'puter..!?... 'onest guv! (lol)
Bulletguy Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 I'm amazed that anyone pays to sit on a Service area carpark or for that matter use any of the facilities.........at least in the UK. I for one flatly refuse to give any of the business there my money including the fuel stations and Restaurants, both of which are trading as extortionists. Drive off at a convenient exit, find a nice little village or small town for meals/drinks etc, tank up at a Supermarket, then look around for a quiet lay-by to overnight. The more people that do this will force the Motorway businesses to either wake up, or go into decline and shut down.
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