Travel for more than two hours on the motorway and most drivers will need to stop to stretch their legs, wake themselves up with a cup of coffee, or answer nature’s call. Sadly, motorway service stations aren’t known for their beautiful surroundings or interesting attractions. In fact, it’s fair to say they’re pretty boring, uninspiring places to be — or are they?
Visit certain services across the country and you’ll be greeted with great views, sparkling toilets and some of the best roadside fare on offer anywhere in the British Isles. “Where do I find these services?” We hear you ask. Let’s find out by taking a tour of the best motorway stop offs in the UK.
1. Tebay Services, Cumbria 
Take a trip up north on the M6, and you must make a stop at the Tebay Services. Offering commanding views of the Lake District from its lakeside setting, Tebay is the last remaining family run service station in the UK, and offers weary motorists a warm, welcoming respite from the monotony of the motorway. All food served in the station’s 30 seat café is locally sourced and home cooked, including great burgers, pastries and healthier options too.
2. Gloucester Services Northbound, Gloucestershire
Shortlisted among the UK’s Best Food Retailers at the BBC’s Food and Farming Awards; Gloucester Services Northbound is the perfect stop off for those feeling peckish behind the wheel. The site features an impressive food court with no chain restaurants, where motorists can tuck into everything from hearty stews to homemade pork pies, and there’s the added bonus of a farm shop where you can stock up on top grub before hitting the open road.
3. Cobham, M25
3. Of the four service stations available on London’s queue-clogged M25, Cobham is the one we’d choose to stop at. Situated between junction 9 and 10, this eye-catching service station looks more like a modern art gallery than a lowly motorway stop off. With a wide range of dining facilities and plenty of outdoor seating, Cobham is the perfect place to stop and unwind on your way round the Capital. If you’re passing on a Sunday, be sure to stop and enjoy one of the service’s famous roast dinners.
4. Stafford Northbound, Staffordshire
It may look like your standard services — think fast food, chain coffee shops and a crummy WHSmith — but when it comes to beautiful scenery, it doesn’t get much better than Stafford Northbound. Planted slap bang in the middle of the charming Staffordshire countryside, these tranquil services provide an excellent place to stop and unwind after a morning in the fast lane. What’s more, the station boasts some of the cleanest toilets of any motorway service station according to Which? Magazine — how’s that for motoring perfection?
5. Wetherby Services, Yorkshire
5. The next time you’re driving through God’s Own County (AKA. Yorkshire), it’s worth taking the A1 just to stop at the county’s best services — Wetherby. Packed to the rafters with places to eat, drink and relax, this attractive service station has a great ambience thanks to the amount of holidaymakers and day-trippers it attracts. It’s also one of the UK’s only carbon neutral service stations, so eco-friendly folk needn’t feel guilty for stopping off there for a much-needed afternoon brew.
However attractive or welcoming a service station may be, no one likes having to stop on the motorway — especially if it’s to top up the tank. Give your car a shot of Redex fuel additive before a long journey, and you won’t have to worry about making any unnecessary fuel stops. To find out more about our range of fuel additives, visit the Redex website or call us on 0161 866 4800.
Image sourced via Flickr Creative Commons, Geograph.org.uk and Wikimedia Commons. Credit: Karen Bryan, David Medcalf [CC BY-SA 2.0], David Martin and Philip Halling.