Motorway services discussion

[Russel]

You need to be hardy to walk 100 yards in the open air these days? Heaven help us! I have walked over that bridge several times in recent years late at night when food was available only on the other side. The entire motorway experience is bleak IMHO anyway, but I've got used to it.

Two of the next nearest services (Exeter and Bridgwater) are nightmares to reach (via massive busy multi-lane roundabouts with traffic lights) and the other, Cullumpton, is cramped and westbound usage is discouraged with no signs for it.

Only used Bridgewater a couple of times, but it's always been chaos.

On the M5 heading south, we normally pull off at Welcome Break Gordano, then keep going at the island and use the McDonalds in Portishead 5 minutes down the road!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

You need to be hardy to walk 100 yards in the open air these days? Heaven help us! I have walked over that bridge several times in recent years late at night when food was available only on the other side. The entire motorway experience is bleak IMHO anyway, but I've got used to it.

Two of the next nearest services (Exeter and Bridgwater) are nightmares to reach (via massive busy multi-lane roundabouts with traffic lights) and the other, Cullumpton, is cramped and westbound usage is discouraged with no signs for it.

You do need to bear in mind the conditions on that particular night. It was cold and wet with visibility of barely 10 metres- something which undoubtedly contributed to the severity of the pile-up which happened a few miles north, and which was why the services were so overwhelmed.

I agree on the awkwardness of the other nearby services, I generally prefer to stop at ones which are between junctions rather than at them, not least because you can stay in the "motorway" mindset rather than having to interact with local traffic. Though there's one on the M1 (I forget which) which has rather short sliproads in and out that are a bit nerve-wracking to use in an underpowered car!