Parking in Motorway Services

[KentMike]

Like most of us - i'm sure we all find the parking situation at motorway services pretty imposible.

And to be honest i've pretty much given up on parking in the caravan areas - which makes me wonder - I've read suggestions that people parking in the lorry areas have been fined.

Has anyone on here ever been fined or is it just a myth ? and if so how much, what happened and how long had you left the van for ?

Kinda makes me feel a bit put upon - you go to the caravan parking and sometimes it's so bad I can see vanners getting stuck !

 

[Moonchester]

We stopped at Bridgewater North on the M5 yesterday on the way back from Cornwall. Baby on board we needed to stop for nappy change and feed. These services have to be avoided if you have a caravan, they were an absolute disgrace, no spaces , easy to get in a log jam, any type of vehicle was parked in the caravan spaces.

It would have been easy to get a few dings in the van due to no room whatsoever.

I wont be stopping there again

 

[mike_374361599]

to ancwer you question on fines,

it is true not all bother though, it just seems to be the staff at the time, some are just jobs worths.

ive seen all different types with fines, being a lorry driver i see alot of services and i must admit there are some with poor parking for anything that isnt a car.

bridgwater services is a bad set of services full stop.

reguards mike

 

[Terry_5112949]

We stopped at Strensham Services on the M5 North, good caravan pull ins, nice services seperate from cars and commercial`s, will deffo use it again when on that motorway

 

[RogerL]

Most motorway junctions have lay-bys on their joining roads - a surprising number of junctions have big four supermarkets nearby, with free parking, toilets, cafe and cheap petrol.

 

[SimonB]

Last year at fleet services on the M3 there was a lorry and a police car parked in the caravan parking, this left no space for me with the caravan. I noticed that the policeman was in the lorry cab, I assume giving him a ticket for something or doing checks. I told my wife that I would teach him for parking in the caravan spaces so I parked along side him and blocked him in. Within seconds he had seen me and jumped out of the lorry so fast, came over and said sorry and asked if I would move and let him out, of course I did this and got the parking space that I neeeded!! If I was to park in the police only spaces they would soon give me a ticket.

 

[joeby]

Last year at fleet services on the M3 there was a lorry and a police car parked in the caravan parking, this left no space for me with the caravan. I noticed that the policeman was in the lorry cab, I assume giving him a ticket for something or doing checks. I told my wife that I would teach him for parking in the caravan spaces so I parked along side him and blocked him in. Within seconds he had seen me and jumped out of the lorry so fast, came over and said sorry and asked if I would move and let him out, of course I did this and got the parking space that I neeeded!! If I was to park in the police only spaces they would soon give me a ticket.

good on ya Simon

 

[KnL]

KM,

Motorway Service areas are private land and the parking bays are not enforceable by the Police.

Some Services may employ private enforcement but I've not seen those first hand and even though parking seems a regular complaint by caravanners, one respondent decribes those people as "jobsworths", but it's not clear if he meant the ones that enforce or the ones that don't.

Service areas are expensive enough as it is, but for them all to employ 24/7 enforcement teams would probably price them out of the market altogether, so I don't know what the answer is.

SB,

Although the parking restrictions are not enforceable by the Police, they will still pass through on routine or crime patrols, yet it seems very irresponsible that you would willingly block any 'emergency vehicle' in, risking a delay, if that vehicle was suddenly called up in an emergency.

You did not know the reason that the cop was there and it sounds as if he was doing what we all want them to do, Policing the service area.

If it had been a Paramedic that had just finished treating the HGV driver, or a Fire Officer that had just put out his engine fire, would you block their vehicles in ?

I find it hard to believe that he apologised to you, I think you were lucky to escape without a 'minimum' of a ticking off.

 

[GeorgeB]

Me,if all the caravan parking spaces are occupied by cars, lorries & coaches, I just take photos of them on my digital camera, then park wherever I can & go into the service area & ask for the duty manager, tell him where I've parked & why I was forced to do it, reinforcing my reasons with the photos & tell him I do not expect to be penalised because of all the inconsiderate twerps who have parked in the designated caravan parking area.

It usually brings about a flurry of activity getting the inconsiderate parkers a ticket of being asked to move!

If thy ever tried to fine me I'd refuse to pay & counter it with the photographic evidence & state that when, & only when, they can be bothered to enforce their parking policy properly, then & only then I'd consider paying the fine!

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi all.

I am sorry that some seem to have problems in service areas personally I have no bother, just pull in and park where ever in the lorry park, or in 2 car bays,or on one of the side roads,

never had a problem. of course I will use the van bays if vacant but these are usually full of anything but caravans, typically white vans, small hgv's,and cars ect. most of the services we use don't have caravan bays anyway and never stay in them overnight.

colin

 

[RogerP]

Hi Christopher

you should try Exeter Services , its pretty good , we tend to stop there on our way back from Cornwall.

Both HGVs and Caravans are directed to the same parking area but its huge and so far we've never had problems finding a space. Got there about 1 oclock on Saturday when it seemed like the whole world had decended on it.

 

[Moonchester]

Hi Roger.

I will try Exeter next time, we drove by Exeter and decided to get as far North as possible whilst the Baby was asleep.

Pure bad luck we choose Bridgewater, caravans were sent to what seemed a very small car park at the far end that was littered why every other vehicle you could think of, it seems as if there is a total disregard for caravans at some service stations, we eventually stopped again at Michael Wood, which had loads of room for Caravans, but we had to contend with the smell of urine in the parking bays, goodness knows where that came from, but at least it was easy to park. Personally I would even pay a couple of

 

[Moonchester]

hi all.

I am sorry that some seem to have problems in service areas personally I have no bother, just pull in and park where ever in the lorry park, or in 2 car bays,or on one of the side roads,

never had a problem. of course I will use the van bays if vacant but these are usually full of anything but caravans, typically white vans, small hgv's,and cars ect. most of the services we use don't have caravan bays anyway and never stay in them overnight.

colin

You would have in Bridgwater on Saturday lunchtime

 

[RogerP]

I know what you mean about the smell of urine , we actually witnessed a HGV driver at Gordano using his wheel as a make shift urinal.

Cant believe that they're so lazy they cant walk the 200 yards to the main building.

Makes me sick.

 

[Moonchester]

Hi for info I think it was Sedgemoor North not Bridgwater that we stopped at .....apologies for the confusion

 

[CousinJack]

I had a search on Google Maps for caravan friendly motorways services and didn't find anything, so I've knocked up http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=113347768613989968458.00045289fac60ff672c89&ll=51.381204,-2.80451&spn=2.492477,4.812012&z=8 and added the 2 sugggestions in this discussion. Anyone can edit it (if I've set it up right) so feel free to add more including suoermarkets etc close to Mways.

 

[RogerP]

Thats interesting because the Sedgemoor south bound does have a dedicated caravan parking area.

Its only a gravelled area and full of pot holes but none the less its specifically for caravans and motorhomes and at times has a height barrier to prevent lorries parking there.

 

[Paul_5064559]

I agree with most of what has been said, any sort of services on a road which you are not familiar with can be a nightmare particularly if it is none motorway. You do not know before you go in whether it will be full and if you will be able to easily get out again....

I think however that one thing that ought to be recognised in respect of caravanners is that we must be considered as pretty frugal customers since we usually stop to use the facilities and then move on. We often observe vans parked with steadies down and brewing up sometimes with chairs and table deployed. The Service station operators therefore are not inclined to give too much consideration to us vanners as they would to many others who may be more likely to have a meal in their resturants etc and actually SPEND MONEY!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

For those who don't know about this site they might find it interesting ....

http://www.motorwayparkingforcaravans.co.uk/

 

[Chaps]

Really useful info Lord B. Printed up the ones we might use on our trip to Brighton at the weekend. Only 3 more sleeps!

 

[Roy_374355334]

When parking on the services can i recommend that you never leave the unit unoccupied,we get more calls about thefts from and of caravans than anywhere else.

Regards

Roy

 

[joeby]

I know what you mean about the smell of urine , we actually witnessed a HGV driver at Gordano using his wheel as a make shift urinal.

Cant believe that they're so lazy they cant walk the 200 yards to the main building.

Makes me sick.

if your busting 20 feet is far enough

 

[ValA.]

if your busting 20 feet is far enough

And don't forget that we caravanners sometimes won't leave our outfit unattended, in case it's stolen - and neither will the HGV driver. *(Although I've never seen a lorry driver doing a No 2 at the side of his lorry, thank goodness).

I know it's not really an excuse - surely if they can't leave the vehicle unattended they should have cabs fitted with some sort of 'facility' - although again, the multiple 'bottles of tango' lying at the sides of the motorways suggests they use a makeshift 'facility' anyway, and then just chuck it out the window!

 

[ValA.]

When parking on the services can i recommend that you never leave the unit unoccupied,we get more calls about thefts from and of caravans than anywhere else.

Regards

Roy

But see my comment further up - perhaps explains the behaviour of some lorry drivers!