The best motorway service stations in the UK

The best motorway service stations provide everything a weary traveller could possibly want when navigating a long journey, including a good choice of food outlets with ample seating; a range of shops stocked with essentials for the onward journey; and, of course, clean toilets.

Happily, there are an abundance of good-quality service stations in the UK. As part of an October 2023 survey, Transport Focus spoke to more than 30,000 visitors at 120 motorway service areas (MSAs) across England, Scotland and Wales. Of the people questioned, 94% said they were very or fairly satisfied with the experience they’d had.    But what are the best motorway services in the UK? We’ve rounded up the most highly rated MSAs on the nation’s busiest routes, providing a map link and postcode for each one, along with details of the facilities (food outlets, shops, accessible toilets, filling station, and so on you’ll find there.  

The best motorway service station on the M1 

Extra Leeds Skelton Lake, M1 J45, LS9 0AS (see it on Google Maps)

Located just two miles east of Leeds city centre, this Extra service station received an overall satisfaction score of 98% in the Transport Focus survey, and it’s not hard to see why. Boasting a modern design, its refreshment options include Pizza Express, KFC, Nando’s, Tortilla and a new 24-hour McDonald’s, which opened in November 2023. There’s a choice of shops, while kids can let off steam in the outdoor play area. 

Extra has taken care to provide for those with special needs: the car park includes 20 accessible spaces, and the disabled toilets are clean and spacious. The Shell filling station is open 24/7, and the EV charging point is part of the Ionity network, with six devices and six connectors located here. 

Facilities at a glance:

• 10 food and drink outlets – McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Express, Chopstix, Nando’s, The Good Breakfast, The Pasty Shop, Tortilla and Starbucks
• Three shops – Quicksilver, Top Gift and Spar
• EV charging
• 24hr Texaco filling station
• Accessible, motorhome and motorcycle parking
• Disabled toilets

Other highly rated motorway services on the M1 include: Moto Donington Park (98%), Roadchef Northampton Northbound (98%), Moto Trowell Northbound (97%), Roadchef Tibshelf Southbound (96%)

The best motorway service station on the M4

Moto Reading Eastbound, M4 between J11 and J12, RG30 3UQ (see it on Google Maps)

If you’re driving from the South West to London, then this Moto service station (overall satisfaction score: 99%) is perfect for a pitstop. Food outlets include Burger King, KFC, Greggs, West Cornwall Pasty Co, Chow Asian Kitchen and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts – or, if you’re in a hurry, you could grab a few bits and bobs from M&S Food to take with you on your journey. Elsewhere, there’s a WH Smith for picking up magazines, books, sweets, etc; and even a dog-walking area for stretching your pooch’s legs. 

With spacious accessible toilets, disabled parking and electric vehicle (EV) charging, Moto’s MSA caters for a wide range of needs. The BP filling station is open 24/7 and for EV drivers, there are 16 devices and 24 connectors here – it’s part of the Gridserve Electric Highway network.

Facilities at a glance:

• Seven food and drink outlets – Costa, Burger King, Greggs, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, The Cornish Pasty Co, Chow Asian Kitchen and KFC
• Two shops – WHSmith and M&S Food
• EV charging
• 24hr BP filling station
• Accessible, motorhome and motorcycle parking
• Disabled toilets

Other highly rated motorway services on the M4 include: Moto Reading Westbound (97%), Moto Heston Westbound (96%), Moto Heston Eastbound (96%)

The best motorway service station on the M5

Moto Frankley Northbound, M5 between J3 and J4, B32 4AR (see it on Google Maps)

Situated on Birmingham’s south-west periphery, this Moto service station (97%) has always been popular with people travelling by road to the UK’s second city. Dining options are plentiful, with Burger King, Greggs, M&S Food and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts all having outlets here. And a WHSmith store supplies a wealth of reading matter and confectionery to take with you on your way. 

There are spacious accessible toilets, disabled parking spaces and EV charging ports for those who need them. The BP filling station is open 24/7, but there are only two EV charging devices here, with three connectors – part of the Gridserve Electric Highway network.

Facilities at a glance:

• Four food and drink outlets – Costa, Burger King, Greggs and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
• Two shops – WHSmith and M&S Food
• EV charging
• 24hr BP filling station
• Accessible, motorhome and motorcycle parking
• Disabled toilets

Other highly rated motorway services on the M5 include: Welcome Break Michaelwood Northbound (95%), Extra Cullompton (94%), Moto Exeter (93%), Gloucester Services (pictured above – it wasn’t featured in this survey but from personal experience, it’s a winner).

The best motorway service station on the M6

Moto Rugby, M6 J1, CV23 0EZ (see it on Google Maps)  

As the only MSA in Transport Focus’s survey to score a maximum 100% satisfaction rating, Moto Rugby is the best-rated motorway services in the UK. There’s certainly a lot to like here, including a plethora of food and drink options (Burger King, KFC, Greggs, M&S Food, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Pret, Costa and a Costa drive-through), plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor play areas, and space to walk your dog. 

As with all the other service stations on this list, care has been taken to ensure that people with accessibility needs are catered for – disabled parking and toilets are both available. The BP filling station is open 24/7 and the EV charging point, which is part of the Gridserve Electric Highway network, offers 12 EV devices, with 18 connectors available. 

Facilities at a glance:

• Six food and drink outlets – Costa, Burger King, Greggs, KFC, Pret and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
• Two shops – WHSmith and M&S Food
• EV charging
• 24hr BP filling station
• Accessible, motorhome and motorcycle parking
• Disabled toilets

Other highly rated motorway services on the M6 include: Roadchef Killington Lake (99%), Roadchef Stafford Southbound (99%), Welcome Break Corley Southbound (99%)

The best motorway service station on the M25

Welcome Break South Mimms, M25 J23, EN6 3QQ (see it on Google Maps)

When Chris Rea wrote The Road to Hell, it was partly inspired by the M25. If you happen to be driving along its northern stretch, you can seek respite in the Welcome Break South Mimms, a service station that offers plenty for the flagging motorist. There’s a huge range of food outlets to tempt those taste buds, including Pizza Express, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Pret, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Starbucks and The Good Breakfast. Afterwards, head for WHSmith or Waitrose to stock up on goodies for your trip. Oh, and if you need the loo, you’re in luck – in the Transport Focus survey, this MSA was rated as having the best toilets on the M25. 

This Welcome Break has excellent accessible facilities (read more about them here). The BP filling station is open 24/7, and there are 19 EV charging points, including six ultra-rapid units and 12 Tesla superchargers.

Facilities at a glance:

• Eight food and drink outlets – Pizza Express, Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, Subway, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Pret and The Good Breakfast
• Two shops – Waitrose and WHSmith
• EV charging
• 24hr BP filling station
• Accessible, motorhome and motorcycle parking
• Disabled toilets

Other highly rated motorway services on the M25 include: Extra Cobham (94%), Moto Thurrock (93%)

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