This study was conducted by webuyanycar, the UK’s go-to online car-buying service and car valuation experts. If you’d like to use the graphics or data from the study, please credit webuyanycar.
Service stations are a quintessential part of British road trips and many people will have memories associated with these stops, whether good or bad. With almost 100 service stations across the UK's motorway network, quality varies dramatically depending on the roads you're travelling on. Sometimes you have to choose a service station in a pinch, but knowing which ones are worth the stop can make your long journey that bit more bearable.
On average, people spend just 16.5 minutes at a service station, with the majority (59%) stopping for less than 15 minutes. So how do you make these brief, unavoidable experiences as positive and memorable as possible?
At webuyanycar, we wanted to discover exactly what makes a good service station and which stop takes the top position. To find out, we surveyed 1,600 people about their road trip habits and analysed 95 UK service stations to determine which ones come out on top in the eyes of drivers and passengers.
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Key findings
- People spend an average of 16.5 minutes in a service station
- 13% of people spend more than 30 minutes per service station stop
- The UK’s top service station is Strensham
- The UK’s worst service station is Bothwell
- M&S is the nation’s preferred service station chain, followed by Greggs
The UK’s best service station
We looked at almost 100 service stations across England, Scotland and Wales, to find out which ones tick all the boxes for road users in the UK. We ranked each station based on the following criteria, and assigned them a score out of 100:
- Number of catering options
- Number of shops
- Number of amenities
- Number of charging point options
- Google review rating
The data on facilities was sourced from Motorway Services Online.
Based on our analysis, Strensham Services came out as the UK’s number one service station, with a score of 80.6 out of 100. This was closely followed by Leigh Delamere (79.4) and Reading (74.5).
Worcestershire’s Strensham Roadchef offers popular options like McDonald’s, LEON and Costa, all contributing to the experience of passersby.
Whilst Moto Rugby has the highest Google review score, the location has limited options available, which impacted its performance in the rankings. That said, they offer some of the popular chains, including Burger King and KFC. If it’s variety you’re after, then Beaconsfield Services, located in Buckinghamshire was the top performer in this area, with 16 different food, drink & retail venues.
The UK’s worst service station
On the other end of the spectrum, Bothwell Motorway Services, outside Glasgow, was found to be the worst service station in the UK. The location only scored 4.8 out of 100, the lowest of all 95 of those included in the analysis.
The Glaswegian Roadchef has an average Google review score of just 3.6 stars out of five, struggling with customer satisfaction. Disappointed visitors mentioned overpriced options and lukewarm tea in their reviews. The service station also only had five different amenities, food and retail choices.
Leeming Bar (5.5) narrowly avoided the bottom spot and placed second, with Swansea West (8.2) in third. Leeming Bar has an average Google review rating of only 3.1 stars, with customers calling it “not well laid out” and “stupidly expensive.” Swansea West’s Moto, on the other hand, had a higher rating of 3.7 stars, even though it only has a Costa, Greggs, Burger King and WHSmith.
What makes a good service station?
There are several key reasons why people stop at service stations, so making sure the location caters to these is essential.
The number one reason for road trip breaks is to use the bathroom, followed by fuelling. Beyond these essentials, stopping for a drink was found to be the third most common reason, with more drivers stopping for a drink than to fuel up on food. Road users also highlight their desire for fast food options over sit-down restaurants.
Since so many people are stopping not just for fuel, but to fuel themselves, having the right options can make all the difference on a long journey. Our survey asked people which typical chains they prefer to see in a service station.
Top of the shops
When it comes to shops and convenience stores, one brand stood out as the most popular: M&S. The high street staple was ranked the most desirable service station option overall, with over half (52%) of respondents agreeing that M&S is one of the chains they would prefer to see in a service stop. Waitrose is the second most popular shop, but with only 26% of respondents preferring this station, half as many as M&S.
Greggs reigns supreme
Of the most popular fast food and restaurant chains in UK service stations, Greggs is the favourite, beating other common chains like McDonalds and KFC. This was largely driven by its popularity among older travellers. 44% of those over 45 say they look for a Greggs in a good service station, however, for people aged 44 and under, McDonald's was the top contender.
Caffeine fix
Among the typical coffee shop options available at service stations, Costa emerged as the preferred choice. 34% of people would like to see a Costa in a service station, compared to only 21% choosing Starbucks and 15% opting for Caffè Nero.
Methodology
We surveyed 1,600 people on their preferences and habits when it comes to using service stations on long journeys. The survey was conducted in December 2024.
To find the UK’s best and worst service stations, we created an index using a combination of data from motorwayservices.uk and from Google reviews. The index included the number of catering options, amenities and charging points, according to motorwayservices.uk, and the Google review score for each service station. We ranked each location based on the prevalence of each metric and gave each a score out of 100. The higher the score, the “better” the service station for visitors on road trips.
In total, 95 service stations were analysed.
The data on facilities was sourced from Motorway Services Online. Their disclaimer can be found here: motorwayservices.uk/MSO:About.