I spent a lot of time driving through Europe in 2025. For example, for a family holiday down through France, a work trip out into the depths of Germany, and on top of that countless new car launches. Most of the time, it’s far nicer to drive in Europe than it is in the UK: the roads are smoother, the traffic and roadworks less frequent, and it’s all very enjoyable.
But not the services. This may be an unpopular opinion, but why are the majority of motorway services on the continent so… disappointing? Why can’t you get a decent coffee? Why are food choices so limited? I’m not talking about the small garages and independent services away from the main artery roads: I’m talking about the services on major motorways.
There are exceptions. I once stopped at a services somewhere in Tuscany, and it was like a cave of wonders, with produce ranging from whole hams to freshly squeezed orange juice, salads, pasta and sandwiches, a lovely picnic area… The fuel pumps were just an added bonus. Similarly, a services I once stopped at in Switzerland had a salad bar and hot food restaurant that deserved at least one Michelin star, if not two. Mind you, I stopped there eight years ago and I’m still paying off the bill.
But, with the occasional exception, most services I visit on the continent are a beige, wipe-clean wilderness of long-life carbs, bitter and tiny hot drinks dispensed by a machine into flimsy paper cups, and toilets that you must pay to visit. And, of course, you then forget to use your toilet-trip refund voucher.
It’s a mystery why they are so often like this, because Europe is – as we all know –renowned for its excellent food and hospitality. Just not on the motorways, it seems.
In an unexpected and entirely surprising twist, the last 10 years in the UK has shown how you can transform services into much more pleasant places. The competition between Marks and Spencer and Waitrose to offer healthy lunch items has been transformative for those of us who travel a lot and don’t want to exist solely on baguettes, pasties and burgers. Not only that, but you can reliably get a decent tea or coffee from at least one ‘proper’ coffee outlet. Increasingly, there are hot food options that don’t come from a fast food outlet, too, with noodle bars, pizza restaurants, and more varied offerings from chains like Leon and Pret now beginning to make most UK services a fairly welcoming place with at least some variety of fresh and non-stodgy refreshments on offer.
And then there are the more boutique, independent services. Obviously, Tebay services is the most famous, complete with views, homemade farm shop food that’s worth making the trip for, outdoor space, and loads of fantastic local farm shop goods. It’s a striking example of what motorway services can be like when the effort is put in to make them a pleasant place that you might even enjoy spending time in.
The same company that runs Tebay now has other services popping up around the country, championing the same practices of local produce, proper food and a welcoming and pleasant environment.
Also, a shout out to the Chippenham Pit Stop, just off the M4. More of a truck stop than a traditional motorway services, but anyone can get proper home-cooked food in the café, and there’s also ultra-rapid EV charging on hand, so I’m a big fan.
Most importantly, even the really big motorway services in the UK tend to be clean, welcoming and with something more tempting to offer than a vacuum-packed quiche, some overpriced Pringles and a thimble of machine-vended espresso. My only complaint with UK services is that they tend to close hot food establishments at around 8pm: which is, to my mind, dinner time. Call me crazy, but isn’t that when you want hot food? Weird. Cold pasty from WH Smiths for me, then…
Now, look: I clearly haven’t been to every motorway services on the Continent. I sincerely hope that there are lots out there that do a brilliant job. But I have been to quite a few of the obvious ones across the northern stretches of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany where folk will probably pop in on the way through these awesome countries. And they’re almost all rubbish.
Sorry, guys, but you can do a lot better. Come over to us in the UK, and we’ll show you how motorway services – big and small – can be done well. Just make sure that you arrive well before 8pm, otherwise the restaurants might be closed. And quite possibly the motorway, too.
