Staying overnight at the UK’s Best Service Station - Gloucester Services in a campervan!

[@Julieandysaceventures]

We stayed there in June first time but would use again. I would sooner pay to stay there than sleep in a layby where I don't feel safe. We found it a nice place for a quick stopover on our way to Cornwall from Yorkshire (a mega long trip on an evening) great area for the dog too to stretch her legs etc.

[@mikeembe1261]

I live on the doorstep and droped in twice just to see. Lovely looking place. A lot of lovely local produce ( at above local prices ). It's on a Motorway so expect Motorway prices. Loads of local shops etc a stones throw away with very easy access. Would I visit again, only if I really needed to.

[@richardpeacock7195]

Welcome to the world of lorry drivers. We can pay anything from £30-£45 per night for a strip of tarmac. No security, so you stand a good chance of losing your fuel or having your trailer or load broken into.

[@sadieround2766]

I live in Gloucester I have only been there once. Great vlog….🫷

[@stevenqneuk8]

I have just stayed at Briarfields up the road from there. £32 per night with electric and an Asda around the corner, it's cracking.

[@LorettaThacker]

Exeter is £23.00 and you can use all the facilities. I have been to gloucester as l live hear by but would not go back as its expensive.

[@andytipping70]

there is no way i'd pay 23 quid to park in a carpark - what? not even toilet facilities? - and even for a toilet stop off overnight travelling? no facilities - I agree with the Lucozade guys!

[@Fina-x5n]

£23 a night for a carpark space with no nighttime toilet access?! That's more expensive than rent!! That's over £600 a month !!!!! I wonder what the owner was thinking. "Let's make them pay for the privilege of being able to access the shops and pay more in the day". That man who refused to let you use the loo needs to be put in prison for crimes against humanity. We need to prevent these people from bullying members of the public. If I worked as a security guard I'd never prevent people going to the loo especially close to closing

[@craighurcombe]

There’s 24 hour access in the petrol station

[@Fina-x5n]

@@craighurcombe are you joking? Many petrol stations are 24 hours! Why are we paying £23 a night to access a petrol station :/

[@philipellis7039]

They are legally required to provide toilets 24/7 although maybe the ones at the garage count for that. There is an okay dog walk and, as others have pointed out, there is a specific caravan area (although tends to get full up with white work vans during the day). Tebay has a separate caravan park which is great, similar price from what I recall. Apart from Tebay the only services I’ve used overnight were Clacket Lane which was £25 several years ago just to be disturbed by boy racers all night.

[@Brian-om2hh]

If I was near Tebay services, I wouldn't pay £23 to park overnight. I'd come off the services using the access road the services staff use, and I'd park on the free car park in Orton village, just a couple of miles from Tebay services. Orton has a pub, public toilets, a village shop, an award winning cafe that does a decent breakfast, and a chocolate factory. Orton also has a rather magnificent church, which is way larger than you'd expect. Both North and Southbound Tebay services have access roads for the staff, and Orton can be accessed from either side of the M6.... Alternatively, just use Junction 38 on the M6, and drive the 2 miles or so to Orton village. The car park is slap bang in the centre of the village, with the village hall and public toilets right next to it.....

[@mikehardcastle8618]

The Overton window shifted many years ago, but paying for parking in a place that wants to attract you to spend money 🤣

[@rogerlathbury9860]

Just a quick couple of comments, you mention no separate park up area, but there is one. Also you can walk dogs around the pond, and you can sit to eat with your dogs outside by the pond as well as out The front. The bacon and sausage cobs are fantastic. Lastly, many other motorway services charge upward of thirty quid a night.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@rogerlathbury9860 the breakfast cobs are fantastic! We sat out front with the dogs and enjoyed a couple 😊

[@bobdufeu]

When we were there most of the tables in the restaurant were full of dirty dishes very poor. The one on m6 north bound not far from Carlisle is much better.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@bobdufeu the original one isn’t it. We’ve been before yes it’s great. Maybe we need to compare and do a video soon 😉

[@bobdufeu]

@@FrankieFindsFreedom Thanks for the reply is the one on the northern m6 a different company I always used to call their in the middle of the night when I was on my way to work in Scotland toilets were always open.

[@on_our_own_terms]

​@@bobdufeuIt's the same company apparently, I think they have a few.

[@saunteringsapsfords]

I think they would be better off charging £30 ,but in vouchers to make you spend that in the shop...

[@neilbedford5082]

I know this service station well as we live quite nearby - and we think it's pretty awful. Clearly many would disagree but it's interesting to hear what different folk are looking for.

[@tanfastictrancer-bowserapp8350]

I live just down the road to there and I’ve never been in that services 😮 I’ll have to give it a go one day. You could have parked on my drive for nowt hun and I’d have given you a fried Breakfast 😊

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@tanfastictrancer-bowserapp8350 now you tell me 😂

[@timJones-u8z]

Great video, Been Gloucester Services a few times I used coffee machine once and I never got coffee and as I paid on card I was worried id be charged. My biggest fear is over staying the two hours especially if the car park is owned by these camera ticket guys.. Prices are high but you pay far more.. Personally I love reduced food prices.Sainsbury in Barewood ..

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@timJones-u8z I think the food we had was worth the money as it’s great quality and was good. 😊

[@Paul-oj5il]

Lovely setting & a lovely service station but so overpriced

[@allanlockerbie4142]

Yes good service there darling

[@cinny2222]

Did you have to Show ID getting the Beers? You dont look 18😍

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@cinny2222 😂

[@nigeldavey1043]

To be frank, as motorway services go it's fairly new and like it's original elder sibling although the quality of the products available there is very good and sourced locally, it's far from cheap. It's actually on my doorstep (more or less) as it's between the M5 junction for Stroud/Stonehouse where I live and Gloucester where I shop but I've not been in since before the pandemic. It's bound to be expensive as it was built as a tourist trap in the first place. Having said that, it doesn't seem to be as expensive now as it was maybe because inflation has doubled supermarket prices in this neck of the woods. But £23 for no real facilities is steep to say the least. I don't use motorway services if I can help it as you even pay over the oddfor fuel but the last time I payed for overnight was at Charnock Richard and my wife couldn't sleep for all the coming and goings but it was about £10 I think and you got a £5 voucher for the cafe. Now it's only me (74, widower) I prefer to wildcamp. Anyway, the Butchery is good there and you can get prezzies to take back home and it's eco friendly, you just need deep pockets. 🤣 Us Bears prefer the woods though. 🐻

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@nigeldavey1043 I do really love what they’re doing with the whole ethos of the shop and the selection of products is excellent. 👌 thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 😊 I definitely agree with you on the wild camp option if possible 👍🏼

[@MikeGibson-Sharpe]

Hi. We love this service station. One of the best, but very expensive. You parked in the car park not in the main Motorhome/caravan park? if you look on google maps you can see the specific parking at the entrance to the service station.. When it was full I’ve used the coach/HGV parking area as well. Not sure why you could not use the toilets as I thought the services were 24hr. Was it because they were being cleaned? Also, I thought you could use the £5 anywhere on site including shop and petrol station? I could be wrong and will check on our next visit.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@MikeGibson-Sharpe hiya thanks for your comment. Yes we saw the caravan parking section but as we are a small van we decided to tuck in a corner that felt more private and slept very well I have to say. Nice and quiet. It’s 6am-10pm at the main services and the garage is 24 hrs. I asked about the £5 and was told it could be used in the cafe and takeaway kitchen only. Worth a check though next time Just in case 👍🏼

[@iancox6341]

Good informative video Well done!

[@HeatherRead-k7p]

To be fair it does look like a nice service station but 23 to park overnight with no facilities is very steep.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@HeatherRead-k7p yes definitely. Still worth a visit though.

[@dansmithwave]

Literally everything there is steep. When they said, "£5 voucher - we'll get a couple of coffees in the morning," I was thinking, you'll get half of one coffee in the morning, you mean. My general rule of thumb when trying to estimate how much something will cost at Gloucester services is to think of an absolutely outrageous price, and then triple it. That said, I still always stop there if I'm passing. 😅

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@dansmithwave 😂 a couple of coffees for a fiver is very wishful thinking isn’t it nowadays 😂

[@northwalesmod]

How much is it to park up overnight at a camp site ???

[@griswald7156]

There is a dedicated caravan park…..i dont think you were on it…where you roll in eat roll and roll out…no reversing..

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@griswald7156 there is you’re right. Although we chose not to park in it as we are a smallish campervan we can easily fit in the car park in a corner somewhere tucked away next to trees and grass. 😊

[@griswald7156]

What do you do if it’s full up ? I couldnt rely on stopping there especially in peak season…

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@griswald7156 I hadn’t thought of that

[@griswald7156]

@@FrankieFindsFreedom it stops me from taking a chance on GS…the thought of driving another 2 hours in the dark..it ought to be bookable…to stop the stress..about 15 or so caravan spaces and thats it..pot luck…

[@BB49.]

What's good about it been loads of times nothing special just a normal one with a farm shop and a green look.

[@DavidJones-mn2sf]

Overpriced as anywhere.as a HGV driver I have to use laybuy, sort my own grub, pee in the bushes. Hey ho £50 saved but living standard poor. UK living terrific

[@warwickwolf3999]

They have showers which are free to use I believe?

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

They do. As featured in my vlog 😜 😂

[@warwickwolf3999]

@@FrankieFindsFreedom lots of people commenting that there are no facilities though 🤔

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@warwickwolf3999 the showers can be accessed between 6am-10pm (shop hours) which is fine but they are free to use anyway if you visit the services so why the need to pay to stay over when you don’t get anything extra for the money just the permission to stay in the car park overnight? That being said the showers did look nice and clean 😊

[@BikerVanLife]

Not sure I’d pay £23

[@pamthevan7340]

Sorry, but at those prices and lack of facilities they can keep it. I agree the place is lovely, but I want to borrow 12sq metres of it for under 12 hours - not buy the place. Park4Night, Pitchup, Campervan Bible all the way.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

Totally agree although Park4night is getting annoying as it feels like 90% of the listings don’t allow overnight parking 😤

[@michaelpearce-v2w]

Interesting video but OH the dreadful muzak

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@michaelpearce-v2w thanks for watching! Still very new to you tube so feedback noted 😊

[@griswald7156]

Everything has its price today…

[@Changingmylife4eva]

Worth a visit. Doesn’t seem worth the £23 for overnight with no services 👎🏻. Butties looked good though.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@Changingmylife4eva they were goooood 🥓

[@Eric_L456]

Nothing against dogs but they don’t belong in cafes restaurants etc. so I’m glad they’re not allowed in the café.

[@jonny7491]

Went once never again overpriced.

[@FrankieFindsFreedom]

@@jonny7491 yeah it is a bit on the expensive side isn’t it

[@douglasmowat7143]

I think the Gloucester Services are a brilliant marketing job. But nothing quite works.......like hot water in the showers...?no. Hand rails in the disabled showers..?no. ..The staff come across as unhappy. Food portions......Victorian orphanage sized. However the expectations are high because of a good architect so that is enough to make the customer think it's a good.....if expensive experience.