A strange question .....

[Mazzy]

.... I know, but does anyone know if service stations on motorways are open on Christmas Day?

Reason being, we are driving down to Gatwick from Stockport ready for our flight on Boxing Day. It suddenly occurred to me that there might be a possibility of us having to use a bush or two on the way!

If anyone knows the answer to this, maybe you have travelled to relatives on Christmas Day and used motorways?

Thanks

 

[drennan]

Yes Mazzy Service Stations are open on Christmas Day, but not every outlet inside the service station will be open, there will only be a skeleton staff on where you can get a bite to eat etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[neilybealy]

check out http://www.5minutesaway.co.uk

click on the motorway you'll be using and it'll display a list of junction numbers and service stations

 

[Mazzy]

Thanks Sharon and Neil for your help, it's good to know we won't need to take a bucket with us on our journey!

 

[Janice]

Hi Mazzy

I know that the Services at Thurrock/Lakeside are open on Christmas Day, my SIL is manager in the Restaurant there and often has to work!

You just need to time your bathroom stops! LOL

 

[neilybealy]

Originally posted by Janice
You just need to time your bathroom stops! LOL

 

[Mazzy]

LOL Janice!! If only that was possible but with my two it's not easy!

Whereabouts is Lakeside/Thurrock in relation to Gatwick then? I am not too familiar with that area. How far would that be from Gatwick?

Thanks

 

[neilybealy]

it's about 25 or 30 miles mazzy.....

if you're coming down the m6 or m42/m40 then you'll be going in the opposite direction (anti-clockwise) on the m25 to gatwick - thurrock lakeside is on the essex side of the dartford crossing

 

[Janice]

LOL Mazzy - I did mean it tongue in cheek! LOL

Thurrock Lakeside is the last junction on the M25 (30 I think) and literally just before you go over the QEII Bridge at Dartford.

This is about 3/4 of an hour - to an hour from Gatwick, depending on traffic. Christmas Day should be a breeze really - we have travelled that route on Christmas Day many times and never encounter too many problems.

HTH

 

[Olaf]

Can't you just stick a credit car into a pump and get some gas? That's what we do when they're closed.

This was a huge issue for me when I had to evacute from Charleston, South Carolina when hurricane Floyd was coming through. I kept finding stations (closed), but the pumps were dry. Finally a nice police officer took pity on me and helped me to find one that still had gas.

Are the pumps not like that over there?

 

[neilybealy]

only in some of the newer ones but i don't know if they still work if the petrol station is closed

 

[Mazzy]

Steph, it's not the petrol I'm worried about, we should have plenty of that as we are hiring a car for the day and it will have a full tank.

No, it's the desperate thought of travelling the whole 4 or 5 hours with our legs crossed!

 

[Olaf]

No, it's the desperate thought of travelling the whole 4 or 5 hours with our legs crossed!

Oh! Well aren't you guys part of the EU now? Can't you just do like they do on the continent? You know, the tire, the woods, any ol'hole in the ground.

 

[Mazzy]

LOL Steph!!!!

You made me think of our first trip to France, and we stopped for the loo on the motorway. We were horrified to see the 'holes in the ground' outside the LADIES Loos, fortunately there WERE toilets inside like we are used to at home!

 

[Olaf]

Oh Mazzy, I think we all have our first trip to France stories. I can remember being 14 or 15, driving from Germany to Paris, and being confronted with the proverbial hole in the ground. I told my Mom, "No thanks, I'll hold it." Needless to say, I was in agony by the time we got to the hotel.