Why the cost? (Motorway Services)

Member Name: aljones

Product:	Motorway Services
Date:	28/09/01 (3315 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Convienient, Clean, Well equiped

Disadvantages: Price

The Motorway service station. Everybodys been there. Either hungry, tired, or just need to 'freshen up', anyone who has ever travelled along the motorway has a need to stop here. This is where their succes lies - the captive audience.

Mention a motorway service station to anyone and the first that comes to mind is the cost. To my recollection, only one thing is the same price at the service station as at 'normal' shops - newspapers & magazines. Anything else is incredibly overpriced, and there is nothing we can do about it. Other than not go there, which becomes inconvienient.

Lets move away from the cost issue for a moment, as despite the cost, the service station plays a very important role in todays commuter society. Without the service stations dotted along our motorways and even dual carriageways these days, we would have to spend hours searching arund just off the motorway to find somewhere to stop and have a rest, get some food or go to the toilet. So nobody can deny that they are a great time saver. Almost all are sittuated just off the motorway, and you can be inside the building usually within minutes of leaving the motorway.

The services themselves are always very nicely set out, well decorated and very clean, or they are in my experience at least. On this ground I cannot fault them. They also provide a reasonable large range of services. Typically you can expect to find a restraunt (such as a Little Chef), a fast food outlet (such as Burger King), a shop (for newspapers, chocolate, food, drink and souveniers, sometimes even CDs), toilets and games areas. Everyone also has a petrol station, though once again these are subjected to the costr increase more often than not.

Many also have hotels/motels linked onto them. Again the prices here are high, but in most cases are used by business travellers who do not have to worry about the cost. Car parking is generally ample in quantity, and free so long as you
don't stay all day (which generally you wouldn't do). Some even ahev picnic area, childrens play areas and areas for you to walk your dog, or yourself!

So, the big bonus for them is the convenience, and the quality of them. Really then in my view there only downside is the price. So why do they get such a bad name? Personally, I visit a motorway service station every time I travel more than 100 miles or so along a motorway. Simply, I just take some simple 'precautions' to reduce my cost. Fill the car up with petrol before I leave, have some food before I leave, and take a bottle of drink and a chocolate bar for the journey so I do't have to buy them en-route.

The prices are high and there is no denying it. Can they justify the higher than average prices? Well, in my view yes. Services are from what I have found out very expensive to run. Most of the facilities that are used are used for free, such as the toilets, car parks and play areas. So they don't get any income from this, so it has to be amde elsewhere. Also, the rent they have to pay to be on the particular sites is very high, and so they have to cover these costs. Finally, they have to pay more for the goods, as deliveries have to be along distance from city centres where the suppliers would normally make most of their deliveries.

So what is my view point. I like Motorway service stations, and even though they are expensive they do play an invaluable role for any motorway traveller. To avoid them, 5minutesaway.com provides informative of 'alternatives' just off the motorway, but in my view they will never be as convienient as these.

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