Where do I park a 7m motorhome at motorway services?

[Teapartylyd]

Do I park my 7m motorhome in coach parking or lorry parking at motorway services?

 

[David and Sally]

Most have caravan parking areas

 

[TinaLes]

Look out for caravan parking signs, if not park alongside the HGV's, but do not stay longer than 2 hours as your number plate will have been recorded at time of entry, and if you stay longer then 2 hours you can expect a £25 bill through your door.
PS: even those that have broken down awaiting The AA/ RAC, if they stay longer than 2 hours have been known to get the £25 bill.
LES

 

[dna]

i normally follow the signs for caravan parking - sometimes this is separate and sometimes is with the HGVs. Coach parking is often separate (I assume that is because of the risks involved with crowds of people all racing for the toilets / coffee shops

 

[Larby]

I use lorry parking as mine is classed as private Heavy Goods Vehicle being 4200 kgs.
Also that for caravans as it is also a Motor caravan, they will struggle to say I am in the wrong area.

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[Kilroy]

Good question...how about if it's an 8 tonner (without wanting to hijack the thread!!?)

 

[NicandJay]

I would say.... somewhere you can see it at all times if you are getting out of it. Normally in France in with HGV's as caravan parking is normally the furthest away from the actual facilities and out of view. If travelling with someone else one of us always stays with the van, always. If a single traveller, at services, I would/do use my own facilities and boil my own kettle for tea/ coffee

 

[Rudski01]

Look out for caravan parking signs, if not park alongside the HGV's, but do not stay longer than 2 hours as your number plate will have been recorded at time of entry, and if you stay longer then 2 hours you can expect a £25 bill through your door.
PS: even those that have broken down awaiting The AA/ RAC, if they stay longer than 2 hours have been known to get the £25 bill.
LES

And hope a HGV isn’t wanting a space due to a required break

To be fair a lot of the services do try and ensure separate areas but some are woefully inadequate

Need to inform the services you’ve conked out so they can log your reg.

 

[Gaston aires]

Caravan and lorry areas. You can’t stay overnight or longer than two hours usually.
Phil

 

[RandallC]

sadly any of the services MH & caravan parking spots are filled with folks who a, cant read b, don't give a *

So aim to park in the designated areas if not then the truck area or at worst 2+ bays in the carpark if the later take a photo of the full/cars parked in your designated area in case you get a parking fine.

Have taken to keeping parking payment tickets and photos of them on the dash and photos of the MH in both bays for at least 6 months due to the robbing unscrupulous B* who manage for the councils the parking

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[glenn2926]

Do I park my 7m motorhome in coach parking or lorry parking at motorway services?

The caravan parking area. There usually is one. If not then the truck area.

 

[Southdowners]

We’re 7.5 tonne and park wherever there’s space. First choice would be caravan parking but, failing that and if no height barrier, we park in the car park. Lorry drivers need their space.

 

[Grasmere9]

Caravan parking for us.

 

[Two of usI]

I find it so annoying that there are signs all along Motorways ' Don't drive when tired' however, if you pull into a services and dose off for 2 hrs then you are fined, whereas I often drive on the French Motorways, pull into the services and quite often there is a caravan area round the back in a quiet area where we pull in, get the wine and gas barby out, eat, sleep the night and move on next morning with no issues. I digress..... there is quite often a quiet area for Caravans / Motorhomes, but, its a walk to get a brew.

 

[Wabs]

I always use the caravan park or HGV if there isn’t one?

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[Ivory55]

I find it so annoying that there are signs all along Motorways ' Don't drive when tired' however, if you pull into a services and dose off for 2 hrs then you are fined, whereas I often drive on the French Motorways, pull into the services and quite often there is a caravan area round the back in a quiet area where we pull in, get the wine and gas barby out, eat, sleep the night and move on next morning with no issues. I digress..... there is quite often a quiet area for Caravans / Motorhomes, but, its a walk to get a brew.

Service areas are rented off of the government by a private company. They are in buisness to make money not for providing free parking for motorhome. Like everything it’s all about the money

 

[DavidG58]

It’s a shame that the signs don’t state caravans and motorhomes , it always concerns me a jobsworth could issue a ticket

Positive comment on service areas, we used Peterborough services last week, large caravan area (motorhomes not specifically mentioned) but they allow 3 hours

 

[stevewagner]

I find it so annoying that there are signs all along Motorways ' Don't drive when tired' however, if you pull into a services and dose off for 2 hrs then you are fined, whereas I often drive on the French Motorways, pull into the services and quite often there is a caravan area round the back in a quiet area where we pull in, get the wine and gas barby out, eat, sleep the night and move on next morning with no issues. I digress..... there is quite often a quiet area for Caravans / Motorhomes, but, its a walk to get a brew.

I would never recommend overnighting in a French motorway service area they are notorious for robberies.

 

[Tombola]

I would never recommend overnighting in a French motorway service area they are notorious for robberies.

I just stopped at 3 slept in all, (a very short time in each) ,, all lovely modern, quiet and clean, felt safe enough.

 

[autorouter]

First try the caravan area. I think that if a sign says 'No Caravans', and I park a motorhome, I'd expect to get a fine.So if a sign says 'Caravans' it should include motorhomes.

If the caravan area is full of parked cars, then no-one is enforcing anything, so park where you want.

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[Jim]

I would never recommend overnighting in a French motorway service area they are notorious for robberies.

Been sleeping on them for 30 years plus, always a good sleep, never been robbed. Most everyone that has been robbed on a motorway rest stop has not had an alarm or any door security at all. IMO If you have both they are as safe as anywhere else.

 

[Pekepal]

Never sleep at service areas. Always leave motorway early and stop at a camp site. Whilst travelling and stopping for a break we aim for Caravan parking or if this full will try and find parking where we can reverse and overhang across grass area. If in UK you will find motorists who cannot read signs will park centrally or on end of a caravan space stopping caravan/motorhome pulling in! Once saw lovely manoeuvre by two motorhomers, one pulled in front of car parked on space and second motorhome pulled in behind. Car had to then wait until they were ready to move. Brilliant. I have been known to go in to services and report car parked in caravan bay. Must have had a long day

 

[Puddleduck]

I use lorry parking as mine is classed as private Heavy Goods Vehicle being 4200 kgs.
Also that for caravans as it is also a Motor caravan, they will struggle to say I am in the wrong area.

Caravan section first (if there is one) and then the HGV area (we are over 3.5t so officially a pHGV) as long as there is plenty of space. If there is what I consider too little free space for lorry drivers needing to take their statutory breaks I move on.

 

[stevewagner]

I just stopped at 3 slept in all, (a very short time in each) ,, all lovely modern, quiet and clean, felt safe enough.

We stopped at one near Marseille and got robbed and lost money, passports and ipads. French police advised us never to stay overnight on motorway aires. Have also read about lots of others being robbed too.

 

[stevewagner]

Been sleeping on them for 30 years plus, always a good sleep, never been robbed. Most everyone that has been robbed on a motorway rest stop has not had an alarm or any door security at all. IMO If you have both they are as safe as anywhere else.

We had both and still got robbed near Marseille

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[Jim]

We had both and still got robbed near Marseille

So they got through your door security and the alarm failed?

 

[Gizmouk]

Been sleeping on them for 30 years plus, always a good sleep, never been robbed. Most everyone that has been robbed on a motorway rest stop has not had an alarm or any door security at all. IMO If you have both they are as safe as anywhere else.

Maybe you were gassed and slept through it

 

[2657]

Big no no is the coach parking area, they all get stroppy if you block a coach with 60 people on board from parking.

 

[TerryL]

If there was nowhere else I used to just block them in! When asked to move I pointed out that legally I could not get back into the coach for 45 mins but would be happy to move then. If they got stroppy I just walked away - mind there would of course be a few other coachies around too.................................!

 

[stevewagner]

So they got through your door security and the alarm failed?

They did and I don't know how.