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Hi..can anyone help?? Going to cornwall in 2 weeks (YIPPEE!) and had thought of using a night holt, the ones usually at a service station, if driving gets the better of us, (going though night) Has anyone ever used them? What are they like? Are the safe? Can you pull onto them anytime day or night? What kind of price are they?

Thanks in anticipation!!

Andy

I,ve never slept in a caravan on one but.. I used to be a long distance lorry driver & sometimes had no choice but to sleep on one. They are noisy (loads of trailer changes going on etc) & in many areas unsafe. They are also furiously expensive. Your better off finding a layby to be honest.

Regards THUMPER.

Why anyone would want to use services or a layby as a night halt, I don't understand.

Service areas inevitably are dirty, noisey, and smelly! The smell is of rotten food and urine!

Lay bys are the same but with the added danger of being wiped out by a half asleep lorry driver! It is also illegal to spend the night there.

There are plenty of good sites around and with a bit of planning and allowing time these are by far the best safest places.

Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 01/8/2006

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Why anyone would want to use services or a layby as a night halt, I don't understand.

Service areas inevitably are dirty, noisey, and smelly! The smell is of rotten food and urine!

Lay bys are the same but with the added danger of being wiped out by a half asleep lorry driver! It is also illegal to spend the night there.

There are plenty of good sites around and with a bit of planning and allowing time these are by far the best safest places.

 

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The services throughout our area aren't dirty noisy & smelly, IMO they provide a safer place with just about every convenience, including security, on hand for people to pull over & rest during their journey, they can pull in late & leave early with no restrictions & saves them from going off route looking for sites. It's al very well advising folk to plan overnight stops but surely the best laid plans sometimes don't work out. Many thousands of caravans use the overnight favilities provided by the service areas I pass on the M4 & M5 motorways so they can't all be bad.

Can you tell me the last time a caravan with people sleeping in a layby was wiped out by some half asleep lorry driver?? I've driven lorries for over 30 years & believe it or not I take a pride in my behaviour on the highway, I'm also a long term caravanner who would choose a well set back layby if I was electing to sleep in one with either my lorry or my caravan.

BB  

just one point ..I went to Billing a couple of weeks back. I left Scotland at 10.30pm arrived Billing 05.30am, now If i was going for a stop over on route. Is there sites that would allow you to set up at say 3am  just off the M6???

same for any long trip I gues if going through the night

There is a site just off the M5 at Puriton called The Fairways or something similar if that is any helps.  Seems very popular.  If you want more info let me know and I will be more exact for you!

Ali

Thanks for your help..In answer to a few replies, we cant stay at a site as we are having to set off at 9pm from near Leeds.  We are planning to share the driving, but, just in case, wanted to know of any Services that were safe to sleep at if tiredness gets the better of us. Don't fancy pulling up in a layby.  Hopefully we'll be ok, but nice to know of different options incase they are needed.

Cheers Andy

You'll be fine in any service area throughout our area, M5/M4/A30  Andy, There's loads of vans in every one of them every week so as it's already been said, they can't be that bad & you can pull in & out of them at any time to please you. Have a safe trip to Cornwall, where are you going to stay? we're off down there on the 12th for a fortnight on Pentewan & I can't wait.

Stay safe

BB  

BB, thanks for that. Were staying at Court Farm in St Stephen near St Austell. Really looking forward to it!!!!!!

Safe trip too!

Andy

we've pulled into services before now to sleep.
didn't notice any smells or noise, just other vanners doing the same as us.

don't know how much they cost either cos we didn't realise you had to pay till we got home and read it on here!!  oops