Motorway petrol - avoiding services

[Metal Guru]

We all know that fuel at motorway services is normally a rip off, often 25p or more per litre above “normal “ prices. Typical today £1.59 v £1.32 (E10), although Frankley services on the M5 just south of Birmingham was a more reasonable £1.40.

However, there are many filling stations and supermarkets very close to motorway junctions where you could refuel at normal prices if only you knew they were there and save maybe £10-15 a go. 

So let’s  create a list of such locations to help each other out.

I’ll start with top end of the M6. I have indicated which side of the motorway they are on but are accessible from both directions unless otherwise noted.

J44  Asda just off the main roundabout on NB side on A689

J43 Tesco on NB side , about 1/4 mile towards Carlisle A69 from main roundabout.

J42 Shell station on SB on the main roundabout for the A6.

J40 Penrith . There are three petrol stations in the town and one at Rheged a short distance towards Keswick on the A66, but the A66 roundabouts around Penrith can be very congested at peak times , so I would only stop here if dangerously low.

Also

J23 A580 Newton le Willows ( for Liverpool / St Helens ), there is a Shell station on NB side accessible from or just off the main roundabout.

Please share your local knowledge.

[New POD]

There's a decent App for this.  It's called petrol prices. 

You can get a list based on distance from your location.  In this case I've said to show only one brand so you can see what price gouging twats my local tesco is. 

The map is a bit flaky.  Until you get very zoomed in the location isn't very accurate. Here's my local area. 

and this one shows you that if you are southbound on the M6 you might be able to take a long winded detour via Stone to save 35 p a litre. 

Obviously if this was PH time is money and adding 10 minutes to your trip would waste £40 that you couldn't bill clients for.  

[Markeh]

M1 J26 - head towards Nottingham on the A610 at the junction itself. Just past the second roundabout is a Tesco petrol station. Or double back on yourself at the 2nd roundabout for a BP. Bonus points, if you carry on past the BP and turn left at the lights by the pub there's a Spar with decent Gridserve chargers. There's also a Sainsbury's in Kimberley, head towards Nottingham, first exit off the first roundabout onto the B600, follow the road until you get to a mini roundabout and you're at the Sainsbury's. On your way back there will be a slip road to take you straight onto the A610 just short of the M1 junction. There's also an Esso, head towards Nottingham, take the last exit off the first roundabout onto the A6002 and the Esso will appear on your left. And a Shell - again towards Nottingham, 2nd exit off first roundabout on the A6002 the other way and it's at the first roundabout.

A bit further away but both J21a and J25 of the M1 are only 10 mins or so away from Costcos with petrol stations if you're that way inclined.

M1 J24/J23a - don't bother. The only stations I know of here are Donington services, a BP on site at East Midlands airport and one in Kegworth which always seems to be pretty damn expensive.

M1 J21/top of M69 - Sainsbury's and an Asda at Fosse Park, head towards Leicester. Usually some traffic around this area in my experience.

M1 J11 - head towards Dunstable on the A505. Tesco just off the first roundabout.

M5 J25 - follow the main road into Taunton at the junction itself. At the next roundabout turn off for a Sainsbury's with petrol station. There's also a McDonalds hidden down this turning.

M5 J21 - follow the A370 into Weston-super-Mare. Right at the roundabout for a Morrisons.

[coachie]

Pre internet days there was a good glove compartment sized book that summarised the service station alternatives all around country.  Used to have a blue motorway sign on the front.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Near-the-Motorways-by-Hugh-Cantlie/9781999614508

Looks like he retired in 2018 after the 12th edition, so you may need to Google the places before turning up to find a hand car wash/ Tesco express/ pile of rubble etc

[tom13]

5 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

We all know that fuel at motorway services is normally a rip off, often 25p or more per litre above “normal “ prices. Typical today £1.59 v £1.32 (E10), although Frankley services on the M5 just south of Birmingham was a more reasonable £1.40.

However, there are many filling stations and supermarkets very close to motorway junctions where you could refuel at normal prices if only you knew they were there and save maybe £10-15 a go. 

So let’s  create a list of such locations to help each other out.

I’ll start with top end of the M6. I have indicated which side of the motorway they are on but are accessible from both directions unless otherwise noted.

J44  Asda just off the main roundabout on NB side on A689

J43 Tesco on NB side , about 1/4 mile towards Carlisle A69 from main roundabout.

J42 Shell station on SB on the main roundabout for the A6.

J40 Penrith . There are three petrol stations in the town and one at Rheged a short distance towards Keswick on the A66, but the A66 roundabouts around Penrith can be very congested at peak times , so I would only stop here if dangerously low.

Also

J23 A580 Newton le Willows ( for Liverpool / St Helens ), there is a Shell station on NB side accessible from or just off the main roundabout.

Please share your local knowledge.

You should have stopped at Asda on Junction 2 of the M5. Cheapest fuel around there easily.

[riek]

M5 J17 has an Asda 

[Metal Guru]

3 hours ago, New POD said:

There's a decent App for this.  It's called petrol prices. 

You can get a list based on distance from your location.  In this case I've said to show only one brand so you can see what price gouging twats my local tesco is. 

The map is a bit flaky.  Until you get very zoomed in the location isn't very accurate. Here's my local area. 

and this one shows you that if you are southbound on the M6 you might be able to take a long winded detour via Stone to save 35 p a litre. 

Obviously if this was PH time is money and adding 10 minutes to your trip would waste £40 that you couldn't bill clients for.  

I really meant anything just off the motorway as convenient as motorway services.

Those apps and sat navs can lead you off into a town you don’t know adding half an hour to your journey.

[83C]

If using the A30 to/from Cornwall the Sainsbury’s in Alphington, Exeter is much cheaper than stopping at the services off J30 of the M5. 

[loserone]

37 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Those apps and sat navs can lead you off into a town you don’t know adding half an hour to your journey.

I mean they can, but if you search for petrol station in your sat nav it tells you how long each one is as a diversion.  The trick is also knowing that they're not price gouging.

 

Anyway, the app is mostly useless around here.

 

[N Dentressangle]

Never understood why anyone buys fuel at motorway service stations other than in an emergency.

But then they're usually empty when I drive past them, so maybe hardly anyone does.

[MiniMinorMk3]

To avoid having to fill up at motorway services, I fill my tank at the start of my journey. My Focus 1.6 auto will manage 400 miles on a tank if driven at posted speed limits. I live in the North East and regularly travel down to Hampshire. I fill up at my local garage and get down there with about a quarter of a tank left. Before the return journey I fill up again at a local garage, again avoiding the need to fill on the motorway.

Most cars have a range of 300+ miles, more if you don't blast along the motorway at 80+, so there is very little need to fill up whilst on a trip, even if going from London to Edinburgh.

[wuvvum]

Usually when I've needed to fill up on a motorway it's been on collection missions where I've either miscalculated the fuel economy or the fuel gauge has proven to not be as accurate as it should.

If I'm coming round the top of the M25 I usually come off at the A10 junction (J25).  Head towards London then turn left at the next traffic lights and there's a big petrol station there which although not the cheapest is a lot cheaper than motorway prices.

The other one I sometimes use when driving along the A14 is the Morrisons at Cambourne.  Bit more of a faff to get to but a lot cheaper than the services, which seem to charge near-motorway prices on the A14.

[Metal Guru]

53 minutes ago, loserone said:

I mean they can, but if you search for petrol station in your sat nav it tells you how long each one is as a diversion.  The trick is also knowing that they're not price gouging.

 

Anyway, the app is mostly useless around here.

 

I was running low on a French motorway on Sunday so was looking for any petrol because the plug in Bini only has a 35 l tank. The built in sat nav took us to a tractor mechanic first ( we input petrol stations rather than garage), then a Citroen dealer before we stumbled across a supermarket just off the motorway on our way to its third suggestion. We had passed this within 100m while on the motorway without the stupid sat nav telling us.

[alcyonecorporation]

twat mode activated 

 

[lesapandre]

44 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

I was running low on a French motorway on Sunday so was looking for any petrol because the plug in Bini only has a 35 l tank. The built in sat nav took us to a tractor mechanic first ( we input petrol stations rather than garage), then a Citroen dealer before we stumbled across a supermarket just off the motorway on our way to its third suggestion. We had passed this within 100m while on the motorway without the stupid sat nav telling us.

Everything is cheaper off the Autoroutes. I use this app in France. Seems to work OK.

Prices are generally lower at the supermarkets but still vary quite a lot. The E. Leclerc supermarket chain tend to be cheapest.

Rare to find an attended station these days - most are pre-pay.

[sierraman]

I’ve to say I never look at the price per litre, I just stick £20 a week in at the BP place I pass every day. I’d be one of those that CBA with  that level of forward planning. There’s an Asda closer that’s probably cheaper but won’t accept cash so it’s not much use to me. 

[Shite Ron]

On the M4 junction 30 Cardiff Gate, first left heading West, 500 yards to next roundabout is an Asda and also a McDonalds if the driver also needs refuelling.

M4 Junction 32 there is an Asda and McDonald just off the roundabout, 

M4 Junction 36 Sarn park services, Sainsbury’s fuel just off the junction on south of M4 (currently £1.29 per litre). KFC also if driver needs refuelling.

 

[Metal Guru]

8 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Everything is cheaper off the Autoroutes. I use this app in France. Seems to work OK.

Prices are generally lower at the supermarkets but still vary quite a lot. The E. Leclerc supermarket chain tend to be cheapest.

Rare to find an attended station these days - most are pre-pay.

I found €1.50 about the norm for E10 at supermarkets. Autoroute services were generally about  €1.85 but some were over €2  / litre.

[Metal Guru]

9 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

To avoid having to fill up at motorway services, I fill my tank at the start of my journey. My Focus 1.6 auto will manage 400 miles on a tank if driven at posted speed limits. I live in the North East and regularly travel down to Hampshire. I fill up at my local garage and get down there with about a quarter of a tank left. Before the return journey I fill up again at a local garage, again avoiding the need to fill on the motorway.

Most cars have a range of 300+ miles, more if you don't blast along the motorway at 80+, so there is very little need to fill up whilst on a trip, even if going from London to Edinburgh.

Hybrids tend to have smaller tanks to allow space for the batteries without sacrificing too much boot space. 

[R Lutz]

11 hours ago, Markeh said:

M1 J24/J23a - don't bother. The only stations I know of here are Donington services, a BP on site at East Midlands airport and one in Kegworth which always seems to be pretty damn expensive.

I filled up there last week. I'm sure it was something like £1.60 a litre of petrol.

M1 29A is a brand new Shell

Junction 1 M18 is a Morrisons (if you trust their fuel) and a Shell and a BP (with bonus Ssanggyyoungg garage)

[MikeR]

M6 jtn 35 if going north , turn east, inland for Screwfix if some sort of bodge is required to keep going 

or

Nisa local on the A6  near Jtn35 , onto the A6070 , then north onto the A6 and then Nisa petrol , shop , toilets  and then north to  south lakes A590 ...sort of cuts the corner off compared to using the M6  , further petrol stops also avb in Milnthorpe , A6 is fairly quick flowing 

or south on the A6 towards Carnforth and the truckhaven fuel stop  , with Aldi , Booths a bit further on , free parking ( camera controlled )

Merseyside  and the M58 Jtn 1 , Petrol , charging , Maccys  , starbucks , kfc  , Londis  , Greggs  , saves suffering switch island to get to Asda 

[Metal Guru]

Slightly off thread. If you want or need a coffee on the motorway, stop at one with a McDonalds. I’m not really a fan of their food, but the coffee is much better than Costa or Starbucks and costs less than half.

[New POD]

The problem with McDonalds is that they don't do Decaffeinated.  The problem with Greggs is that they do. 

If you must have coffee on the go then Wild Bean Cafe (found in our local BP/ M&S simply food) has the *best Decaffe. 

And if you have the BP loyalty card you can get a pastry item with it for an extra few pence (£4 for coffee and croissant 🥐) 

*best is subjective. Its drinkable. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

On 20/05/2025 at 05:40, New POD said:

It's called petrol prices.

+1 for that - you can also pre-plan using their website if you don't want to use an app https://www.petrolprices.com/app/map

Only petrol place I used to routinely use 'Just Off The Motorway' was the Shell at Haydock Island (M6 J23). Petrol Prices say he's £1.38 for diesel today but also points out there's an Asda 1.2 miles away that's 5p/litre cheaper. But you can get an HGV into the Shell station - never tried the Asda.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, New POD said:

The problem with McDonalds is that they don't do Decaffeinated.  The problem with Greggs is that they do. 

If you must have coffee on the go then Wild Bean Cafe (found in our local BP/ M&S simply food) has the *best Decaffe. 

And if you have the BP loyalty card you can get a pastry item with it for an extra few pence (£4 for coffee and croissant 🥐) 

*best is subjective. Its drinkable. 

If I need a coffee on the motorway, it’s because I need caffeine.

lm not saying McDonald’s coffee is the best in the world, tastes like decent quality instant to me, but it’s way better than the brown water served by the “specialists”.

[JakeT]

A mile past reading services (going westbound) on the M4 at j12 there’s a big Sainsbury’s with reasonably priced fuel. Going the other way at j11 there’s a Costco (membership required). Off of the M5 at j18 there’s also a Costco.

 

I only buy fuel at motorway stations if it’s a real need, too. Once we were running low near the German-Swiss border and I stopped at a services for fuel. €2.52 per litre. Made me wince seeing the price rise so much faster than the quantity delivered.

[New POD]

22 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

If I need a coffee on the motorway, it’s because I need caffeine.

lm not saying McDonald’s coffee is the best in the world, tastes like decent quality instant to me, but it’s way better than the brown water served by the “specialists”.

I tend drink decaffeinated if available, but won't go out of my way for it, unless my wife is traveling with me.  The caffeine really affects her ability to relax. 

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

+1 for that - you can also pre-plan using their website if you don't want to use an app https://www.petrolprices.com/app/map

Only petrol place I used to routinely use 'Just Off The Motorway' was the Shell at Haydock Island (M6 J23). Petrol Prices say he's £1.38 for diesel today but also points out there's an Asda 1.2 miles away that's 5p/litre cheaper. But you can get an HGV into the Shell station - never tried the Asda.

You can actually see that one from the M6 NB, but too late to get off at J23.