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The UK’s best and worst motorway services – MAPPED | Travel News | Travel

A motorway chase in which a driver hits speeds of 135mph
The summer holidays are upon us and parents will be cramming kids and their beach toys into the backseat before shooting off for a staycation.
While popular seaside destinations like Brighton, Scarborough and Tenby will be expecting the masses, it can be difficult to predict how busy the roads can get.
Car traffic hit 244 billion vehicle miles in Britain last year, according to the Department for Transport, with motorway usage up 13.3 percent on 2021.
With pee stops an absolute certainty and jams very likely on weekends, it’s well worth planning which service stations to hit along the way.
The annual survey by consumer watchdog Which? reveals they’re not all created equal. Check Express.co.uk’s map and table below to see the ones to avoid at all costs and the others almost worth a trip by themselves.
Gloucester Services (Image: GloucestershireLive)
The best
Gloucester Services Farmshop & Kitchen
What you find at the end of the slip road between junctions 11A and 12 on the M5 more closely resembles a futuristic eco-resort than simple services. A grass-carpeted roof tops floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a glistening pond.
Run by Westmorland, this stop comes top of the Which? rankings for its offering of home-cooked steak and ale pie and a farm shop complete with “bread to rival any baker” and regional cheeses. Jack Whitehall once dubbed them “The Eighth Wonder of the World”.
Tebay
It’s much the same story at Tebay Services Farm and Kitchen on the M6 between junctions 38 and 39, run by the same company as Gloucester. Nestled on a working farm in the Cumbrian hills, Herdwick lamb and homemade Cumberland sausages are mainstays on the menu, which also features £1 children’s meals.
Clean, spacious and clean as a whistle, Tebay reportedly welcomes some 4.5 million visitors a year – more than the British Museum.
Cairn Lodge
On the M74 between junctions 11 and 12, Cairn Lodge services near Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, Scotland secure the triple crown for the Westmorland brand. After a major refurbishment in 2018, it is now lauded for its high-quality breakfasts and tat-free gift shop.
Norton Canes
Described by Motorway Services Online – the site of reference for these matters – as an “exclusive treat for drivers on England’s only tolled motorway”, Norton Canes between junctions 6 and 7 of the M6 Toll is a “veteran of customer satisfaction surveys”. A WHSmith, LEON, McDonalds, Days Inn and Costa are all contained within the vast sleek complex.
Wetherby
The A1(M) has little to offer weary drivers in terms of rest stops, so Wetherby services are an opportunity to be seized. Once again, it’s the food that sets this place apart, receiving rave reviews from passers-through online.
The worst
Bridgwater Services
Bridgwater on the M5 in Somerset has two claims to fame: it is both the smallest services on the British motorway network, and the worst-rated. According to Which?, unfortunate visitors described it as “dirty”, “depressing” and “unsafe’”.
They’re also something of a nightmare to get to, requiring the navigation of two roundabouts and a cramped split-level car park. A well-frequented stop on the camper and caravaning route the South West, the flurry of negative reviews appears to have inspired little change. One driver summed it up for DevonLive by saying: “There’s bad and then there’s Bridgwater.”
Gordano
There’s a Waitrose at the Welcome Break Gordano motorway service area, but that doesn’t seem to have improved the experience of most who stop. Just south of Bristol on junction 19 of the M5, online reviewers often vent their fury at the queues to get in and out.
Bridgwater Services (Image: DevonLive)
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell services just north of Milton Keynes on the M1 were the location of Britain’s first motorway restaurant back in the Sixties. By most accounts, they have fallen from grace since then. Steer well clear of the toilets.
Sandbach
Motorway Services Online claims a recent improvement in standards at Sandbach between junctions 16 and 17 on the M6 has made it “almost unremarkable”. It still, however, features among the lowest of all in terms of customer satisfaction according to Which?. The overpass in particular is best avoided alone at night.
Keele
Keele’s history as a service station goes back decades, and it shows. Despite many refurbishments, the dated look of the place is noted by many drivers, as is the lack of step-free access to the amenities on the bridge.
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The little UK market town so pretty it could be in the Cotswolds but its 80 miles away | Travel News | Travel

The Cotswolds are a favourite among travellers seeking gorgeous surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere. They’re popular with holidaymakers and celebrities alike, with rolling hills and unspoilt landscapes that make them a prime destination year-round. But one Lincolnshire town has emerged as a rival to the famous region, even though it lies more than 80 miles away.
Stamford has “long been lauded as a lovely stone town”, according to the Visit Lincolnshire website. Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott called the town “the finest sight on the road between Edinburgh and London”, while historian WG Hoskins said if there were “a more beautiful town in the whole of England, I have yet to see it”. It is a favourite of television and film producers for its stony facades, which were featured in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film, The Da Vinci Code and The Crown.
During its weekly Friday market, shoppers crowd the streets, keen to sample the local vegetables, meats, pies, bread and fresh fish on offer.
Lined with alleyways and courtyards, there are a mix of small businesses, fine jewellers and designer premises, while a quieter retreat is available along the banks of the River Welland, which meanders through Stamford.
With a history stretching back hundreds of years, Stamford was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as “Stanford”, meaning “stony ford”, and developed along the Roman road from London to York.
Featuring over 600 listed buildings, Stamford also has a collection of medieval churches as well as stone and slate quarries which provide the stone slate found on the roofs of many of its buildings.
On the edge of the town lies Burghley House, an Elizabethan mansion built by William Cecil, who served as First Minister under Queen Elizabeth I.
Cecil controlled Crown finances and was a key agent of the Queen before his death, after while he was buried in St Martin’s Church in the town where his residence was located.
This Stamford mansion still features its original Tudor kitchen, 18 state rooms and many major works of art.
Tolethorpe Hall, another grand site in Stamford, plays host to the Rutland Open Air Theatre, where the resident Stamford Shakespeare Company perform an annual season of plays across June, July and August.
The performances attract more than 34,000 from the UK and around the world every year to Tolethorpe’s grounds, which were landscaped to their present form in 1867.
If you’ve exhausted the offerings in the Cotswolds, Stamford is certainly a strong alternative.
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The incredible country where a glass of wine is just £2 with £96 direct flights | Travel News | Travel

If you haven’t got any holidays booked by now then don’t worry – there is still time left and one incredible destination is worth considering. Georgia, which lies between Eastern Europe and West Asia is a stunning country, famed as the “birthplace of wine”. Its winemaking history stretches back 8,000 years with unique methods that have become deep-rooted in the tradition.
The country certainly lives up to its name, one of its ancient winemaking traditions even has UNESCO regonition. And best of all is that the wine – which has world wide recognition – can be enjoyed for as little as £2 a glass in most local restaurants, according to The Independent. Geoergian cuisine is also diverse thanks to the blend of cultures within the country.
Although spectacular wine and food sounds about enough to convince most people to take a trip, the country has a lot more to offer. Georgia’s vibrant culture extends across the whole country, with local markets, festivals, museums and galleries highlighting how much of a gem the destination is.
Georgia’s beauty is evident along the streets and in its perserved architecture including monastries, synagogues and castles. The country has multiple monuments inscribed onto the UNSECO World Heritage Sites List, including the historical churches of Mtskheta. Jvari Church is rated 4.7 stars on TripAdvisor.
One visitor said: “Jvari is the favorite of everybody visiting Georgia. Beautiful nice church on the top of the hill. Has a perfect view to the rivers and Mtskheta. The place is full of ppl selling souvenirs. Women must cover heads. Must visit in Georgia.”
Another said: “5/5, 1. Best panoramic view. 2. One of the best tourists spots in Georgia. 3. Very historical. 4. Very safe. 5. Free entrance.”
As well as stunning buildings, Georgia is home to a range of breathtaking landscapes such as towering moutains and lush forests. Despite being a fairly small country, Georgia has 26,060 rivers, 860 lakes, 55 waterfalls and 44 reservoirs.
Skyscanner currently shows direct one-way flights from London Luton Airport to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, for £96 in June, with return flights even cheaper at £76
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‘World’s best luxury train journey’ travels 2,800 miles in 10 days | Travel News | Travel

Travelling by train is one of the most relaxing, slow-paced ways to see the world, especially if a little extra luxury is added. That’s why rail holidays are having a well-deserved renaissance, with demand surging and bookings well ahead of previous years.
Railbookers, a tailor-made rail holiday provider, recently reported a record-breaking year, with a 30% revenue boost and a significant rise in 2025 reservations — strong evidence that high-end train travel is firmly back on track. To narrow down the many bucket list options travel lovers have, analysts at Japan Rail Pass shared the top journeys that are captivating the world with their luxurious amenities. The experts compiled data on global search trends, social media mentions and traveller reviews in order to determine the most sought-after train experiences in 2025.
Leading the global rankings for most luxurious train rides is the Rocky Mountaineer, a premier rail journey based out of Vancouver, Canada, that operates across four unique routes that stretch through the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, and into the American Southwest.
The train is famous for its glass-domed carriages that allow passengers a full, unrestricted view of lakes, glaciers and forests, as well as its locally inspired fine dining and impeccable, award-winning service.
Jetset Magazine referred to the journey through Canada’s Rocky Mountains as the “most beautiful train ride in the world” in a TikTok video that highlighted the GoldLeaf service,which includes gourmet meals prepared by Executive Chefs and panoramic windows of a bi-level glass-dome coach, as well as a larger exclusive outdoor viewing area.
Covering a distance of 2,800 miles over the course of ten days, it combines breathtaking scenery to grandiose mountains with some serious mileage — a rare mix that earned it an impressive score of 8.88 out of 10 in the study.
The train winds through snow-capped peaks, alpine lakes, river canyons and lush temperate rainforests, with key sights on some itineraries including the Fraser and Thompson River canyons, the Spiral Tunnels, and Mount Robson, the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
Passenger reviews make the train’s popularity undeniable, with more than 60,000 Instagram hashtags mentioning it, an average TripAdvisor score of 4.4 and 48,000 global monthly searches.
Top 10 best luxury train rides across the world
1. Rocky Mountaineer
Vancouver, Canada to Utah, United States
2. Napa Valley Wine Train
California, United States
3. GoldenPass Express
Montreux, Switzerland
4. Rovos Rail
Pretoria, South Africa
5. The Ghan
Adelaide, Australia
6. Venice Simplon Orient-Express
Venice, Italy to Paris, France
7. British Pullman
London, England
8. The Canadian
Vancouver, Canada
9. Twilight Express Mizukage
Osaka, Japan
10. Belmond Andean Explorer
Cusco, Peru
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