We Made This Life

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Family
    • Parenting & Family
    • Pregnancy
    • Personal
    • Kids Activities
    • Pets
  • Food
    • Food
    • Meal Planning
    • Weaning Recipes
  • Home & Lifestyle
    • Healthy Living
    • Interiors
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Crafts
    • Cleaning
    • Organising
    • Money
    • Gift Ideas
    • Free Printables
  • Collaborations
    • Standard Competition Terms and Conditions
    • Discount Codes & Offers
  • About
    • How I Became A Blogger
    • Work With Me - PR and Media Pack
    • Instagram Bio
  • Policies
    • Terms of Website Use
    • Disclosure
    • Disclaimers
    • Acceptable Use Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Family
      • Parenting & Family
      • Pregnancy
      • Personal
      • Kids Activities
      • Pets
    • Food
      • Food
      • Meal Planning
      • Weaning Recipes
    • Home & Lifestyle
      • Healthy Living
      • Interiors
      • Fashion / Beauty
      • Crafts
      • Cleaning
      • Organising
      • Money
      • Gift Ideas
      • Free Printables
    • Collaborations
      • Standard Competition Terms and Conditions
      • Discount Codes & Offers
    • About
      • How I Became A Blogger
      • Work With Me - PR and Media Pack
      • Instagram Bio
    • Policies
      • Terms of Website Use
      • Disclosure
      • Disclaimers
      • Acceptable Use Policy
      • Cookie Policy
    • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Motorway Service Station Hell

    Mar 31, 2015 · Modified: Sep 20, 2022 by Ali · 11 Comments

    It's the school holidays. You can't face going abroad with the kids so you book yourselves onto a 'cheap' caravan holiday a short drive away. Far enough away that you feel like you are on holiday but close enough so that you can drive there quickly.

    Invariably you will pick somewhere about two hours away, thinking that you can make the drive with no stops. You are wrong. Despite making the kids go to the toilet eight times before you leave, despite putting on the in car DVD players and packing a cool bag of snacks you will find yourselves stopping at a service station where you will push your way through the throngs of grumpy travellers, avail yourselves of the grotty public conveniences, shouting at the kids not to touch anything or wander off while you are in the loo.

    You will then of course be nagged into buying some overpriced sugary sweets in the shop, where they only sell giant bags of such sweets. Your kids of course cannot agree on a sweet they like so you are forced to buy two massive bags even though you know it will mean you have to endure sugar laden arguments for the rest of the journey. On the way out you spot the coffee stand. Ah - a nice coffee will make it all better. But it won't. You will pay twice the price for your usual latte, wait half an hour for the understaffed makeshift coffee shop to produce your drink, it will taste grim and you will leave it on top of the car while you belt the kids back in and drive off without even finishing it.

    Oh, and of course as soon as you are back on the motorway you will hear that little voice...Mummy I need the toilet. AGGGGHHHHH!!!

    motorway service station hell

    And then the fun began...
    Super Busy Mum

    Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

    More Parenting & Family

    • A woman in business attire stands in an office, holding a clipboard and pen. A statue of Lady Justice is visible on the desk beside her, reflecting her role as a trusted family solicitor in Scotland.
      7 Situations Where Legal Help May Be Necessary After an Accident
    • A person wearing a mask and rucksack demonstrates child street crossing techniques whilst navigating a city street at a zebra crossing during hazy, early morning traffic.
      How to Best Prepare Your Child to Start Crossing the Street Unassisted
    • An elderly woman using a Zimmer frame is assisted by another person in a bright, spacious corridor, illustrating the supportive environment of senior living.
      Staying at Home or Starting Fresh: What to Consider as You Age
    • A man and woman wearing knitted hats stand close together on a city rooftop at sunset, looking at each other and smiling, with tall buildings in the background.
      How to Protect Yourself When Entering a New Relationship

    About Ali

    Hi I'm Ali, a vegan mummy of four from Wales in the UK. I love reading, cooking, writing, interiors and photography, all of which I share on here. I also make videos on my YouTube channel. Come and follow us and share our journey.

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kim Carberry says

      March 31, 2015 at 9:28 pm

      hahaha! Oh dear! Have a nice holiday x

      Reply
    2. Donna says

      March 31, 2015 at 9:51 pm

      This is just oh so familiar! We have two Mon-Fri breaks back to back in May, dreading it! x

      Reply
    3. Penny Pincher says

      April 01, 2015 at 7:24 pm

      I feel sorry for you, I feel sorry for myself because I've been there too. Kids and long journeys = stress; hope they don't get car sick like my kids do 🙁

      Reply
    4. thenthefunbegan says

      April 01, 2015 at 8:55 pm

      Oh how that first sentence resonates with me right now! Off to sunny Great Yarmouth the week after next which is probably more than a two hour drive actually. Still, gotta be done - not looking forward to the service station stops though - I think our worst ever experience was getting stuck in a gridlock getting out of Exeter Services once - it must have taken an hour to get out of there and back onto the road. As we eventually drove away my little nearly 3 year old pipes up from the back "that was ridic-o-lass! We had to laugh! Thanks for linking up to #thetruthabout Lina X

      Reply
    5. Lifeloveanddirtydishes says

      April 02, 2015 at 11:51 am

      I once had to endure Motorway services hell with a poonami nappy 🙁
      #sharewithme
      I'm hosting #FridayFrolics linky if you fancy joining in.

      Reply
      • cookiesandcwtches says

        April 02, 2015 at 4:27 pm

        Ah the poonami nightmare!! Fab I will link up on Friday! X

        Reply
    6. sabrina says

      April 02, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      Oh nooooo! This post did make me giggle, I love motorway service stations, my husband and I had out post wedding dinner in one on our way to our honeymoon lol!
      Sabrina x

      Reply
      • cookiesandcwtches says

        April 02, 2015 at 4:28 pm

        Ha ha! They aren't so bad without kids I suppose!!

        Reply
    7. sabrina says

      April 02, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      Sorry forgot the hashtag - #MMWBH 😀

      Reply
    8. Amanda Walsh (@mandymoo2014) says

      April 03, 2015 at 1:25 am

      I still don't understand my childrens fascination with public toilets, definitely agree with the bad coffee to #MMWBH

      Reply
    9. Jenny @ Let's Talk Mommy says

      April 05, 2015 at 8:33 pm

      Oh bless you traveling with kids can be a challenge and long haul trips even moreso. Definitely agree on the bad Thanks for linking up to Share With Me. Happy Easter! #sharewithme

      Reply

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme