I don’t remember…
Paying to park in Europe ever.
The firms I drove for paid all the tolls.
I do remember, free coffee in Spain, Holland and Portugal whenever I filled up with fuel.
yourhavingalarf:
I don’t remember…Paying to park in Europe ever.
The firms I drove for paid all the tolls.
I do remember, free coffee in Spain, Holland and Portugal whenever I filled up with fuel.
Garages haven’t quite worked it out over here, if they give drivers a free coffee when filling up, they might get repeat business,
mostly abroad,its abundant rest area parking for as long as you want…whilst in britain your grudgingly crammed for 2 hours max(if you can find a space),then your as welcome as woodworm in a cripples crutch.
Jingle Jon:
switchlogic:
Jingle Jon:
I’ve driven all over the EU, for many years and I’ve yet to see this Utopia of free truck-stops and massive FREE lay-bys all over the place…This quote makes it sound like you’ve never even been to Europe…how on earth did you not notice the amount of free rest areas?! They’re everywhere not to mention the full services which are also free to park in. I’m on my way to Italy and one over the channel parking requires no thought at all, I’ll drive until I’m 20 minutes off my max for that day and dive in first free rest areas. It’s great
Where are these high quality, free rest areas. Depending where you go, there’s not much free. Belgium has a few - hardly the Ritz though, just your standard service areas selling crap food. Pay to use toilets and poor coffee. Lux is usually rammed and crap, Italy I’ll give you… although I’ve only done the north. If you mention anywhere on a toll road… as I’ve said… toll paid = not free.
Spain barely had any last time I was there and those it did have were on the toll… so you’ve paid.What I’m saying ‘again’ is this utopian idea of free truck stops and amazing lay-bys is nonsense really. Especially when people throw it into a comparison with the uk. It’s not that different - there are exceptions.
I did give to examples of free parking areas off the toll roads, I’m heading to southern Spain, I know I’ll be able to find plenty of decent places to park for free on the toll free motorways, a lot of the services in Belgium have been renovated and some cook food while you wait and offer discounts to drivers. And I’ve never had to book a route in Belgium and you only have to book a route in Germany if you don’t have the toll collect box. Not got a problem paying for the toilets when they far cleaner than what’s on offer in the UK, and the quality of coffee varies from place to place from good fresh coffee to something similar to Costa to vending machine stuff.
I would agree service station food is rarely something to savour though, but it doesn’t take much to find plenty of decent eating places just off the motorway, unlike the UK where these places are far and few between and more seem to be closing than opening up.
Personally having done many years of UK driving and European driving, I’d go for European every time for many reasons, but if we were all the same it would be a boring World.
muckles:
Jingle Jon:
switchlogic:
Jingle Jon:
I’ve driven all over the EU, for many years and I’ve yet to see this Utopia of free truck-stops and massive FREE lay-bys all over the place…This quote makes it sound like you’ve never even been to Europe…how on earth did you not notice the amount of free rest areas?! They’re everywhere not to mention the full services which are also free to park in. I’m on my way to Italy and one over the channel parking requires no thought at all, I’ll drive until I’m 20 minutes off my max for that day and dive in first free rest areas. It’s great
Where are these high quality, free rest areas. Depending where you go, there’s not much free. Belgium has a few - hardly the Ritz though, just your standard service areas selling crap food. Pay to use toilets and poor coffee. Lux is usually rammed and crap, Italy I’ll give you… although I’ve only done the north. If you mention anywhere on a toll road… as I’ve said… toll paid = not free.
Spain barely had any last time I was there and those it did have were on the toll… so you’ve paid.What I’m saying ‘again’ is this utopian idea of free truck stops and amazing lay-bys is nonsense really. Especially when people throw it into a comparison with the uk. It’s not that different - there are exceptions.
I did give to examples of free parking areas off the toll roads, I’m heading to southern Spain, I know I’ll be able to find plenty of decent places to park for free on the toll free motorways, a lot of the services in Belgium have been renovated and some cook food while you wait and offer discounts to drivers. And I’ve never had to book a route in Belgium and you only have to book a route in Germany if you don’t have the toll collect box. Not got a problem paying for the toilets when they far cleaner than what’s on offer in the UK, and the quality of coffee varies from place to place from good fresh coffee to something similar to Costa to vending machine stuff.
I would agree service station food is rarely something to savour though, but it doesn’t take much to find plenty of decent eating places just off the motorway, unlike the UK where these places are far and few between and more seem to be closing than opening up.
Personally having done many years of UK driving and European driving, I’d go for European every time for many reasons, but if we were all the same it would be a boring World.
With Muckles and SwitchLogic on this one: Lots of free parking in France and Spain particularly. German and Swiss service areas may charge parking for those not eating there, and why not? Those parking without eating are taking space from those who want to eat there. Private parks attached to restaurants in France are the same: the owners of the land are there to run a business after all. Ive never heard of anyone having to pay parking on any French, Spanish, Portugeuse or Italian m-ways. They may well be toll m-ways, but if if youre on that road anyway parking is free. French m-ways generally offer a set menu for truck drivers, and if not most of them give a 20% discount for us. (Show your carte gris/reg doc). Matter of personal choice, sure, but I reckon most Eu restos are streets ahead of 99% of UK ones.
EDIT. Re German m-ways, at the Maut / toll collect points you can choose whichever route you wish. You don`t have to accept the “suggested” route. Just enter a “waypoint” or two when you are booking your route.
Any country parking really not free.Just in UK all motorway free but parking not free.In EU parking free but motorway have big cost.Some day truck pay 100-200 euro per motorway.Example in Italy from first tool station after Mont blank till Milan charge about 80 euro.But gap just about 250 km.So any money go from delivery charge.Just in EU company no way to not pay per motorway .
But found parking after some 6-8 pm in EU same struguly than in UK.In Germany day time sometime problem.IN Italy no chance found anything after 6 pm.In France depend from area.But near most busy motorway not so easy.
I’ve forgotten how we moved from the OP to this, but my experience is the same as Andrejs, and basically what I’m saying is yes there are some free parking for those who know them, but no way is there an adundance of free, high quality parking places and tolls are tolls… a payment.
There’s no shortage of *#>% holes with cafes or lay-bys etc where the owner is glad for a bit of trade, but the vast majority of drivers don’t have time to bug out in search of nice places to park, most end up on Peage service stations which they pay for in the toll.
There’s no such thing as free & quality as a rule of thumb. Remove the gloss of driving somewhere different and no utopia.
Paid for toilet facilities are sometimes clean - sometimes not. The food is sometimes better sometimes not.
Overall though… there’s a drastic shortage of reasonably priced parking both in the U.K. and on the continent.
Jingle Jon:
most end up on Peage service stations which they pay for in the toll.
No…
The driver doesn’t pay the tolls, the company pays the tolls.
Are you thick?
Which bit of that can’t you get your head round?
Jingle Jon:
I’ve forgotten how we moved from the OP to this, but my experience is the same as Andrejs, and basically what I’m saying is yes there are some free parking for those who know them, but no way is there an adundance of free, high quality parking places and tolls are tolls… a payment.There’s no shortage of *#>% holes with cafes or lay-bys etc where the owner is glad for a bit of trade, but the vast majority of drivers don’t have time to bug out in search of nice places to park, most end up on Peage service stations which they pay for in the toll.
There’s no such thing as free & quality as a rule of thumb. Remove the gloss of driving somewhere different and no utopia.
Paid for toilet facilities are sometimes clean - sometimes not. The food is sometimes better sometimes not.
Overall though… there’s a drastic shortage of reasonably priced parking both in the U.K. and on the continent.
All in can say is yours and my experience of European facilities are very different, I agree its not perfect, but I think it’s far better than what you find in the UK, both on and off toll roads.
The bits of Jingle Jon’s argument are the fact the trucks are paying tolls so in essence the parking is not free, well unless you are an owner operator do the tolls effect your wallet?
Also I don’t find it an issue paying 50 cents for a ■■■■ and getting a voucher to use in the services for 50 cents.
From what I have seen though in my limited time in Europe is there is loads of massive parking areas off the main roads for free, services that are free and then truckstops where the most I have paid so far was €10 but I got a €10 meal voucher. In France the Routiers are free parking but you do have to go in and buy a meal.
Well guys,
I’d be very grateful if (those of you with better experiences) would name and locate these wonderful places - list their great offerings, then those of us missing out can bob in and experience these wonders for ourselves.
I thought I’d visited just about every motorway service station between Rotterdam and Linz. From Dover or Zeebrugge to Milan or Paris or Nice, Marseille, Perpipignan and the complete south coast of Spain, as well as from Barcelona to Santander.
I realise this doesn’t cover everywhere, and I accept that I’m quite discerning. But this free utopia of haven heaven just must have passed me by… so do tell - then those drivers heading out that way might also benefit from your knowledge.
Simply saying it’s better over there, without the details… doesn’t carry much weight.
Postcodes would be very useful, then we can all give it a scan on Google earth.
mrginge:
The bits of Jingle Jon’s argument are the fact the trucks are paying tolls so in essence the parking is not free, well unless you are an owner operator do the tolls effect your wallet?
If you understood macro economics you would not have considered asking that question.
yourhavingalarf:
Jingle Jon:
most end up on Peage service stations which they pay for in the toll.No…
The driver doesn’t pay the tolls, the company pays the tolls.
Are you thick?
Which bit of that can’t you get your head round?
That would be the bit where expenses incurred by the company effect how much the company can pay in wages. That also applies to parking in the UK. And of course, I own my own company and vehicles.
I may indeed be thick.
Clearly you are a knowledgeable intellectual and capable of forming an argument without making yourself look like a complete and utter ■■■■ - who should stay in the shallow end of the pool.
I’m guessing you are a mathematics genius and won the debating societies special award for genius at your university.
Either that or you’re a ■■■■ with no ability to think beyond what you can see in front of you. It’s a difficult one.
Jingle Jon:
mrginge:
The bits of Jingle Jon’s argument are the fact the trucks are paying tolls so in essence the parking is not free, well unless you are an owner operator do the tolls effect your wallet?If you understood macro economics you would not have considered asking that question.
Why does the study of macro economics (typically looking at factors such as interest rates, inflation and unemployment to a country’ or region’s GDP ) have any relevance at all here?
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Franglais:
Jingle Jon:
mrginge:
The bits of Jingle Jon’s argument are the fact the trucks are paying tolls so in essence the parking is not free, well unless you are an owner operator do the tolls effect your wallet?If you understood macro economics you would not have considered asking that question.
Why does the study of macro economics (typically looking at factors such as interest rates, inflation and unemployment to a country’ or region’s GDP ) have any relevance at all here?
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Do you think someone who does understand macro economics would make such a comparison?
Do you think macro economics is restricted to: “interest rates, inflation and unemployment to a country’ or region’s GDP”?
Jingle Jon:
Well guys,I’d be very grateful if (those of you with better experiences) would name and locate these wonderful places - list their great offerings, then those of us missing out can bob in and experience these wonders for ourselves.
I thought I’d visited just about every motorway service station between Rotterdam and Linz. From Dover or Zeebrugge to Milan or Paris or Nice, Marseille, Perpipignan and the complete south coast of Spain, as well as from Barcelona to Santander.
I realise this doesn’t cover everywhere, and I accept that I’m quite discerning. But this free utopia of haven heaven just must have passed me by… so do tell - then those drivers heading out that way might also benefit from your knowledge.
Simply saying it’s better over there, without the details… doesn’t carry much weight.
Postcodes would be very useful, then we can all give it a scan on Google earth.
Well if I had a little more spare time I may do that for you. But I’m having a nice crispy baguette stuffed with fresh salad and cheese. I’ll be having a coffee made from fresh ground beans afterwards. I can’t see my truck from my table but it was left in the park. The bins could do with emptying there, but since there’s loafs of tourists maybe a little leeway is due?
Second thoughts, maybe instead of my writing reviews on restos and service areas drivers vould look at TruckFly or the Les Routiers guide books already there? Leaves me more time to enjoy my break.
PS. The service area I’m on is on a peage motorway, so may not be totally free, but I didn’t enter the peage just to access it, so is not an extra cost.
Edit. Taste and smell of fresh coffee doesn’t upload too well onto Google Earth, or I would have been pleased to share it with you all. Yummy.
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Franglais:
Jingle Jon:
Well guys,I’d be very grateful if (those of you with better experiences) would name and locate these wonderful places - list their great offerings, then those of us missing out can bob in and experience these wonders for ourselves.
I thought I’d visited just about every motorway service station between Rotterdam and Linz. From Dover or Zeebrugge to Milan or Paris or Nice, Marseille, Perpipignan and the complete south coast of Spain, as well as from Barcelona to Santander.
I realise this doesn’t cover everywhere, and I accept that I’m quite discerning. But this free utopia of haven heaven just must have passed me by… so do tell - then those drivers heading out that way might also benefit from your knowledge.
Simply saying it’s better over there, without the details… doesn’t carry much weight.
Postcodes would be very useful, then we can all give it a scan on Google earth.
Well if I had a little more spare time I may do that for you. But I’m having a nice crispy baguette stuffed with fresh salad and cheese. I’ll be having a coffee made from fresh ground beans afterwards. I can’t see my truck from my table but it was left in the park. The bins could do with emptying there, but since there’s loafs of tourists maybe a little leeway is due?
Second thoughts, maybe instead of my writing reviews on restos and service areas drivers vould look at TruckFly or the Les Routiers guide books already there? Leaves me more time to enjoy my break.
PS. The service area I’m on is on a peage motorway, so may not be totally free, but I didn’t enter the peage just to access it, so is not an extra cost.
Edit. Taste and smell of fresh coffee doesn’t upload too well onto Google Earth, or I would have been pleased to share it with you all. Yummy.
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There we have it then. Salad & cheese sandwich… with coffee… you can’t get that in the UK can you?
Jingle Jon:
Well guys,I’d be very grateful if (those of you with better experiences) would name and locate these wonderful places - list their great offerings, then those of us missing out can bob in and experience these wonders for ourselves.
I thought I’d visited just about every motorway service station between Rotterdam and Linz. From Dover or Zeebrugge to Milan or Paris or Nice, Marseille, Perpipignan and the complete south coast of Spain, as well as from Barcelona to Santander.
I realise this doesn’t cover everywhere, and I accept that I’m quite discerning. But this free utopia of haven heaven just must have passed me by… so do tell - then those drivers heading out that way might also benefit from your knowledge.
Simply saying it’s better over there, without the details… doesn’t carry much weight.
Postcodes would be very useful, then we can all give it a scan on Google earth.
You’ve never driven anywhere on the continent, stop being a lying fud.
If you had ever been there you would know how much utter dog toffee you are talking.
A.
Jingle Jon:
pierrot 14:
Jingle Jon:
I’ve driven all over the EU, for many years and I’ve yet to see this Utopia of free truck-stops and massive FREE lay-bys all over the place… just another driver rumour. I’m not saying there aren’t any… just I’ve never seen this driver heavenYou’ve obviously haven"t driven in France then
I’ve driven all over France… or much of it. Without naming the various places on Peage… which is naturally not free - included in the toll, I can’t think of anywhere that is FREE to park.
Perhaps you might enlighten us further by posting a list of free parking places / truck-stops in France?
Over to you.
You’ve driven ALL OVER France !!!
Only on Autoroutes then, try coming off them and use the Nationals or Departmentals, there you will find thousands of FREE Routiers ( truck stops ) , sorry but there are just too many to name them all and where they are located.
Let me know next time you’re in France and where you are going and I’ll point you in the right direction. HTH