The (Ugly) Sisters, at Macon south is currently closed. Big truck park beside it looks like a building site.
Real name is La Halte Des Routiers I think. Place hadn’t been decorated for ages, and could be noisy, but good food and friendly always.
Franglais:
The (Ugly) Sisters, at Macon south is currently closed. Big truck park beside it looks like a building site.
Real name is La Halte Des Routiers I think. Place hadn’t been decorated for ages, and could be noisy, but good food and friendly always.
That’s a shame, never used it but it looks like a good place with all that parking. Lots of commercial premises round there so such a large park would be very valuable.
Spardo:
Franglais:
The (Ugly) Sisters, at Macon south is currently closed. Big truck park beside it looks like a building site.
Real name is La Halte Des Routiers I think. Place hadn’t been decorated for ages, and could be noisy, but good food and friendly always.That’s a shame, never used it but it looks like a good place with all that parking. Lots of commercial premises round there so such a large park would be very valuable.
Food wasn’t brilliant, only stopped there on occasion because they were opened on Friday nights… last time I was there, me and my colleague had the day’s menu, rabbit… my colleague had to use every toilet between there and the border the following day!
Parking is good though, once swapped a machine there with a French colleague, enough space there to not hit any other wagons 
pv83:
Spardo:
Franglais:
The (Ugly) Sisters, at Macon south is currently closed. Big truck park beside it looks like a building site.
Real name is La Halte Des Routiers I think. Place hadn’t been decorated for ages, and could be noisy, but good food and friendly always.That’s a shame, never used it but it looks like a good place with all that parking. Lots of commercial premises round there so such a large park would be very valuable.
Food wasn’t brilliant, only stopped there on occasion because they were opened on Friday nights… last time I was there, me and my colleague had the day’s menu, rabbit… my colleague had to use every toilet between there and the border the following day!
Parking is good though, once swapped a machine there with a French colleague, enough space there to not hit any other wagons
Bit tight for me though perhaps ? 
Spardo:
pv83:
Spardo:
Franglais:
The (Ugly) Sisters, at Macon south is currently closed. Big truck park beside it looks like a building site.
Real name is La Halte Des Routiers I think. Place hadn’t been decorated for ages, and could be noisy, but good food and friendly always.That’s a shame, never used it but it looks like a good place with all that parking. Lots of commercial premises round there so such a large park would be very valuable.
Food wasn’t brilliant, only stopped there on occasion because they were opened on Friday nights… last time I was there, me and my colleague had the day’s menu, rabbit… my colleague had to use every toilet between there and the border the following day!
Parking is good though, once swapped a machine there with a French colleague, enough space there to not hit any other wagons
Bit tight for me though perhaps ?
You might struggle mate… 
Found a nice little genuine Routiers the other week called Au Mille Pattes near the junction with the A1 and the A26 near Arras, details are on Truckfly in a small village on the road to Douai, good parking and a decent shower, (took a while for the hot water to come through), run by several young people who are eager to please as I think they have only recently taken it over. No problems with unwanted passengers as yet probably as its going away from Calais.
chazzer:
Found a nice little genuine Routiers the other week called Au Mille Pattes near the junction with the A1 and the A26 near Arras, details are on Truckfly in a small village on the road to Douai, good parking and a decent shower, (took a while for the hot water to come through), run by several young people who are eager to please as I think they have only recently taken it over. No problems with unwanted passengers as yet probably as its going away from Calais.
I’ll make a note in my old falling to bits 2000 Michelin Chazzer, thanks, but I think my travelling days are over. 
Heading for England a few weeks ago I made my first stop at Les Grottes (not at all as bad as it sounds, shades of Reginald Perrin ) at Vierzon. A newish one it is excellent and I had a very good meal there in equally good company, 2 Frenchmen and a Fleming Belge. Of course he spoke all our languages and more beside and we ended up, just the 2 of us, with little coffees outside in the dying sun.
Equally good for breakfast in the morning, and after a lovely shower in very clean facilities I set off up the old N 20 to save a bit of peage money. I always go this way as far as Salbris only going onto the autoroute to avoid Orleans. The night before, because I was running early, I had considered overnighting at La Loge, only 10 minutes further on but was glad I didn’t when I heard from one of my French companions that it was closed. I knew it had shut for a time because of covid, and that it had a chequered history, transferring from one side to the other way back and then shutting for various reasons from time to time. My 2nd Dobermann job, many years ago,from Brittany to the Alps, had earned my passenger several pieces of donated steaks from my dinner companions, they were too big to finish. 
. My big boy downed the lot in one mouthfull and then cuddled up beside me for the night as I used to sleep in the car in those days.
Anyway, I asked my dining companion the reason for La Loge’s current closure and was surprised at the reply ‘Brule, Boom, il y a une annee’.
On my way north the next morning I pulled off and got the camera out. This is what I saw. He wasn’t kidding. 
Click once for the full effect.
Hi David, I have really enjoyed going over this thread again and it’s surprising just how many of those places that I still remember.
I can’t think why anybody would want to cook a full meal in the cab if they were doing France or Italy. The choice of exceptional food at reasonable prices was always available, apart from the Autoroute service areas which could sometimes be a bit pricey.
I noticed on page 3 of this thread, a photo of what we called ‘The Wooden Hut’ restaurant in Czechoslovakia, which was posted by Superswede 10.
This place was a very popular ‘waterhole’ with British drivers heading East back in 70’s/ 80’s. The food was nothing to write home about unless you liked Biefstek and Gherkin salad but the attractive waitresses were worth a mention.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago on ‘The Promotors’ thread about one of our lads who fell in love with one of the waitresses and some thirty years later through Facebook, the daughter who he never knew he had, contacted him.
I have a feeling that a Trucknet member mentioned this place in one of his story’s a few years ago and if I can dig it out, then I shall repost it on S.D.U.’s Trucks, Tracks, Tall Tales and True thread.
Re: Favorite Routiers and other European Truckstops
Postby jacko22 » Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:59 pm
There was 2 restuarants at santhia & if i am sure a nightclub too as well as the swimming pool
Re: Favorite Routiers and other European Truckstops
Postby mushroomman » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:02 am
Hello Jacko, the wooden chalet at Santhia was not bad if you were week-ending in the summer as you could walk around to that open air swimming pool in the village. One Sunday lunch time we were all sitting down inside having lunch when there was a cloud burst outside. Rain started streaming through the roof in dozens of places, the staff were dashing around picking up some of the tables while we were still eating and moved them to where ever there was a dry spot. Buckets, pots and pans were then used to catch some of the water as the customers carried on eating some of them not even batting an eyelid. As the waiters were really busy they asked some of the drivers to keep an eye on the containers so as one bucket or a large saucepan was reaching the top somebody would get up, open the window and empty it out. Come to think of it wasn’t there two places where you could park up in Santhia .
Regards Steve.
The Wooden Chalet in Santhia now looks a bit neglected. 
The Piccadilly looks like it is still going, along with the swimming pool "Piscina San Lorenzo’ just over the bridge.
Somebody might remember that you had to buy and wear one of those rubber bathing caps, before you used the pool.
