Driving Home for Christmas: The best service stations in the UK to panic buy gifts


With more than 75% of Brits claiming driving home for Christmas is one of the most stressful parts of festive season, leading motoring retailer JCT600, have found the top service stations to lighten the gift-giving load. The service stations who offer the best pit stops for last minute gifts.
JCT600 has produced the ultimate list of emergency gifting stops across the UK, to ensure which ever direction you are travelling everyone in the family gets a present this year.
Tebay Services
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Hide AdHeading north and need a beautiful gift before you cross the borders then look no further than the grotto that is Tebay Services. Located in the Lake District, this family-owned service station has beautiful shop, café and restaurant. It is the perfect stop for a break on a long Christmas journey and if you were really stuck you could probably buy a gift for the whole family there. From hand crafted Children’s toys to artisan food, stylish clothes and unusual spirits and beers, it is an Aladdin’s cave of local produce and high-quality gifts.
Gloucester Services
Located on the M5 this service station farm shop is the Tebay of the South-West. The perfect stop for local cider, home-baked gifts and any last-minute groceries on your Christmas dinner list. If there is someone you have forgotten on your list then there really is something for everyone, from children’s gifts, books and skincare to traditional foodie, artisan presents.
Monarch Service Station
It may not be exactly on the motorway, but it’s only a 15-minute detour from the M62 in Royton, on the outskirts of Oldham. This Shell and Nisa collaboration doesn’t necessarily scream luxe Christmas gifts, but if you have a sweet tooth in the family, it could be a fabulous stop. The site became an internet sensation at the beginning of 2023 due to its aisles of hard-to-find American sweets. If you’re in the area, it’s worth the detour.
Cairn Lodge
The final outpost as you head to Scotland on the M74 is Cairn Lodge. This picturesque service station has a plentiful farm shop and restaurant based in the turreted remains of Cairn Lodge – once the gate house for Douglas Castle. It is the perfect pit stop to take stock before the family Christmas chaos begins.
Markham Vale
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Hide AdAnd lastly, Markham Vale. A short exit off the M1 the services complex offers much more than standard stop-off fare. There’s a deluxe Chester’s fish and chips drive-through and a pub with a garden and play area. Perhaps more of a stop for a time out before you reach your destination, there is also a small onsite shop for an emergency box of Chocolates.
Founded in 1946, JCT600 has grown to become one of Yorkshire’s largest family-owned businesses, representing 18 of the world’s leading car brands, and two of its own brands; JCT600 Approved and JCT600 Accident Repair Centre.