Lavatory facilites at Motorway Services

By pass the main services building and go straight to the fuel filling station...most of them have toilets just a few paces from the car.

If your journey includes the M6, I can thoroughly recommend Tebay Services, run by Westmorland. Their toilets are near the entrance and well signposted. In the Southbound one recently, I think it was about 10 paces from the front door to reach them, then a very short passage into the Ladies.

Actually I'd recommend them for anything. Good food, lovely place to sit eating it, overlooking a duck pond (usually inhabited by some ducks). Nice Farm shop attached too.

Griselda; I've never actually used my sheewee [even when out walking] as I tried it at home but it went everywhere . I did find the peebol packets that came with it far more reassuring, although, thankfully, I 've still never needed to use one. Those plastic bottle thingys look far more practical [I've seen them advertised in catalogues]. I was just as bad even when young; when we used to travel round Europe in an old Morris 1000 I realised that it was better to wear a long flowing skirt if I needed to stop by the side of the road. But these days leggings are far better; hold the Tena lady in place and you don't have to fiddle with buttons and zips when you finally find a loo.

I don't know which is worse, desperately needing the loo or having to wear a dress.

A bit silly really. Because if you're in a rush to get to the toilet you're not going to stop and look at the goods, and if navigating through the shops and cafe has made it too late and you wet yourself, you're not going to want to use the shops and cafe anyway. And... the places got their licence for the few rare services points on the basis that they would allow people to just use the facilities, so they might as well acknowledge that role and make it convenient. I mean there is such a thing as customer loyalty. If you used a place and felt grateful the toilets were convenient to use, you'll be more likely to stop in the same place every time you make the journey and eventually you will buy something. And you'll recommend it to others.

Now we have retired we pop off for breaks which sometimes involve driving fair distances. Traffic jams are so common and sometimes long lasting now I live in fear of getting caught short. On internet I have found some ladies portable devices which could be used discretely under a skirt or dress. They turn the wee to gel. Thinking about getting pack to keep in car for emergencies.

Tenas are the answer, for just in case moments.

I always carry P-Mates in my bag - the cardboard equivalent of a shewee probably but they're disposable and fold flat. I always use them in festival toilets to avoid sitting down or touching too much. My husband used to get really annoyed at me constantly looking for toilets but then he had a bladder stone and finally understood. Now we stop at regular intervals if travelling a long distance but I do have a horror of getting stuck in a traffic jam.

In reading all these responses to my original post, I am wondering how influence can be brought to bear on these dastardly M/W Services? Of course it would all be waste of time as the Loos are provided FOC and they have to paid for somehow, hence the hike around the eateries et al. So it would seem precautions must be made - as per one or two posts - but I have got access to the 24hr Duty Managers phone at Exeter so that the 'back door' can be made available! I guess it would be inappropriate if I shared this?

Putting loos at the back od any services is a ploy to get people to fill their bladders yet again!

I was going a long way with husband , son , daughter in law and child in car. Am the only driver and there were really bad hold ups. Had to leave main road and wee on a large piece of grass in front of a row of houses - went behind a tree and fortunately it was dark!

That is a relief, Griselda (see what I did there?)
Although I do believe the Tesla has a hands free driving option

My biggest worry is finding a long queue having done the route march from the car park.

There's been many a time I've been grateful to have DH and his Blue Badge sitting next to me. I know the badge is for his benefit and not mine but he has a cast iron bladder!

MawBroom - I'm willing to pull into a lay-by.

We need Quick Pee Parking nearest the door that is nearest to the loos.

Meanwhile I carry my personal urinal (broad-necked bottle with a screw top) under the passenger seat.

Sarah Millican described how when she was stuck (alone) in a traffic jam and badly needed a wee she moved over to the passenger seat and did it, then later took it to a garage to be cleaned up, explaining that the dog had done it ?.

Not while driving Griselda (at least I don’t think so )

I do all the driving so I only have a small cup of decaff coffee before leaving and nothing else. That way I can manage three hours without having to stop.

I always tell any passengers that I don't mind stopping if they need the loo but I won't stop for drinks unless the journey is longer.

I can't see the point in stopping for the loo, having a very pricey drink, going to the loo again on the way out then needing to stop again because of the large drink. No wonder they want to lure you in.

You can survive for hours on a tube of fruit gums.

I've been looking at the 'shewee' some of you use. I can't see how it works if you are sitting down . Please could someone explain if I would be able to use it in the driving seat of my car.

Shows how long it has been. Can you still get in from the back (coach and lorry park?)
Thinking back to how disabled Paw became in the year before he died, it brings it home to me how many things would have been impossible for us

They have, Maw. You can no longer take a straight line through. I've been in there twice recently with my mum, and have to say that she found it a bit confusing - if I hadn't gone in with her, i'm not sure she would have found her way back to the car!

Well they must have moved things around at Tibshelf! It used to be a regular pit stop for us and the walk past the eateries was perfectly straight or alternatively you could park round the back where the coaches parked up and of course the toilets were very close to that back door. I wonder if that might not have been unconnected?

And there was I thinking I was the only one. I agree that the provision in France is much worse than it is in the UK. Travelling fairly long distances on ordinary roads there is often no provision at all. I am willing to go behind the bushes but am a bit nervous about doing it when I am alone. In England I have found Tesco very useful.

If I'm needing a loo when I'm in London I always go into a hotel. Just look confident! Interesting point abou motorways, I'll remember that. The provision for disabled people is appalling in the U.K. MPs and councillors should all have a few days in a wheelchair.

kitty; I did that when I arrived at Derby station and missed the bus; had to wait an hour for the next one and couldn't get back onto a station platform to use the loos there, so went to the hotel next door. Tried to walk in looking as if I knew where I was going but I think they were used to it happening. The S.O. always nips into hotels if necessary, something I would never have dared to do before I knew him...