Motorway Services on the M6

Motorway
Services on the M6

If you’re making a journey on the M6, Britain’s longest motorway, and need to take a rest stop, then you’re in luck! Roadchef has four motorway services on the M6, three on the southbound carriageway and one on the Northbound carriageway.

Furthermore, Roadchef has a single site on the M6 Toll, Roadchef Norton Canes. This is the only motorway services on the M6 Toll and opened in March 2004. The M6 toll is Britain’s only tolled motorway, running 27 miles from Junction 11a at Wolverhampton to Junction 3a Coleshill. The M6 Toll opened two years prior to the opening of Roadchef Norton Canes.

The M6 is 231 miles from its most southern point at Junction 1 near Rugby, Warwickshire to its most northerly point at Junction 45, located close to Gretna in Scotland.

The M6 has links with fourteen other motorways, five of which contain Roadchef motorway services. The list below gives a list of motorway links to the M6 containing Roadchef motorway services:

Before you travel, find out more about the Roadchef motorway services on the M6 and plan your journey.

  Plan your journey on the M6 or M6 Toll via a Roadchef motorway services

Our M6 Motorway Services

Killington Lake

Killington Lake

Between Junction 37 and Junction 36 on the M6 Southbound, this Cumbrian site has a beautiful view
  Plan your visit to Killington Lake
Norton Canes

Norton Canes

The only motorway services on the M6 Toll
  Plan your visit to Norton Canes
Sandbach Northbound

Sandbach Northbound

Cheshire's best motorway services, located between Junction 16 and Junction 17 on the M6 Northbound
  Plan your visit to Sandbach Northbound
Sandbach Southbound

Sandbach Southbound

Between Junction 17 and Junction 16 on the M6 Southbound - great brands and high-powered EV Chargers
  Plan your visit to Sandbach Southbound
Stafford Southbound

Stafford Southbound

One of the UK's top five motorway services, located between Junction 15 and 14 on the M6 Southbound
  Plan your visit to Stafford Southbound

More than a service station

Convenience

Your time is precious, so you can quickly grab a delicious Costa Coffee from one of our 22 Drive Thrus, skip the queues and order ahead with the My McDonald's app, or even visit the first and only McDonald's Drive Thru on the motorway at Roadchef Durham.

Experience

As well as being voted the best big MSA operator, we bring the UK's favourite brands to the motorway. From McDonald's to Costa Coffee, LEON and WHSmith, we have something to suit all tastes.

Value

With amazing deals across all of our brands, you can find great value at any Roadchef location. The incredible value and quality of McDonald's on the high street is also mirrored at Roadchef, so you can feed the family for less

Where are the motorway services on the M6?

There are four Roadchef motorway services on the M6 - Roadchef Sandbach Northbound on the northbound carriageway and a trio of motorway services on the Southbound carriageway; Killington Lake near Kendal, Sandbach Southbound, and Stafford Southbound.

M6 Southbound motorway services

Of the trio of Roadchef motorway services on the M6 Southbound, you’ll first reach Roadchef Killington Lake.

Located near Kendal between Junction 37 and Junction 36 of the M6 motorway, Roadchef Killington Lake opened in 1972, before being fully renovated in 1985.

Alongside beautiful views of the body of water that the motorway services is named after, Killington Lake motorway services has a 24/7 McDonald’s, a Costa Coffee and a WHSmith, which is also open 24/7.

In Autumn 2023, Roadchef Killington Lake won a Loo of the Year award for having the UK’s best Public Toilet. You could say it’s number one for taking a number one!

Roadchef Killington Lake has a gaming area for adults and a small indoor play area for children.

Away from Killington Lake’s main amenity building, you’ll find the Days Inn by Wyndham Kendal hotel. With rooms available from less than £40, the affordable Lake District hotel offers affordable breaks for leisure visits to Cumbria and The Lakes or a cheap way to break up your journey with an overnight stay.

Killington Lake has a small number of EV chargers on site; with a single medium-power CCS charger offering up to 100kW.

Further south between junction 17 and 16 in Cheshire, Roadchef Sandbach Southbound has some of the UK’s biggest brands on site to fuel your journey to the Midlands and Warwickshire.

At Sandbach Southbound, a 24-hour McDonald’s is accompanied by an all-hours WHSmith. For those looking for a refreshing drink, you’ll find a Costa Coffee in the main amenity building and a Costa Coffee Drive-Thru for those who don’t want to leave their vehicle.

A Chozen Noodle unit in Sandbach Southbound serves a variety of tasty noodle and rice dishes. Why not grab some gyoza while you’re there?

Eight EV chargers at Sandbach Southbound give EV drivers the chance to recharge. Sandbach Southbound has two medium-powered charges and six high-powered 350kW chargers, allowing EV drivers to get back on their journey in no time.

The southbound Cheshire site has a gaming area.

The final southbound site on the M6 is Stafford Southbound, which finished in the UK’s top five motorway services in the 2023 Transport Focus Motorway Services User Survey.

Located between junction 15 for Stoke-on-Trent and junction 14 for Stafford (N), Roadchef Stafford Southbound has McDonald’s and WHSmith, which are both open 24/7.

The Chozen Noodle at Stafford Southbound serves up Asian-inspired dishes, including an incredible-tasting Sticky Chicken and the meat-free Leaf Beef!

There are currently two medium-powered 60kW-capable chargers at Roadchef Stafford Southbound.

For those visiting Staffordshire for Alton Towers, the National Arboretum or the world-famous Potteries, Stafford Southbound has an affordable hotel - Days Inn by Wyndham Stafford.

The hotel has rooms of all size from £39; suitable for solo business travellers, families and couples looking for a night away at a great price.

M6 Northbound motorway services

There is only one Roadchef motorway services on the northbound carriageway of the M6.

Roadchef Sandbach Northbound, located between Junction 16 and Junction 17 of the M6, has a variety of food and drink offers alongside EV chargers and a gaming area.

On-site, a 24/7 McDonald’s serves the brand's iconic burgers to hungry road users whilst an all-hours WHSmith has a variety of drinks, snacks, sandwiches, newspapers and magazines.

For those looking for a hot or cold drink to fuel their journey, Sandbach Northbound’s Costa Coffee serves a wide range and was refurbished in 2023.

Coco di Mama at Sandbach Northbound is the only Italian food brand on the M6 motorway, serving fresh, heartwarming pasta classics alongside garlic ciabatta, fresh focaccia and Italian sweets.

Roadchef’s own Fresh Food Cafe serves plated classics to fuel your journey, including fish and chips, jacket potatoes, sausage and mashed potatoes plus an ever-evolving range of dishes to satisfy your appetite.

As of October 2024, three EV chargers at Sandbach Northbound offer up to 60kW with both CCS and CHAdeMO cables.

The site has a gaming area for over 18’s too.

M6 Toll motorway services

If you’re leaving the M6 at junction 11a or junction 3a for the M6 Toll, you might be looking for motorway services to break your journey. Look no further.

The only motorway services on the M6 Toll is Roadchef Norton Canes. The site has 450 car parking spaces alongside 51 HGV parking spaces, 25 coach parking spaces and enough parking for six cars towing caravans.

In the main amenity building, you’ll find a 24/7 McDonald’s and 24-hour WHSmith alongside a Costa Coffee, LEON, Coco Di Mama, Chozen Noodle, Fresh Food Cafe and SPAR. A large seating area ensures you can eat and drink in comfort.

For those looking to refresh, there are on-site toilets and showers available to use. Roadchef Norton Canes has a Changing Places too.

Outside the main amenity building, four 60kW capable EV chargers are available, with both CCS and CHAdeMO charging systems available.

Roadchef Norton Canes on the M6 Toll has an affordable hotel on site too - Days Inn by Wyndham Cannock, which is perfect for a visit to Birmingham and the Black Country.

M6 and M6 Toll Motorway FAQS

Before you travel on the M6 or M6 Toll, here are some frequently asked questions to ensure your journey goes smoothly

Which M6 motorway services have McDonald’s?

All Roadchef motorway services on the M6 motorway have a 24/7 McDonald’s. Roadchef are the only motorway services with McDonald’s in the UK.

On the M6, you’ll find 24/7 McDonald’s at Sandbach Northbound, Killington Lake, Sandbach Southbound and Stafford Southbound. Roadchef Norton Canes on the M6 Toll has a 24/7 McDonald’s too.

How long is the M6 motorway?

The M6 motorway was built in 1958 and has seen many extensions since then, including the addition of the M6 Toll.

The motorway runs from Rugby, Warwickshire to Gretna, Scotland, officially running 231 miles and passing through ten counties.

How much is it to travel on the M6 Toll?

Prices vary on the M6 Toll depending on a variety of factors including the type of vehicle being driven, where you join the M6 Toll and where you leave the M6 Toll. Prices vary from £3.30 to £17.20

Cheaper toll rates can be used by signing up for an M6 Toll breeze account. The M6 Toll breeze account offers lower prices and speedier passage through the toll booth.

Where does the M6 motorway start and finish?

The M6 motorway starts at Junction 1, located near Rugby, Warwickshire and runs North to Gretna in Scotland. The motorway passes through major UK cities, including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Lancaster and Carlisle.

Tributary motorways offer routes to Chester, Manchester, Liverpool, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and the South East.

Is the M6 a smart motorway?

Large sections of the M6 motorway can be classed as a smart motorways. The areas that have had smart motorway technology fitted onto the M6 are:

  • Junction 4 to Junction 10a
  • Junction 13 to Junction 15
  • Junction 16 to Junction 19
  • Junction 21a to Junction 26

A smart motorway is a form of intelligent traffic management, whereby the speed and lane availability on the carriageway can be adapted to suit the circumstances, including congestion and vehicle breakdowns.

As of 2024, the M6 has emergency areas located on the outside of the left-hand lane. These are currently located between Junction 13 and Junction 15 of the M6 motorway, with additional emergency areas being retrofitted between Junction 21a and Junction 26.