A stop at motorway services is out of necessity rather than pleasure.
The need for the toilet, food and drink, a rest from driving and to fill up with petrol compel thousands of visitors to take a break from driving.
But some services are better than others up and down the UK.
Trowell Services - the only motorway service station in Nottinghamshire - got a damning review from consumer champion Which? in a round up of the best and worst last summer.
Two stars for the range and quality of food and shops; two stars for price, two for cleanliness and three for convenience and accessibility placed it in the bottom tranche of 68 service stations.
Ranking in 57th position the service station, between junctions 25 and 26 on the M1, had a lowly 46 percent rate of satisfaction.
Six months on we paid it a visit to see how it fares now.
But first for context, let's take a look at Gloucester Services on the M5 that came out top of the survey. It boasts a kitchen serving home-cooked food including a full English, lasagne, fish and chips and a rib-eye steak sandwich made with meat from local produce: Todenham Manor Farm rib-eye, Mayfield cheese in a ciabatta roll from Bertinet Bakery with onions, peppers and Tracklements' horseradish sauce.
The attractive seating area opens out onto an outdoor dining terrace overlooking a duck pond and surrounding hills.
That's not all - there's a farm shop full of products from within a 30-mile radius including a butcher's counter, fish, deli, cheese and patisserie, plus clothing, homewares, toys and wellbeing products you’re unlikely to find elsewhere.
This is service station that's definitely a cut above the rest.
There's nothing quite as fancy-pants as that at Trowell, which is one of the country's smaller pit-stops.
Whether northbound or southbound, each side is dominated by fast food chains and the only local touches are the people who work there.
If you want something hot to eat and drink there's the choice of Greggs, Costa Coffee, and Burger King selling the same produce as the high street stores but more costly.
A coffee and sausage roll from Greggs set me back £3.35 - nearly a pound more expensive than the shops in Nottingham city centre.
There's plenty of tables and trendy mis-matched chairs inside and a handful outside overlooking the car park.
As well as the main Costa, travellers can use express machines and there's a designated takeaway northbound, which is closed but I guess it's open at busier times.
If you want something hot and wholesome to eat, no chance. Later in the day when Greggs has closed, the choice is a burger... or a burger.
So junk food it is rather than a seasonal frittata, lamb and mint pie, or venison and cranberry sausages with mash and pickled red cabbage like those lucky drivers passing through Gloucester.
If the options are driven by demand the majority of Midlands motorists want something quick, cheap and eaten in their hands rather than on a plate with a knife and fork.
The seating area southbound has a more modern feel and both sides are clean when I visited on Thursday morning.
Fellow customers are a mix of business travellers, couples, labourers in high vis jackets and lorry drivers. Whether it's as clean on a busy Friday night or Saturday morning I can't say.
For those essential forgotten items after you've left home, WH Smith has everything: phone chargers, nappies, headache tablets, cuddly toys and winter jackets priced £25.
Boring journey? Travellers can stock up on books and magazines and there's crisps and sweets to pass the time and keep the kids quiet.
Anyone returning home to a bare fridge, a look around M&S Simply Food will solve that. Milk, bread, a sandwich or steak pie will do nicely. And there's bottles of wine and beer to help you unwind.
The variety of shops and food at Trowell is limited, so like the Which? survey I wouldn't score it highly but I'd give it more than two stars.
And as for prices, they're always inflated at service stations so it's either their way or the highway.
The toilets? I'd give them five stars. North or south, the ladies are scrupulously clean (I can't speak for the gents).
There's even a vase of flowers near the sinks. The wash basins, like the loos, are sparkling and the soap dispensers are fully working.
The toilet doors on the north have a strange elbow-operated opening and closing contraption and a foot-operated door, which must have been introduced as Covid safety measures.
No doubt the busier it is, the more hygiene standards slip but I'm of the view it's as much the responsibility of the user to leave it how they'd like to find it as much as the cleaners'.
There's certainly nothing to complain about at this particular time.
Other features at the Moto-operated service station are fruit machines, a cabinet of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, cash machines and a microwave for warming baby feeds.
There's also a shower next to the toilets, near the bridge is a multi-faith room, and a defibrillator on both sides which hopefully isn't needed too often but good to have on stand-by.
If your shoulders are aching after a lengthy drive, sit in one of the massage chairs. For a pound, it will knead those tired muscles - bargain!
The architecture, decor and food and drink are never going to win any awards but I set off on my journey refreshed and perked up on coffee.
Other motorists have differing opinions.
Here's what one review had to say: "It was average, but it must be difficult to remain happy and motivated in a motorway service establishment."
One of the worst reported: "Rather push my car up the M1 than visit here again. Seen better festival toilets," but one of the best concluded: "A very nice place to refresh and located at an important point where you can easily get basic refreshments and have a cup of coffee before continuing with your journey."
Whatever Trowell's faults it doesn't fare as badly as Bridgwater on the M5 junction 24 which came bottom of the league with just 32 percent satisfaction.
Which? warned travellers not to stop, even if you are desperate for the toilet.
"Not only is it terrible, but by the time you’ve left the M5, navigated two roundabouts, found a space in the cramped split-level car park and contended with the confusing layout and crowds inside, you may as well have driven the extra 12 miles to either Sedgemoor or Taunton Dean services.
"You’ll wish you had. Bridgwater earned one star in every category of our survey, including ease of social distancing and cleanliness, with recent visitors describing it as ‘dirty’, ‘depressing’ and ‘unsafe’, and others complaining of a urine smell and toilet paper strewn on the floor.
"Another simply said it ‘should be demolished’. Verdict: There’s bad and then there’s Bridgwater."
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