M42 Services
The M42 has three places to stop, and they are not evenly spread. This page shows where they are and how far apart, so you can plan a break before you need one.
M42 services in road order
| Services | Junction | Operator | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hopwood Park | J2 (A441) | Welcome Break | One site at the junction |
| Tamworth | J10 (A5) | Moto | One site at the junction |
| Appleby Magna | J11 (A444) | Shell forecourt with a McDonald’s | One site at the junction |
All three are junction sites: you leave the motorway at the junction to reach them and rejoin afterwards, so they serve both directions.
The long gap in the middle
Hopwood Park is at about mile 6 of the M42 and Tamworth at about mile 32. That leaves roughly 26 miles, including the whole of the busy stretch past the M40, Solihull, the NEC, the airport and the M6, with nowhere to stop on the motorway. Plans for another service area south of Birmingham Airport and the NEC have been discussed since the 1990s, but none has been built.
If you are joining from the M40 at Junction 3A and heading north, your first stop on the M42 is Tamworth. If you are joining from the M6 and heading south, your first stop is Hopwood Park.
Which one to choose
- Hopwood Park is the full-service stop at the south-western end, with food outlets, a Little Waitrose and EV charging.
- Tamworth is the full-service stop at the north-eastern end, with a Travelodge, an Esso forecourt and high-power EV charging, including charging for lorries.
- Appleby Magna is a fuel station and drive-thru where the M42 becomes the A42.
Outlets and opening hours change from time to time, so check with the operator if you are relying on something in particular.
Check the road before you stop
Before you pull in, the latest M42 traffic news shows whether anything has been reported ahead. For services on the roads that meet the M42, see M40 Traffic, M6 Traffic and M5 Traffic.