{"id":2028,"date":"2023-09-14T13:07:16","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T13:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/everyjobsite.co.uk\/guides\/?page_id=2028"},"modified":"2026-08-21T07:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T07:02:23","slug":"m2-motorway-services","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/m2-motorway-services\/","title":{"rendered":"M2 Motorway Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At 26 miles long the M2 would make a nice marathon course. It may feel like a short piece of tarmac, but plenty of motorways come in shorter and it sits comfortably mid-table \u2014 not all of them can be leviathans like the M6 at 232 miles. Built in two years between 1963 and 1965, and with one service station along its length, it is a simple, unfussy road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was very nearly called something else. The road was planned as the A2(M), but after the <em>Daily Telegraph<\/em> reported it as the M2, the Ministry of Transport adopted the name to match. Transport minister Ernest Marples opened the first stretch, junctions 2 to 5, on 29 May 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also holds a quiet distinction: it is the only motorway in England that does not meet another motorway at any of its junctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One service area means planning a stop is unusually simple. It is Medway or nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">M2 Motorway Map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/M2-Motorway-Services-Map.png\" alt=\"M2 Motorway Map\" class=\"wp-image-2029 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"932\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/M2-Motorway-Services-Map.png\" alt=\"M2 Motorway Map\" class=\"wp-image-2029 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/M2-Motorway-Services-Map.png 932w, https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/M2-Motorway-Services-Map-300x107.png 300w, https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/M2-Motorway-Services-Map-768x274.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 932px) 100vw, 932px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/viewer?mid=1JPP6wdeyJoNVuLiiMYAr6_F123owJPA&amp;ll=51.35009169974398%2C0.684375000000017&amp;z=10\">M2 Map of Junctions and Services<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Medway Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> M2 between Junction 4 and Junction 5, Rainham, ME8 8PQ<br><strong>Operator:<\/strong> Moto<br><strong>Access:<\/strong> Both directions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medway opened with the motorway in 1963 under its original name, Farthing Corner. Its best feature is the layout: the building straddles the motorway itself, with a pedestrian walkway linking the eastbound and westbound sides. Arrive on one side and want something only available on the other, and you can simply walk across \u2014 which is not something you can say about many service areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moto lists the two sides separately as Medway Eastbound and Medway Westbound, but in practice it is one site serving both directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Food and drink<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Outlet<\/th><th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Burger King<\/td><td>Main building<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>KFC<\/td><td>Accessible via the pedestrian walkway<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Costa Coffee<\/td><td>Plus Costa Express on the forecourt<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Greggs<\/td><td>Main building<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Krispy Kreme<\/td><td>Standalone counter<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>M&amp;S Food<\/td><td>Food hall, plus M&amp;S Coffee to Go<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>WHSmith<\/td><td>Shop<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fuel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The forecourt is BP-operated and open 24 hours. Unleaded, diesel, premium unleaded, premium diesel, LPG and AdBlue are all available, with a shop and Costa Express alongside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Motorway forecourt prices are reliably well above local supermarket and independent prices. If you are not running on fumes, it is worth coming off at Junction 4 or Junction 5 to fill up \u2014 see our <a href=\"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/motorways\/m2\/\">M2 junction pages<\/a> for what is nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">EV charging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GRIDSERVE Electric Highway operates 13 charging points on each side of the motorway, with 350kW CCS, 100kW CHAdeMO and 11kW Type 2 connectors. Tesla Superchargers rated at 250kW are also on site. For a single-site services on a short motorway, that is genuinely good provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first two hours are free. Charges apply after that and are enforced by a third-party operator, so check the signage when you arrive \u2014 rates change, and they differ for cars and HGVs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hotel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a Travelodge on site, recently refurbished. A practical overnight stop for Rainham, Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham and Maidstone, and within easy driving distance of Leeds Castle and Canterbury Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessibility and family facilities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing Places facilities, showers, baby changing and a RADAR key scheme are all available. There are 7 Blue Badge bays eastbound and 5 westbound. Both sides have a children&#8217;s play area, and there is free WiFi throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Medway worth stopping at?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medway is quieter than most service areas of its size. North Kent&#8217;s only major services sees noticeably less traffic than its scale suggests, which works in your favour at busy times \u2014 queues here are shorter than at comparable sites on the M20 or M25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The offer is solid rather than special. It covers the essentials well, the walkway means you get access to everything on both sides rather than half of it, and the EV charging is better than you would expect. If you are heading for the Channel ports and weighing the M2 against the M20, the M20 gives you more stopping options \u2014 but Medway is the better single stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What services are on the M2?<\/strong><br>One: Medway, between Junctions 4 and 5, accessible from both directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Are M2 services open eastbound and westbound?<\/strong><br>Yes. Medway serves both directions, and a pedestrian walkway connects the two sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do M2 services have a hotel?<\/strong><br>Yes \u2014 a Travelodge at Medway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is there EV charging on the M2?<\/strong><br>Yes. GRIDSERVE Electric Highway operates 13 chargers on each side, up to 350kW, plus Tesla Superchargers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How long can you park at M2 services?<\/strong><br>The first two hours are free. Charges apply beyond that \u2014 check the signage on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Happy Driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Last verified: August 2026. Facilities and parking charges change \u2014 check with the operator before relying on this for a specific stop.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At 26 miles long the M2 would make a nice marathon course. It may feel like &hellip; <a title=\"M2 Motorway Services\" class=\"hm-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/m2-motorway-services\/\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">M2 Motorway Services<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2028","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>M2 Motorway Services - Off The Junction<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/offthejunction.co.uk\/guides\/m2-motorway-services\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"M2 Motorway Services - Off The Junction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At 26 miles long the M2 would make a nice marathon course. 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