M4 between J11 and J12
Signposted from the road.
RG30 3UQ
map and directions
Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
Once one the M4's big shopping service areas, Reading retains its atriums on either side of the road.
Facilities
Catering: Burger King, Chow, Costa Coffee, Greggs, KFC, Pret A Manger, West Cornwall Pasty Co., Costa Express, f'real Milkshakes, Krispy Kreme, M&S Coffee to Go, Tango Ice Blast, Urban Legend Doughnuts, Costa Drive Thru
Shops: on both sides: M&S Food, WHSmith
plus westbound only: Phone Tech
Amenities: Travelodge, Changing Places, Full Hou$e, Lucky Coin, Revolution Laundry, Showers
Outdoor Space: on both sides: Large grass area behind each hotel
plus westbound only: Children's Play Area
Charging Points: on both sides: bp pulse 150kW CCS & 120kW CHAdeMO; GRIDSERVE Electric Highway HPC 350kW CCS, 100kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2
plus westbound only: Tesla Supercharger 250kW
Forecourt: BP, Shop, M&S Food, Wild Bean Café, Free Cash Machine
Parking Prices
First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £33. HGVs can pay £36 to include a £10 food voucher.
Prices are paid in the shop or by using JustPark. The location code is 625147 (westbound) and 625146 (eastbound).
HGVs can also pay by using SNAP. The location code is 13482 (westbound) and 13481 (eastbound).
The fees are strictly enforced by GroupNexus.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Reading Motorway Service Area
Burghfield
Reading
Berkshire
RG30 3UQ
- Westbound amenity building operated by Moto
- Eastbound amenity building operated by Moto
- Westbound hotel operated by Travelodge
- Eastbound hotel operated by Travelodge
- Westbound forecourt operated by BP Express
- Eastbound forecourt operated by BP Express
- Foursquare Page
- 📞 Telephone number: 0118 956 6966
Trivia and Design
See also: History:Reading
In Spring 2017, Transport Focus calculated a 100% satisfaction score for the westbound services and 96% for the eastbound services. This made the westbound services one of the country's top two. By 2019, westbound had fallen to 84%, with eastbound on 90%.
As one of the newer service areas, Reading's two buildings are both build around an atrium, with south-facing windows. Over time this has been extended significantly with new retail units.
During summer 2021, the former westbound external Costa kiosk was refurbished and rented out to Evapo Vape Shop. They later closed in April 2022. The kiosk was rented by Top Gift in 2023, with Phone Tech taking the unit in early 2024 following Top Gift's closure.
Moto added electric vehicle charging hubs on both sides in 2022, which both feature a further 12 ultra-rapid chargers. The eastbound hub went live in December 2022, with the westbound hub following in January 2023.
BP Pulse electric vehicle charging points were also installed here in 2020, but due to disputes between BP and Moto about power supply the eastbound side was only switched on in March 2023. Works continued on the westbound side to install additional power supply for the chargers in summer 2023, with the chargers eventually going live in Autumn 2023.
The eastbound side received major investment in 2022 with the toilets and showers being refurbished along with the former EDC restaurant being replaced by a relocated Costa store as well as a new KFC restaurant, which opened on 30 May 2022. Moto also added an additional 18 HGV spaces as part of their investment into improving facilities for HGV drivers.
The westbound side also received a toilet and shower refurbishment and 18 additional HGV spaces in 2022, with works commencing on the inside of the main building to add a Pret A Manger store in early 2023. The new Pret A Manger store opened on 28 March 2023 and replaced the space formerly occupied by the main Costa store. The additional second Costa store at the back of the building has since become the main Costa store, gaining a refurbishment in early March 2023.
Moto were also looking at adding a Greggs Drive Thru to the area by the eastbound coach park, which would have been the first Greggs drive-thru at a motorway service area and a second drive thru option for Reading eastbound, but this is no longer the case. Following the opening of the new drive-thru, the current Greggs store was lined up to become a Pret A Manger store, but a Pret A Manger store was later added inside the main building on 19 March 2024 instead.
Moto's next project could be to build a solar farm next to the eastbound service area, providing power for the facilities and the charging points.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Heston (32 miles) South Mimms (M25 north, 54 miles) Cobham (M25 south, 45 miles) Toddington (M1 north, 63 miles) | Services on the M4 | Chieveley (12 miles) |
| Heston (32 miles) Toddington (M1 north, 63 miles) | Moto services | Chieveley (12 miles) |
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