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Content:
Fleet
MSO Home - Services List - Fleet
Welcome Break services, M3 between J4a and J5
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Road: M3
Junction: Between J4a and J5
Operator: Welcome Break
Location: Hampshire GU51 1AA
Telephone: 01252 621656
Signed from the motorway? Yes
Previous operators: Trusthouse Forte
Previous names: none
Services type: Two sites located between junctions, connected by an internal bridge.
Official website: Visit Fleet/Welcome Break's official website
Built in the middle of a forest, Fleet is a popular service area on the main route between London and the South West. It can get quite busy during holiday times and is one of few services to offer McDonalds as well as KFC and Burger King.
Choose a section: Main Page | Location, Map & Directions
Facilities:
General: Cash Machine, Pay Phones, Meeting Room, BT Openzone, Gamezone, HA Traffic Information, Showers
Food/Drink: Burger King, Coffee Primo, EAT IN, KFC, McDonalds
Shopping: WH Smith
Fuel: Shell (pump types unknown)
Motel: Days Inn
Photos:
Click on a photo to view the full size. If you have one to add, contact me. It's never too late to get your name in the limelight.
 | The front of the services today. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2008 by Julian P Guffogg. It's used under this Creative Commons |
 | Standing in the doorway, where you are greeted by an array of things for sale. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2008 by Mark Schueler. |
 | The petrol station. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2008 by Mark Schueler. |
 | Looking down the exit slip, if it wasn't for the motorway in the distance you could be forgiven for thinking we're on National Trust land. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2008 by Mark Schueler. |
 | A lot of the older Welcome Breaks are home to signs like these, sitting right before the motorway. It looks like there was once a third service area on this sign which has been covered up, and after a bit of thinking I reckon this was Pease Pottage. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2008 by Mark Schueler. |
 | The bridge between the two services. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2007 by Chris Downer. It's used under this Creative Commons |
 | During 2006 Welcome Break had a brief period of painting everything orange, this is what Fleet looked like. Photo taken whilst travelling eastbound in 2006 by Ray Stanton. It's used under this Creative Commons |
 | Fleet a couple of years ago, where it looked very shabby. Photo taken whilst travelling southbound in 2005 by Pete Chapman. It's used under this Creative Commons |
Trivia:
For quite a while Fleet was the only service area on the M3, and even today it's the only 'proper' services for south-western traffic for the next 130 miles!
It's one of two Welcome Break services which have a McDonalds. In 1995 Welcome Break announced that following its success they were going to open a McDonalds at all of their services, but this process was stopped after Welcome Break was bought by Granada who already had a deal with Burger King.
They were one of the first services to try out Welcome Break's new look in 2006.
Survey results:
In 2006 and again in 2007, the toilets at the petrol station were given a three-star loo award. The services themselves were rated four-star.
The services were inspected by the AA on the 24th and 25th of March 2007. These are their results:
| Category: | Rating: |
| Road safety and parking: | Acceptable |
| Outdoor facilities: | Very Poor |
| Access and indoor facilities: | Very Poor |
| Catering: | Acceptable |
| Shop: | Very Good |
| Service: | Good |
| Family Friendliness: | Very Poor |
| Hygiene: | Good |
| Pricing: | Poor |
| Final Score: | Acceptable |
The services were said to be well signed and supervised, with a good shop and clean facilities. The biggest problem raised was the lack of disabled access. The lack of outside space and cold snacks were also highlighted.
Parking Prices:
Vehicle: | For up to 2 hours: | For 2 hours to 24 hours: |
| Cars: | FREE | £8* |
| HGVs & Carvans: | FREE | £20** |
| Coaches: | FREE | £20** |
* Price includes a £2 meal voucher, ** Price includes a £7 meal voucher | ||
Alternatives:
- South Mimms Welcome Break services on the M25, 52 miles to the east.
- Pease Pottage Moto services on the M23, 51 miles to the east.
- Clacket Lane RoadChef services on the M25, 48 miles to the east.
- Toddington Moto services on the M1, 18 miles to the east.
- Reading Moto services on the M4, 27 miles to the west.
- Winchester RoadChef services on the M3, 25 miles to the west.
- Forton local services on the A303, 31 miles to the west.
Main Page | Location, Map & Directions
AA survey results from the Automobile Association, you can view the full report and what they were looking for in this PDF document.