2024-09-18 10:09:00
Prices at petrol stations on the German autobahn are much higher than in the city. However, people stop here not only to refuel. Near the gas station, as a rule, there are rest areas. There, drivers and passengers can stretch their legs, have a snack or buy food to take with them, go to the bathroom, and in some places there are children’s playgrounds. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly important to have a sufficient number of charging stations for electric vehicles.
German Automobile Club ADAC during spring and summer holidays – April to July 2024 – tested a total of 40 service centers on the 15 longest motorways in Germany. This is approximately ten percent of all such facilities across the country.
The objects were tested taking into account the five most important criteria for travelers: equipment, condition and cleanliness of bathrooms (25%), prices of food in public catering outlets and food in shops at petrol stations (25%). ), variety of food in public catering outlets (20%), outdoor facilities and their barrier-free accessibility (15%), as well as additional infrastructure, such as charging points for electric vehicles or playgrounds (15%). This year ADAC rated each site using a 150-point system. The experts visited each service area incognito four times to exclude the influence of random factors.
Rest areas on motorways. The test results leave a lot to be desired
None of the motorway rest areas tested were rated “very good”. True, not a single one falls into the “very bad” category. Only 8 of 40 received a “good” rating, 26 received a “satisfactory” rating, and 6 almost failed the test. The best of the simply “good” ones were the recreation areas in Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Another important conclusion drawn from the test results: there is still a lot to do to ensure the comfort of families with children, people with reduced mobility and drivers of electric vehicles.
Which pleasantly surprised the controllers on the highways
This year the state of toilets in driver and passenger service centers on highways was generally better than last year.
Almost all bathrooms at rest areas on the highway are good. Photo: Thomas Frey/dpa/picture Alliance
90% were equipped with automatic seat cleaning. As a result, 36 bathrooms received “good” and “very good” ratings. Some paid toilets (17%) were criticized because not all stalls were accessible or fully functional. Experts also noted that for the 1 euro fee charged by the management company one could expect more cleaning.
Food on the German autobahn is good, but expensive
As for food, the experts generally appreciated the gastronomic offer of the catering outlets. A quarter of them were rated “very good” and just over half “good”. Almost everywhere, cutlets, sausages, french fries, children’s menus and vegetarian dishes were offered. It should be noted that almost half of the restaurants included pasta on the menu. But Lower Saxony was particularly surprising: several service car parks located in this federal state offered not only “standard” food, but also, for example, smoked pork with cabbage and cabbage rolls.
The biggest criticism leveled at ADAC was the prices of food and takeaway products. Only 40% of car parks achieved a positive rating. At the same time, 75% of the shops at petrol stations in rest areas were classified as “expensive” or “very expensive”. At the petrol station, a small cappuccino to take with you sometimes costs 5 euros, while a packet of crisps costs 7 euros.
The food service sector fared slightly better, with two-thirds of establishments tested rated “bargain” or “very cheap.” But the price range is wide. So, a children’s lunch with croquettes and a drink can cost from 4 to 7 euros, a cutlet with chips – from 11 to 20 euros, half a liter of still water – from 2 to 4 euros.
At the same time, both in shops and in restaurants one serious negative point is noted: you often have to ask how much they cost due to the lack of price tags.
Service area in Muldenthal-Süd on Autobahn 14, checked by ADAC and rated “good”Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa/picture Alliance
According to the ADAC, the winner of the summer 2024 test was the Fürholzen-West rest area on the A9 motorway near Munich, which impressed with its well-kept, family-friendly atmosphere. Good hygienic conditions and a wide range of relatively cheap dishes in the restaurant played their role.
Because ADAC critics don’t like it
The ADAC Motor Club has been regularly conducting similar studies in Germany since 1999 and publishes the results on its website or in the Motorwelt magazine, which club members can obtain free of charge at ADAC branches and some shops. However, owners of service and rest areas on highways are often not satisfied with this. There have also been cases when club inspectors were exposed during their work and escorted from the territory.
This time a harsh criticism of the ADAC’s evaluation criteria was expressed in an interview with the German media company NDR by a representative of the company “Tank & Rast”, which rents recreational spaces on the autobahn. In particular, he noted that “the key aspect that has once again been widely criticized in the ADAC’s assessment is the price of the gastronomic offer, which does not constitute a disadvantage in the true sense of the word”. He also noted that the landlord has no influence, for example, on how visitors handle rubbish containers in car parks. However, similar elements were included in the ADAC assessment.
The German Automobile Club has 22 million members. Most have joined the ADAC to receive assistance when necessary in the event of breakdowns and accidents. And all this for a very reasonable annual fee. However, the club positions itself not only as a reliable assistant for car enthusiasts, but also as a lobbyist for their interests. That’s why it conducts various tests.
#bathrooms #clean #prices #prohibitive