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Your complete guide to NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX exits, gas/food stops

Your complete guide to NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX exits, gas/food stops

UPDATED January, 2020

Are you from Metro Manila and considering a holiday getaway to the north? After a rough week at work, there's nothing like packing your bags, channeling your inner adventurista, and heading to Subic, Baguio or Vigan for glitz and good times! If you're considering making the drive, here is a complete guide to the NLEX, SCTEX and TPLEX exits, interchanges, gas stations and food stops.




What's covered in this guide?
1. NLEX Northbound Stopovers
2. NLEX Southbound Stopovers
3. SCTEX Stopovers
 - Subic bound
 - SCTEX bound
 - Tarlac bound
 - NLEX bound
4. TPLEX Stopovers Northbound and Southbound
5. Smoking Areas
6. Quick Notes
 - TPLEX Petron Km 134
 - Auto Sweep RFID


NLEX North Luzon Expressway - 84 kilometers
Northbound Stop-overs
  • Balintawak Toll Plaza
  • Mindanao Toll Plaza (Smart Connect Interchange)
  • Valenzuela Exit
  • Meycauayan Exit
  • Petron Stopover (Gas/Food/Toilets) Km 23 Jollibee, Kenny Rogers, Starbucks, Army Navy, Café France, Shakey’s, Hap Chan, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, KFC, Krispy Kreme, McDonalds, Burger King, San Mig Cafe, Mr Donuts, Seafood Island
  • Marilao Exit
  • Bocaue Toll Plaza
  • Bocaue Exit
  • Shell Stopover (Gas/Food/Toilets) Km 32 Jollibee, Kenny Rogers, Chow King, Café France, Hen Lin, Dairy Queen, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Razon's, Potato Corner, Lutong Bahay, Lapid's, Shawarma House 
  • Tabang Toll Plaza
  • Balagtas Exit
  • Sta Rita Exit
  • Petron Stopover (Gas/Food/Toilets) Km 42 McDonalds
  • Pulilan Exit
  • Total Stopover (Gas/Food/Toilets) Km 55 Tropical Hut, Barby's Breakfast, Dexter's Pizza, Max's Restaurant, Potato Corner
  • San Simon Exit
  • San Fernando Exit
  • Petron Stopover (Gas/Food/Toilets) Km 71 McDonalds, Starbucks, Shakey's, BonChon, Tapa King, Tokyo Tokyo, Mangan Tana, Razon's, Potato Corner, Lugaw Republic, San Mig Cafe, Bibingkinitan
  • Mexico Exit
  • Angeles Exit
  • Dau Exit
  • SCTEX Exit
  • Sta Ines Exit










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NLEX Southbound Stopovers (Gas/Food/Toilets)


  • Before Angeles Exit Km 77 Shell Max's Chicken. Tapa King, Krispy Kreme, Hen Lin, BonChon, Hap Chan, Pancake House, Yellow Cab, Jollibee, Cafe Express
  • After San Fernando Exit Km 62 Caltex KFC, Kenny Rogers, Cafe France, Razon's Bubusok, Chow King, Jollibee, Chego
  • After Sta Rita Exit Km 37 Shell Mr Moo, Chow King, Starbucks, Ambula, Kapampangan, Lauro's Cafe, Potato Corner, Shawarma House, Takoyaki, Lapid's
  • After Bocaue Exit Km 30 Petron Army Navy, Chow King, KFC, McDonalds, Starbucks, Subway, Max's Chicken, San Mig Cafe, Bibingkinitan, Potato Corner, Lapid's, Pancake House
  • Before Paso de Blas Exit Km 16 Caltex (GAS ONLY/NO FOOD)

SCTEX Subic - Clark - Tarlac Expressway (93.8 kilometers)
  • Tipo Toll Plaza
  • Total Stopover Km 4 (Subic bound) BonJour, assorted snack counters
  • Total Stopover Km 4 (SCTEX bound) BonJour, assorted snack counters
  • Dinalupihan Exit
  • Floridablanca Exit
  • Porac Exit
  • Clark South Exit
  • Mabiga Exit (NLEX Interchange)
  • Clark North Exit
  • Dolores Exit
  • PTT Stopover Km 70 (Tarlac bound) Pancake House, Potato Corner, Cafe Amazon
  • Seaoil Stopover Km 70 (NLEX bound) CITIMALL, Jollibee, Shakey's, Army Navy, Chow King, Mang Inasal, Highlands Coffee, Potato Corner, Yamang Bukid, Juice Factory
  • Concepcion Exit 
  • San Miguel - Hacienda Luisita Exit
  • Tarlac Exit
TPLEX Tarlac - Pangasinan - La Union Expressway (88.9 kilometers)
  • Tarlac City Exit
  • Victoria Exit
  • Pura Exit 
  • Petron Stopover Km 134 Northbound and Southbound (Gas/Food/Toilets)
  • Ramos Exit
  • Anao Exit
  • Carmen Exit
  • Urdaneta Exit
  • Binalonan Exit
  • Pozzorubio Exit
  • Sison Exit 
  • Rosario Exit 

Smoking Areas

I'm an occasional smoker whenever I take a long drive. When the anti-smoking bill came out and all the stopovers were then non-smoking zones, there's nothing I can do but have a very quick smoke only at the lay-by emergency parking spots along NLEX and SCTEX. My favorite spot during those times was the lay-by near the Angeles Exit. It's a nice parking area with big tress for shade.

NOTE:
If you're planning to use the lay-bys, just make it quick because there are Toll Patrol Officers doing routine checks on all lay-bys. Parking for long periods of time is not allowed unless you have an actual car break-down.

Nowadays, there are already designated smoking areas (DSA) at the stopovers and we don't have to use the lay-by's to smoke. All we have to do is to look for the DSA's. You can easily spot DSA's because they always bear a big signage indicating so, like the photo below that I took at the TPLEX KM 134 Petron stopover.


You can easily spot designated smoking areas because they almost look alike and bears a big signage indicating so,


Just a quick note: The final stop which is at the TPLEX Petron Station Km 134 only has the Treats convenience store. There are, however, a few rice meals (spam+egg+rice, siomai+rice, hotdog+rice) and some sandwiches if you're really hungry. So make sure your stomach is all filled up before you enter TPLEX.


The final stop which is at the TPLEX Petron Station Km 134.


It is also in this stop that you get the last chance to claim your free Auto Sweep RFID sticker which are currently being given away at the toll exits. The RFID stickers can be used at the Skyway, NAIAX, STAR Highway, SLEX and TPLEX. You can claim your RFID stickers after submission of photocopies of your driver's license (or any government-issued ID) and OR/CR of your car, and P300 initial load. It may take up to 12 hours for your Auto Sweep RFID to activate.


The RFID stickers can be used at the Skyway, NAIAX, STAR Highway, SLEX and TPLEX.


Still on TPLEX: Good news to travelers! Petron Corporation will build 10 more retail stations along the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX) pending approval by the Toll Regulatory Board; five on the northbound lane and the other five on the southbound lane.


Do you have any travel experiences at the NLEX, SCTEX AND TPLEX worth sharing?
Submit them at the comment box below.

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