Buc-cee’s vs. Wally’s: Which Travel Center is Better?

Long drives can be rough. While some people I know are just fine being on the road for hundreds of miles, for others the long hours with the destination still far away can challenge one’s sanity. Add kids and unfamiliar roads to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for pulling your hair out, or at least booking a flight next time.

Key to surviving long road trips is to have waypoints that break it up. It’s not only helpful, but also safe: as a driver, it’s good to stretch your legs, clear your head, and possibly turn over the keys for a spell. Our family likes rest stops because they’re usually right off the interstate, and they’re quiet. Rest stops don’t sell gas, though, so inevitably we need something more. That’s where a travel center can step in.

Among travel centers, Buc-cee’s is one of the most recognizable names out there. With origins dating back to the early 1980s, the franchise today has more than 50 locations in 10 states, with more on the way. Buc-cee’s is as much a cult as it is a travel center, as crowds flock to them as they pass through.

Wally’s is not as well known … at least, not yet. The upstart only opened up shop in 2020, with two current locations: one in Pontiac, Illinois, and another in Fenton, Missouri, just west of I-270 along I-44. More are planned. Wally’s bills itself as the Home of the Great American Road Trip.

But is it? Or is Buc-cee’s the champ?

We’ve visited both, and we’re here to bring you the tale of the tape. For our head-to-head, we’re going to compare the Buc-cee’s in Springfield, Missouri, to the Wally’s in Pontiac, Illinois, as both of them are locations St. Louisans might stop by on their way to Branson and Chicago, respectively. Both are also new, as the Buc-cee’s in Springfield just opened in 2023 and, as we said before, Wally’s in Pontiac opened in 2020.

So let’s go.

Property Design

Both properties are large, with dozens of gas pumps, a handful of EV stations, lots of parking, and big convenience stores. Where the two differ is in the details.

When you pull into Buc-cee’s in Springfield, you’ve got a long line of gas pumps on your right and a big parking lot along with the EV stations on your left. The biggest virtue to this is that it’s easy to figure out right off the bat: if you want gas, go right, otherwise, go left. The downside is that traffic flow in and out of the station is difficult for getting out of the pumps, with all the traffic going by.

Wally’s on the other hand, puts the biggest parking lot and the EV stations in the front of the building, with gas pumps on the north side and west side of the building, with access around the back. Things keep pretty busy at Wally’s, but traffic flows better on account of the design.

Both handle their traffic adequately, but we give the nod to Wally’s here.

Advantage: Wally’s

Fuel Options

Both locations offer a big range of options, including multiple unleaded grades, #2 diesel, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), ethanol-free unleaded for boats and smaller engines. Both also offer EV stations.

Advantage: push

Large Vehicle Friendliness

Wally’s in Pontiac has dedicated RV parking in the back, along with a dump station, and large vehicles, including 18-wheelers, can drop by, although it does not have dedicated 18-wheeler stations. We saw 18-wheelers parked north of the pumps. (Wally’s in Fenton does not have RV parking or a dump station.)

Buc-cee’s does not allow 18-wheelers and does not have RV parking or an RV dump station.

Neither Buc-cee’s nor Wally’s allows overnight or reset parking. Neither has showers, either.

Neither of them is perfect for big vehicles, but Wally’s does more to cater to them than Buc-cee’s does.

Advantage: Wally’s

Atmosphere

Both travel centers are packed full of atmosphere. Wally’s, for instance, serves up an orange theming set against bright open spaces and friendly staff. Buc-cee’s has its own more muted theming, but it also shines on its vibe as one-part tourist destination and one part practical gas station.

For us, the difference is that the Buc-cee’s experience suffers under the weight of its own popularity. Buc-cee’s is frequently overcrowded, making it hard to navigate some of the spaces. The lines near the non-food section can get long, too.

Wally’s can get busy. But we’ve never found it to be overcrowded. Put another way, if Wally’s is like Branson, Buc-cee’s is like the Smokies. All those Buc-cee’s crowds don’t destroy the experience, but they do take away from it a little.

Advantage: Wally’s

Merchandise

For such a young store, Wally’s does a great job pushing the Wally’s vibe. The store sells all kinds of Wally’s-branded merch, including stuffed animals, shirts, and bags. Wally’s also has a decent-sized section devoted to non-food items that you might need on a road trip.

Buc-cee’s, though, has a home goods section that dwarfs anything we’ve seen elsewhere. You can not only get all the Buc-cee’s merch, but you can get all kinds of other stuff, ranging from wall art to necessities.

Wally’s does a solid job here. Buc-cee’s does better.

Advantage: Buc-cee’s

Food and Drink

This is another situation where Wally’s does solid … but not like Buc-cee’s.

Wally’s has the usuals you’d find in a gas station, including a wide variety of shelved foods, chilled foods and drinks, fountain drinks, and slushies called Slooshes. Wally’s also has stations in the middle of its store selling premade foods and offering some cool items like popcorn. We’ve found that not every station in Wally’s is always open, though, like the specialty coffee kiosk.

Buc-cee’s is otherworldly. Several stations selling a varied assortment of foods, plus large rows of shelved foods, cold stuff, fountain drinks, and ICEEs. The station game alone divides the two travel centers.

Advantage: Buc-cee’s

Restrooms

We won’t lie: restrooms are a most underrated part of any travel stop. We want clean, we want accessible, and a little privacy between stalls and urinals isn’t bad, either.

Both franchises have spacious restrooms with numerous urinals and stalls, as well as plenty of sinks. We give Buc-cee’s an edge for better theming and slightly better stall design, while Wally’s wins out on tidiness on account of an attentive staff. As restrooms go, either of them is well above grade for your average gas station.

Advantage: push

Our Winner

Based on our count here — and counting push as one point for each — the final score is:

Wally’s 5, Buc-cee’s 4.

This reflects our own feelings about the two. Both are ambitious travel centers, but we tend to prefer Wally’s by a hair over Buc-cee’s. To be fair, they’re not direct competitors — their locations are nowhere near each other — but as favorites go we have our preferences.

Still, it’s close. Here’s where Buc-cee’s has the edge:

• Incredible merchandise selection
• Varied and plentiful food and drink options, including stations where they make things right in front of you

On the other hand, here’s where Wally’s has the advantage:

• A great atmosphere thanks to a busy-but-not-too-busy property
• Excellent design, including accessible spaces for larger vehicles in the Pontiac location

Both do great on fuel selection and restroom quality, no small things in a travel station.

Regardless of our preferences, we do think they’re both worth a visit if you’re passing through. If you happen to visit both, and you have your own opinions … well, let us know in the comments.