Heathrow Airport parking: official car parks compared
London Heathrow Airport has 7 official car parks and parking options. Turning up for a week costs £271.20 (Park & Ride, turning up on the day). A lift costs £7 per entry to drop off, or nothing using the free option.
Checked on London Heathrow Airport's own website on 1 November 2026. We're independent and don't sell parking.
Park or get a lift at Heathrow?
- Lift, terminal zones: £15 in airport charges (£7 to drop off, £8 to pick up), plus your driver's four journeys.
- Lift, free option: £0 in airport charges. Heathrow Park & Ride car parks (previously called Long Stay), with a free bus to the terminal.
- Park for 7 days, turning up on the day: £271.20 (Park & Ride, turning up on the day; worked out from the published rates: £46.80 for the first day, then £37.40 for each additional 24 hours).
For a week away, the cheapest parking we can see is £271.20. A lift costs nothing in airport charges using the free option, or £15 using the terminal zones. The real cost of a lift is your driver's time and fuel: put your mileage into the calculator below.
Lift or park: which is cheaper?
Being dropped off and picked up means your driver does the trip twice each way: four journeys. This adds that up using Heathrow's own charges.
15p a mile is a starting point; change it to suit your car. Parking prices change by date, so get a quote from the airport's own parking site.
Heathrow Airport's own car parks
Terminal Parking (Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and Terminal 5)
Covered walkways to the terminal; Heathrow says it is a short distance but gives no walk time
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| On the day, 0-29 minutes | £8.00 |
| On the day, 30-44 minutes | £12.50 |
| On the day, 45-59 minutes | £15.50 |
| On the day, 1-2 hours | £20.00 |
| On the day, 2-3 hours | £24.00 |
| On the day, 3-4 hours | £28.00 |
| On the day, 4-5 hours | £35.00 |
| On the day, 5-6 hours | £44.00 |
| On the day, 6-9 hours | £63.00 |
| On the day, 9-12 hours | £78.00 |
| On the day, 12-24 hours | £98.00 |
| On the day, each additional 24 hours | £98.00 |
| Fast Track/Overheight (T2 and T5), 0-2 hours | £21.00 |
| Fast Track/Overheight (T2 and T5), 2-5 hours | £36.80 |
| Fast Track/Overheight (T2 and T5), 5-9 hours | £81.90 |
| Fast Track/Overheight (T2 and T5), 9-24 hours | £107.80 |
| Fast Track/Overheight (T2 and T5), each additional 24 hours | £107.80 |
Formerly called Short Stay; road signs may still say Short Stay. On-the-day tariff effective 6 January 2026. Pre-booking only for stays over nine hours, up to 99 days ahead; shorter stays pay at machines or exit. Height limit 2.20m (T2 overheight area up to 3m; T3 Car Park 3 ground floor up to 2.70m; T5 Fast Track/Overheight entrance has no height limit). No EV charging. Terminal 4 Terminal Parking closed on 23 June 2026.
Terminal Parking (Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and Terminal 5) on the official site
Priority Park & Ride (formerly Business Parking)
Free on-demand shuttle to the terminal doors, 24 hours, maximum wait about 10 minutes; Heathrow says transfers take as little as 10 minutes (about five minutes from Terminal 5)
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| One day, Monday to Sunday | £47.90 |
Renamed from Business Parking on 29 September 2025; signs may still say Business parking. T2/T3 car park is on the Northern Perimeter Road. 23:00-04:00 use the barrier intercom or call 020 8745 6261 for a pick-up. Page does not say whether £47.90 is drive-up or pre-booked.
Priority Park & Ride (formerly Business Parking) on the official site
Meet & Greet
Hand your car over at the Meet & Greet reception inside the Terminal Parking car park (T2 and T3 Level 1, T5 Level 4), then walk to the terminal; collect from the same reception
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | £143.40 |
| 2 days | £195.70 |
| 3 days | £246.60 |
| 4 days | £297.50 |
| Each additional 24 hours | £38.70 |
Tariff effective 6 January 2026. The same page also says prices start from £138.60 for one day, which does not match its own table. Final collections 05:00-22:30. Part of the BPA Approved Meet and Greet Parking Operator (AM-GO) scheme.
Valet Parking
Drop off at the Valet Reception on the terminal departures forecourt; on return the car is in a reserved space in the Terminal Parking car park
No prices published as text on the official site: get a quote from the booking page.
Advance booking only; prices only shown as an online quote. Includes a 100% discount on the Terminal Drop-Off Charge. Reception open 05:00-22:30 for final collection.
Park & Ride (formerly Long Stay)
Free shuttle bus to the terminal doors, every 10-15 minutes; Heathrow says transfers take as little as 15 minutes but vary by terminal and traffic
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| 0-29 minutes | Free |
| 30 minutes to 1 hour 59 minutes | £9.40 |
| First day | £46.80 |
| Each additional 24 hours | £37.40 |
Heathrow calls this its cheapest pre-bookable official parking; you can also turn up on the day. Long Stay page does not say whether these figures are drive-up; the Terminal 4 changes page calls £46.80 for the first 24 hours the standard drive-up rate. Blue Badge holders (UK and EEA) get the first 2 hours free. No EV charging. Out-of-hours transfers (23:30-04:00) may need a call to 020 8745 6261.
Terminal 4 Park & Ride, Zone A
Free shuttle bus every five minutes to Terminal 4; Heathrow gives as little as six minutes in one place and about 10 minutes in its FAQ
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 hours (Zone A only) | Free |
| Drive-up, 2-4 hours | £9.40 |
| Drive-up, first 24 hours | £46.80 |
All Terminal 4 passenger parking moved here after the T4 multi-storey closed on 23 June 2026. Use Zones B-D if pre-booked. Meet & Greet is not available at Terminal 4.
Pod Parking
Driverless pod to Terminal 5 on demand; Heathrow says transfer in as little as 6 minutes
No prices published as text on the official site: get a quote from the booking page.
No prices published as text. The dedicated Pod Parking page could not be opened.
Booking: Heathrow says booking in advance gets its cheapest prices, which are online-only and shown as a quote for your dates. Terminal Parking can only be pre-booked for stays over nine hours; shorter stays, including pick-ups, are paid on the day.
Meet and greet: Heathrow runs its own Meet & Greet from receptions inside the Terminal Parking car parks at Terminals 2, 3 and 5 (1 day £143.40 on its January 2026 tariff), and a separate Valet service with receptions on each terminal's departures forecourt, booked in advance only. Both are part of the BPA Approved Meet and Greet Parking Operator scheme.
Blue Badge: Heathrow says all car parks are wheelchair accessible with Blue Badge bays. In Park & Ride (Long Stay), UK and EEA Blue Badge holders get the first 2 hours free; use the call point and give your Blue Badge number and registration.
Electric cars: Heathrow says it does not currently provide EV charging in any of its car parks and points drivers to Zap-Map for nearby chargers.
Off-airport parking
Off-airport car parks and meet-and-greet firms are private businesses, not part of the airport. Many are fine and cheaper, but check before you book: where the car is actually kept, how the transfer works and how often it runs, whether the car park has the Park Mark Safer Parking award, the firm's cancellation terms and recent reviews. Meet-and-greet firms that aren't the airport's own can't use the terminal forecourt without paying the airport's charges like anyone else.
What London Heathrow Airport says: Heathrow says all 11 Heathrow car parks are officially owned, staffed and operated by Heathrow. It gives no specific warning about off-airport operators on the pages checked.
Dropping off instead?
Prices, how to pay and the free option: Heathrow Airport drop-off charges. Picking someone up: pick-up prices.
Questions
What's the cheapest official parking at Heathrow Airport?
Turning up on the day, £271.20 for 7 days (Park & Ride, turning up on the day; worked out from the published rates: £46.80 for the first day, then £37.40 for each additional 24 hours). Checked on London Heathrow Airport's website on 1 November 2026; online prices change by date.
How many car parks does Heathrow Airport have?
London Heathrow Airport lists 7 car parks and parking products: Terminal Parking (Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and Terminal 5), Park & Ride (formerly Long Stay), Terminal 4 Park & Ride, Zone A, Priority Park & Ride (formerly Business Parking), Meet & Greet, Valet Parking, Pod Parking.
How much is short stay parking at Heathrow Airport?
Terminal Parking, 0-29 minutes: £8.
Is it cheaper to park or be dropped off at Heathrow Airport?
Being dropped off and picked up costs £15 in airport charges, or nothing using the free option (Heathrow Park & Ride car parks (previously called Long Stay), with a free bus to the terminal). Parking for a week usually costs more than that, but a lift means four journeys for your driver, so it depends how far away you live.
Does Heathrow Airport have official meet and greet?
Heathrow runs its own Meet & Greet from receptions inside the Terminal Parking car parks at Terminals 2, 3 and 5 (1 day £143.40 on its January 2026 tariff), and a separate Valet service with receptions on each terminal's departures forecourt, booked in advance only. Both are part of the BPA Approved Meet and Greet Parking Operator scheme.
Is there free Blue Badge parking at Heathrow Airport?
Heathrow says all car parks are wheelchair accessible with Blue Badge bays. In Park & Ride (Long Stay), UK and EEA Blue Badge holders get the first 2 hours free; use the call point and give your Blue Badge number and registration.
Can I charge an electric car at Heathrow Airport?
Heathrow says it does not currently provide EV charging in any of its car parks and points drivers to Zap-Map for nearby chargers.
Sources
Prices are the ones London Heathrow Airport publishes as text on its own website, checked on 1 November 2026. Online booking prices change by date and demand, so get a quote before you go.