Almost every UK airport now charges to drop someone off outside the terminal, and the rules are different at each one: the price, the time limit, how you pay and where the free alternative is. Some send a parking charge notice weeks later if you forget to pay online. This guide sets out the charge at every airport we cover, side by side, with the free option at each, so whoever is driving knows before they set off.
How the charges work
Most airports now run one of two systems, and it matters which one yours uses.
- Pay later, no barrier. Cameras read your number plate as you go in, and you pay online or by phone afterwards, usually by midnight the following day. Nothing stops you driving away without paying, which is exactly why people get caught out: the parking charge notice arrives in the post. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Luton, Birmingham, East Midlands, London City and Southend work this way.
- Pay at the barrier. The drop-off area is a small car park, and you pay by card at the exit barrier or a pay machine before you leave. There is no deadline to remember, but the time on the clock starts when you enter.
Whichever it is, three things are worth checking before you go: how much the first few minutes cost, the maximum stay, and where the free alternative is. The airport-by-airport details are below.
London airports
Heathrow
- Drop-off: £7 every time a car enters a terminal drop-off area, 24 hours a day.
- Free alternative: the Park & Ride car parks (formerly Long Stay), with a free bus to the terminal.
- Paying: online or by phone by midnight the next day. Unpaid, an £80 parking charge, reduced to £40 within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: a 100% discount, applied for through an online account at least 7 days before.
More in our Heathrow guide, or compare Heathrow parking.
Gatwick
- Drop-off: £10 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 a minute up to 20 minutes. Maximum stay 30 minutes; £30 maximum a day.
- Free alternative: up to two hours free in the Long Stay car parks, with a free shuttle to the terminals.
- Paying: online, by phone or AutoPay by midnight the day after, or a parking charge notice follows.
- Blue Badge: exempt, once the car is registered with Gatwick's drop-off account.
More in our Gatwick guide, or compare Gatwick parking.
Stansted
- Drop-off: £10 for up to 15 minutes at the Express Set Down.
- Free alternative: the first 60 minutes free in the Mid Stay car park, with a free shuttle bus. £5 for the next hour; £48 if you re-enter within an hour.
- Paying: online or by phone by midnight the day after. Unpaid, a £100 parking charge, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: no exemption is listed, and the Blue Badge scheme does not apply on the airport's roads.
More in our Stansted guide, or compare Stansted parking.
Luton
- Drop-off: £9 for up to 12 minutes, then £1 a minute, in the Drop Off and Pick Up Zone, about a 5-minute walk from the terminal. Maximum stay 30 minutes.
- Free alternative: up to two hours free in the Long Stay car park, with a free shuttle every 20 minutes, around the clock.
- Paying: online only, by midnight the following day. Staying beyond 30 minutes brings a £95 enforcement charge, reduced to £55 within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: no concession in the main zone; 30 minutes free in Terminal Car Park 1 instead.
Compare Luton parking.
London City
- Drop-off: £8 for up to 5 minutes on the forecourt, then £1 a minute. Maximum stay 10 minutes.
- Free alternative: none.
- Paying: online by midnight the day after, or pre-pay several visits through an account. Staying past 10 minutes brings a £100 enforcement charge, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: exempt, but register with the airport's drop-off account at least 7 days in advance, then confirm each visit.
Compare London City parking.
Southend
- Drop-off: £8 per visit at the Express Pick-up and Drop-off, opposite the terminal. Maximum stay 10 minutes.
- Free alternative: none. The nearby Budget car park starts at £12 for 30 minutes.
- Paying: online only, by midnight the day after, and not in advance. Overstaying or not paying brings a parking charge notice.
- Blue Badge: no exemption is listed.
Compare Southend parking.
The Midlands and the North
Manchester
- Drop-off: £5.50 for up to 5 minutes, £6.50 for up to 10 minutes and £25 for up to 30 minutes, the maximum stay, at either terminal.
- Free alternative: the free drop-off area at JetParks 1, with a free shuttle to both terminals, 24 hours a day.
- Paying: online or by phone by midnight the next day. Unpaid, a £100 parking charge, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: free drop-off on the terminal forecourts, by showing the badge to the marshal on the way in.
More in our Manchester guide, or compare Manchester parking.
Birmingham
- Drop-off: £8 for up to 15 minutes at Premium Set Down, opposite the terminal, rising steeply after that: £25 for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Free alternative: the first 10 minutes free in the Drop Off car park, about 400m away, then £7 up to 15 minutes. It is a 5 to 10 minute covered walk.
- Paying: online, at card-only machines or by AutoPay, within 24 hours of leaving, or a parking charge notice follows.
- Blue Badge: 30 minutes free at Premium Set Down, validated at the customer service cabin before you leave, with the badge holder present.
Compare Birmingham parking.
East Midlands
- Drop-off: £8 for up to 10 minutes at Rapid Drop Off, then £1 a minute. Maximum stay 30 minutes.
- Free alternative: up to 60 minutes free in Long Stay 2, using a token from the entry barrier. It is a 15 to 20 minute walk, or a free shuttle bus.
- Paying: online, by phone or AutoPay by midnight the following day. Unpaid, a £100 parking charge, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: 30 minutes free in Short Stay 1 and 60 minutes free in Long Stay 2.
Compare East Midlands parking.
Liverpool
- Drop-off: £7 for up to 10 minutes at Express Drop-off, opposite the terminal, then £10 up to 20 minutes.
- Free alternative: the first 20 minutes free in the Drop-off 2 car park, about a seven-minute walk. Re-entering within two hours costs at least £9.
- Paying: on the way out.
- Blue Badge: up to 40 minutes free at Express Drop-off, claimed by sending the airport a copy of the badge, the boarding pass and the car's registration.
Compare Liverpool parking.
Leeds Bradford
- Drop-off: there is no forecourt lane. The Pick Up and Drop Off car park beside the terminal costs £8 for up to 10 minutes and £10 for up to 20 minutes.
- Free alternative: the One Hour Free Parking Zone in the Mid Stay car park, about a 5-minute walk up a slight incline.
- Paying: by card or Apple Pay at the exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: up to 60 minutes for the standard £8, using the help button at the exit barrier.
Compare Leeds Bradford parking.
Newcastle
- Drop-off: £6 for up to 10 minutes in the Express car park, immediately outside the terminal, and £12 for up to 30 minutes.
- Free alternative: up to 90 minutes free at the Airport Waiting Zone at Callerton Parkway, with a free 24-hour shuttle every half hour.
- Paying: cameras record the time, and you pay on exit by card.
Compare Newcastle parking.
Teesside International
- Drop-off: £2.50 for up to 10 minutes in the pick-up and drop-off car park opposite the terminal, then £5 up to an hour.
- Free alternative: up to two hours free if you spend at least £5 in the landside café or shops and show the receipt.
- Paying: at the pay machines in arrivals or by card at the exit barrier.
Compare Teesside parking.
Humberside
- Drop-off: free for up to 15 minutes in Car Park 1, next to the terminal, then £5 up to an hour.
- Paying: at the machines in and around the terminal before returning to the car.
- Blue Badge: register the badge at the Information Desk on the day.
Compare Humberside parking.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has had no passenger flights since it closed in 2022. Passenger services are not expected before 2028.
Scotland
Edinburgh
- Drop-off: £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 a minute, on the ground floor of the multi-storey outside the terminal.
- Free alternative: the first 30 minutes free in the Long Stay car park. There is no shuttle: it is about a 10-minute walk.
- Paying: by card at the pay stations or the exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: an hour free in the airport car parks, using the exit intercom and the badge's 16-character code.
Compare Edinburgh parking.
Glasgow
- Drop-off: £7 for up to 15 minutes at Express Pick Up and Drop Off, then £1 a minute, and £50 after 30 minutes.
- Free alternative: up to an hour free in the Long Stay car park, with a free shuttle bus.
- Paying: by card at the exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: not in the Express zone; 30 minutes free in the Terminal Multi Storey instead, scanning the badge at the exit.
Compare Glasgow parking.
Aberdeen
- Drop-off: £7 for up to 15 minutes at Express Drop Off on the upper forecourt, then £1 a minute, and £50 after 30 minutes.
- Free alternative: up to an hour free in the Long Stay car park, with a free shuttle bus.
- Paying: by card at the forecourt exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: not in the Express zone; 30 minutes free in Short Stay, giving the badge number at the exit barrier.
Compare Aberdeen parking.
Inverness
- Drop-off: £3.90 for up to 30 minutes in the car park in front of the terminal.
- Free alternative: up to 15 minutes free in the Free Drop Off area, about a 5-minute walk, with no return within an hour.
- Paying: at the pay stations outside the terminal or by card at the exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: up to 20 minutes free in the car park in front of the terminal, scanning the badge at the exit.
Compare Inverness parking.
Prestwick
- Drop-off: £4.50 for up to an hour in Car Park 1, directly outside the terminal.
- Free alternative: none.
- Paying: by card at the exit barrier or pay stations.
- Blue Badge: up to 30 minutes free, scanning the badge at the exit barrier.
Compare Prestwick parking.
The South West, the South and Wales
Bristol
- Drop-off: £8.50 for up to 10 minutes in the Drop Off and Pick Up car park, a 3 to 5 minute walk, then £10.50 up to 20 minutes. Maximum stay two hours.
- Free alternative: the first hour free in the Waiting Zone near the Car Rental Centre, with a bus to the terminal. No return within 30 minutes.
- Paying: by card at the exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: up to 40 minutes for £8.50, scanning the badge at the exit barrier.
Compare Bristol parking.
Cardiff
- Drop-off: £4.50 for the first 10 minutes in the Drop off Zone outside the terminal, and £4.50 for every 10 minutes after that.
- Free alternative: the first 20 minutes free in Car Park 2, a short walk from the terminal.
Compare Cardiff parking.
Exeter
- Drop-off: £8 for up to 15 minutes in Car Park P1, opposite the terminal. Stopping on the terminal approach roads is not allowed.
- Free alternative: up to 30 minutes free in Car Park P4.
- Paying: by card at the exit barrier or the pay stations.
Compare Exeter parking.
Southampton
- Drop-off: £7 for up to 20 minutes in the Pick Up and Drop Off area on the ground floor of the Short Stay car park, about a minute from the terminal.
- Free alternative: none while the Long Stay car park is closed. Stopping anywhere else on the airport roads brings an £80 charge, reduced to £50 within 14 days.
- Paying: by card at the exit barrier.
- Blue Badge: 30 minutes free in the Short Stay car park, validated at customer service.
Compare Southampton parking.
Northern Ireland
Belfast City
- Drop-off: £4 for the first 10 minutes at Express Drop Off and Pick Up, less than 3 minutes from the terminal.
- Free alternative: ten minutes free in the Long Stay car park, about 5 minutes from the terminal.
- Paying: by contactless card at the exit.
- Blue Badge: up to two hours free for drop-off and pick-up in Short Stay, validated at the Car Park Assistance Office.
Compare Belfast City parking.
How to avoid the charge altogether
- Use the free option. Most airports have one, usually a free spell in a long-stay or dedicated car park with a shuttle or a short walk. It takes a few minutes longer, so leave a little earlier.
- Park instead. If you are the one flying, Meet & Greet handover points and car parks are away from the drop-off lanes, so the charge never applies. Compare parking at your airport.
- Watch the re-entry rules. Several free options charge if you leave and come back within the hour, so do not loop round to wait.
Picking someone up
Collecting is harder than dropping off, because you cannot time a landing to the minute. Short drop-off limits run out quickly, and some airports charge heavily for staying on: Glasgow and Aberdeen jump to £50 after 30 minutes. Wait in the free car park until the passenger has their bags and calls, then drive round. At airports with no free option, the short-stay car park is usually cheaper than overstaying the drop-off zone.
Paying, and not paying
- At a pay-later airport, pay the same day. The deadline is usually midnight the following day (24 hours from leaving at Birmingham), and there is no reminder. Several airports let you set up AutoPay so it happens automatically.
- Miss it and the charge grows. Parking charge notices run to about £80 to £100, usually reduced if paid within 14 days.
- At a barrier airport, your time is counted from when you drive in, not when you stop, so a queue at the entry eats into the free or cheapest minutes.
For everything else to sort before a trip, see the Before You Fly checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK airports have free drop-off?
Most of them, but rarely at the terminal door. Usually it is a free spell in a long-stay or dedicated car park, with a shuttle or a short walk: two hours at Gatwick and Luton, 90 minutes at Newcastle, an hour at Stansted, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, Bristol, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Humberside's 15 free minutes are right next to the terminal. London City, Southend, Prestwick and, for now, Southampton have no free option.
Are Blue Badge holders exempt from drop-off charges?
At some airports. Heathrow, Gatwick and London City exempt Blue Badge holders once registered in advance, and Manchester's forecourts are free with the badge shown to the marshal. Many others offer free time in a particular car park instead of the express zone, and a few, including Stansted, Luton's main zone and Southend, list no exemption at all.
Can I pay the drop-off charge at the airport?
It depends on the airport. At barrier airports such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol and Leeds Bradford you pay by card on the way out. At pay-later airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester there is no machine: you pay online or by phone afterwards, by the deadline.
Do taxis pay the drop-off charge?
Usually yes: the charge is per vehicle, and drivers often pass it on in the fare. At London City, for example, black cabs pay £7 and may add £6 to the meter. At Heathrow and London City, Blue Badge holders travelling by taxi can apply their exemption to the taxi's registration.
Sorted before you fly.
