"Two hours before" is the answer most people have heard, and it is a good starting point. It is not the whole answer, though. Your real cut-off is set by your airline, and it can be an hour before departure. The time you need on top depends on the airport, where you park, and the road. This guide works out your real leaving time in the right order: the airline's deadline first, then the airport, then the car park, then the drive.
Start from the airline's deadline
The departure time on your ticket is not the time that matters. What matters is when your airline stops taking bags, because miss that and you can be refused boarding, however early the plane leaves. These deadlines differ between airlines, and some have changed recently:
- Ryanair: from 10 November 2026, check-in and bag drop close 60 minutes before departure at every airport, up from 40 minutes.
- easyJet: bag drop closes 40 minutes before departure at some airports and 60 minutes at others, including Luton, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
- Jet2: check-in desks close strictly 40 minutes before departure.
- British Airways: check-in and bag drop usually close 45 minutes before a short-haul flight and 60 minutes before a long-haul one.
Your booking confirmation or the airline's app gives the exact time for your flight. If you are travelling with hand luggage only and have checked in online, the deadline is the gate instead, which closes later, but the security queue is the same either way.
Then the airport's own advice
Most big UK airports publish a recommended arrival time. It allows for security queues on a normal day, so treat it as the minimum:
- Heathrow: two hours before a UK or European flight, three hours before long-haul. See our Heathrow guide.
- Gatwick: at least two hours before your flight. See our Gatwick guide.
- Manchester: checked in and ready for security at least two hours before departure. See our Manchester guide.
- Stansted: at least two hours before departure, even if you have checked in online. See our Stansted guide.
- Luton: as your airline advises, typically two to three hours. See our Luton guide.
- Edinburgh: no single time is published, so go by your airline. See our Edinburgh guide.
Arriving much earlier than this rarely helps. Heathrow says there is little point turning up five or six hours early, because some airlines will not have check-in open yet, and Stansted asks passengers not to arrive far ahead of their airline's times, because it only adds to the queues.
Add the car park
The airport's advice is for arriving at the terminal. If you are parking, add the time it takes to get from the car park to the terminal door:
- Park & Ride: allow 25 to 35 minutes from the car park barrier to check-in. That covers parking, waiting for the shuttle and the ride. At airports with more than one terminal, check that your shuttle serves yours.
- Meet & Greet: be at the handover point 10 to 15 minutes before your booked time, then walk straight into the terminal.
- On-airport parking: a 5 to 10 minute walk to the terminal, longer with children or cases.
Your parking confirmation gives the exact handover point or shuttle stop. The car park FAQs cover what happens if you are running late.
Add the road
The drive is the part most likely to go wrong, and the part you can least control. Check the route and live traffic the night before, and again just before you leave. Allow more time on Friday afternoons, bank holidays and the first and last days of the school holidays, when everyone else is heading the same way. For a very early flight, check for overnight roadworks and closures on your route too.
Then add a margin for the unexpected: a queue for fuel, a missed turning, a slow car park barrier. We suggest 15 to 30 minutes, more for a long drive.
A worked example
Say you are flying at 10am on a short-haul flight with a checked bag, from an airport that advises arriving two hours before, and the drive takes 45 minutes.
- Be at the terminal by 8am: two hours before departure, comfortably ahead of a bag-drop deadline of 9am.
- With Park & Ride, arrive at the car park by about 7.25am, allowing 35 minutes to the terminal. With a 45-minute drive and a 20-minute margin, leave home at 6.20am.
- With Meet & Greet, book the handover for about 7.45am and arrive at 7.30am. With the same drive and margin, leave home at 6.25am, and you will have the shortest walk at the other end too.
If that leaves time to spare once you are through security, use it well. A pre-booked lounge turns the wait into the calmest part of the day. Entry is timed, often two to three hours before departure, so the two-hour margin and a lounge booking fit together. Compare lounges at your airport, for example at Manchester or Gatwick.
For the full list of what to sort before a trip, from the day you book to the gate, see the Before You Fly checklist. When you are ready to book, compare parking at your airport.
Frequently asked questions
Can I arrive at the airport three hours early?
You can, but it rarely helps for a short-haul flight. Airlines may not open check-in until two or three hours before departure, and Heathrow says there is little point arriving five or six hours early. Three hours makes most sense for long-haul flights, which is what Heathrow recommends for them.
What if I am running late for the car park?
For Park & Ride and on-airport parking, your space is held and the shuttles run until the last flight. For Meet & Greet, call the operator as soon as you know: they can usually wait, but may charge a small late fee if you are beyond their grace window. The operator's number is in your confirmation.
Do I need longer if I have hold luggage?
Your deadline is earlier. Bag drop closes 40 to 60 minutes before departure, depending on the airline and airport, while hand-luggage passengers who have checked in online can go straight to security. The airport's recommended arrival time already allows for bag drop, so stick to it.
Is it different for a domestic flight?
Not much. Heathrow gives the same two-hour advice for UK and European flights, and your airline's bag-drop deadline applies in the same way. The saving is at the other end, with no passport control on arrival.
Sorted before you fly.
