Confused.com

How much does airport parking cost?

Written By Tara Evans Personal Finance Editor 3 min read | Published 10/08/2026

Booking your airport parking in advance could help you save money - but there are some pitfalls to avoid.

Key takeaways:

Book airport parking in advance to save money. London Stansted claims you could save up to 80% by booking in advance¹.
Compare all your travel options before you book. Trains, coaches or taxis could work out cheaper than parking.
Look for discounts by checking airport websites and comparison sites. Some airports offer money off if you sign up to their newsletters.
Check the terms and conditions carefully. Arriving early or collecting your car late could result in extra charges.

In this guide I’ll explain how much airport parking costs and how to find discounts and avoid being stung with late charges.

How much does airport parking cost?

The price will depend on where you’re flying from, how long you need parking and how close to the airport you want to be.

In general, the further you park away from the airport, the cheaper it will be, but you will need to factor in the extra time getting to the terminal.

Below we have explained the cheapest and most expensive option for airport parking for a week in August.

Keep in mind that airport parking does go up in price the closer you get to your trip, so it’s worth booking in advance. Some airport parking websites say that you could save up to 80%¹ by doing this.

Airport	Cheapest option	Cheapest	Most expensive option	Most expensive
Bristol	Silver zone flexible - 7 min bus ride	£121.50	Multi-storey - 3-5 min walk	£231
Gatwick (north terminal)	Summer special north - 10-12 min transfer	£119	Premium mid-stay north - 2 min walk	£264
Heathrow T2	Park and ride terminals 2 & 3 - 7-10 min transfer	£139.90	Priority terminal parking - terminal 2 - 10 mins walk	£360
Edinburgh	Plane parking - 10 min bus transfer	£99.99	Multistorey - 1 min walk	£169.99
Manchester - T2	Jetparks ringway - 9 min bus transfer	£79.99	Park and walk - 5 min walk	£118.70

^*Prices in table are based on 8 days parking, 9-16 August. Checked on 17 July.

Before you book, it's also worth pricing up your options, as it could be cheaper to travel via train, coach or taxi.

You can use our airport journey planner to check. Read more about airports and their facilities in our UK airports guide.

It’s also worth checking if you can get a discount. For example, Bristol is currently offering 15% off, and Manchester is giving 20% off to customers to subscribe to their newsletters².

It’s worth checking directly and via a comparison site like SkyPark Secure or Airport Parking Shop to find the cheapest option.

Watch out for late charges

Parking firms can charge extra if you drop off your car too early or collect it too late. You do get a bit of breathing room to allow for delays, but always check with the company you’ve booked with, as different airports have different policies.

For example, Manchester Airport offers six hours over the time slot, and if you go over, you may have to pay for an extra day.

While Gatwick says that if your trip is later than planned for whatever reason it will charge you £50 per day for short stay parking, £15 per day for long stay parking, £30 per day for valet parking, £60 for mid-stay parking and £80 a day for premium parking.

How to protect yourself and your car

If you’re worried about safety, then check to see if the car park has 24-hour CCTV.

If they use an external company, then make sure you read online reviews first. If you’re handing over your keys and using valet parking, then make sure you read the parking company’s terms before you book.

You can protect yourself from firms going bust by using a credit card to pay if the transaction is over £100 or if it’s less then use a debit card so you can claim a refund via chargeback.

¹Stansted airport save up to 80% on parking by booking in advance advertised on the official Stansted website - correct at time of writing (10th August 2026).

²Bristol Airport 15% promotion and Manchester Airport 20% promotion valid to new customers when signed up to newsletter - correct at time of writing (10th August 2026).