Last Updated on 2 June 2026 by Dan Wilderness
Hello everyone! So you’ve got your exciting summer holiday booked – now it’s time to think about getting to the airport! Public transport isn’t an option for everyone (especially families) meaning many will drive to airports – as a result we thought we’d write a guide to saving some money on airport parking!
And if you’re still at the booking stage, why not check out our guide to booking a great value holiday for our best deal tips?
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Booking early is key to saving on Airport Parking
There is one golden rule that really sits above everything else when it comes to Airport Parking – booking early, preferably as you’ve booked your holiday is your friend.
Even with special offers, supply and demand is the king of the day – the closer you get to the peak of summer, the more those prices go up.
Consider (but research) using off-site Airport Parking to save money
If you hunt for deals more widely, you’ll often find that there are a number of off-site parking services which are often the cheapest option available. These use sites which are distance away from the airport to save you money and transport you in, usually via a bus.
It’s worth giving this some consideration as the differences can be stark, albeit this will add time to your overall journey.
We do recommend putting in some time researching any supplier here though for reputability – cheap price does not beat out that you want to know your car is in a safe, monitored location – rather than simply dropped off in a convenient field! There are some poor operators in this space so do look at reviews.
A good balance can be using official airports long-term parking solution – these usually will require a bus in, but are close enough not to cause hours to be added on to your journey.
Here’s some links to some of the official airport parking providers for some of the larger UK airports:
- Heathrow Official Parking
- Gatwick Official Parking
- Manchester Official Parking
- Edinburgh Official Parking
- Birmingham Official Parking
- Stansted Official Parking
- Luton Official Parking
And if looking for a potentially lower cost but better known operator, Purple Parking provide off-site services at Heathrow and Gatwick.
(Note: Some try to mitigate the hassle by offering a “meet and greet” service where they pick up and drop off your car to you at the airport, usually from short stay parking. I have to say personally, I’d never want to hand over my car keys to anyone and not see where my car is – but I’d be remiss not to mention it is an option and do check reviews!).
Comparison Sites are your friend with Airport Parking
We’d absolutely recommend using a comparison service for your airport parking – because parking providers know you’re reviewing them against others, you’ll often find the best prices here with all offers applied.
Personally I tend to use Holiday Extras – beyond finding them very good owing to their flexible cancellation policy, I like that they show overall review ratings (good and bad) against each of their options.
A bonus tip if you have free cancellation
If you do have free cancellation, one tip is to do a quick check right before your holiday to see if the price has come down.
90% of the time booking very late doesn’t work, but just occasionally you can find demand hasn’t been what the airport expected and they’re offering good last minute deals.
If you see one of these, you can simply cancel and rebook the better deal.
Hotel and Airport Parking deals can save money and be convenient
If you have a very early or late flight and need a hotel stay, you can actually sometimes get the best deals by combining a hotel and parking combination stay – either at a hotel on site, or at one near-ish the airport (the latter will be cheaper, but you’ll usually have to arrange the last leg yourself).
Holiday Extras can again show packages with this included, and you’ll often find that Holiday Inn and Premier Inn are brands that tend to locate themselves near airports and offer this as a service.
Alternatives to Airport Parking
For a group, a large taxi can be cheaper than airport parking
A taxi always sounds expensive, but if you’re not miles away from the airport, it’s worth investigating options – you can often get decent details on large booked cabs for airport runs and if you’re doing it for a group of family, the cost-per-person can be quite significant.
One factor you need to take into consideration in this space is that the airports have become increasingly aware of people taking taxis to the airport for drop-off and pickup and extra charges have been introduced for this. You’ll need to factor this in to your pricing.
There is a way to avoid that – most official airport long term parking lots will allow a drop off for free (with up to 30 minutes access) where you can then catch the bus in to the airport. You lose a bit of time this way, but can save some cash.
Find a Private Parking Space
We’ve written elsewhere on the site about how there’s a number of apps out there that enable you to make money renting out a parking space.
As a user, finding a driveway nearish the airport can be a cost effective way of securing some cheaper parking (but don’t forget, you’ll still have to sort the last bit of getting to the airport yourself.)
Any questions?
If you have any airport parking tips of your own or any questions we’d absolutely love to hear from you! Just leave us a note in the comments below.
And if you’re looking to save some additional money on the other side of your journey, you may be interested in our tips on how to save money on car hire.
And that’s it!
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