There are two parking options at Heathrow Airport Long stay and Short stay. You also have alternative parking options at hotels nearby as well as other private parking options. Today we will be looking at the cost of parking at Heathrow airport as well as other options that could save you money.
How much is parking at Heathrow Airport for long stays
Long stay parking at Heathrow airport costs:
- 0-29 Minutes = Free
- 30 mins – 1 hr 59 mins = £8.30
- The first day = £34.70 off-peak or £39.80 peak
- Additional 24 hour period = £27.90 off-peak or £31.80 peak
Peak dates include:
- Easter: 02/04/2022 – 18/04/2022
- Summer: 23/07/2022 – 28/08/2022
- September Peak: 11/09/2022 – 01/10/2022
- Christmas: 16/12/2022 – 02/01/2022
- Half Term: 12/02/2022 – 20/02/2022, 28/05/2022 – 05/06/2022, 22/10/2022 – 30/10/2022
How much is parking at Heathrow Airport for short stays
Short stay parking is the most convenient parking as it’s only a 1-2 minute walk away from the terminals. However, it is the most expensive parking option when parking your car at Heathrow.
Parking your car in the short stay car parks at Heathrow costs:
- 0 – 29 minutes = £5.30
- 30 – 44 minutes = £8.50
- 45 – 59 minutes = £11.40
- 1 – 2 hours = £14.50
- 2 – 3 hours = £17.80
- 3 – 4 hours = £21.60
- 4 – 5 hours = £27.60
- 5 – 6 hours = £35.60
- 6 – 9 hours = £48.50
- 9 – 12 hours = £63.50
- 12 – 24 hours = £77.10
- Each additional 24 hour period = £77.10
While short stay parking offers the convenience of being close to the airport, it can be costly. If you would like the convenience of being close to the airport without having to pay a huge fee you may want to consider a private airport transfer. An airport transfer can give you the convenience of getting dropped off and picked up from the airport terminal without the huge costs associated with parking.
Can you get free parking at Heathrow airport?
You can get up to 2 hours of free parking at Heathrow Airport long stay. This is useful if you are waiting to pick someone up who is landing at the airport and if you don’t want to pay for parking while waiting. The alternative would be to go to the short stay car park and pay up to £11 for an hour of parking.
Alternatives for free parking at Heathrow would include staying at a hotel near Heathrow that has free parking. Although this is uncommon some hotels do offer this as a deal. If you are finding parking a bit of a headache you may want to consider a Heathrow airport taxi.
What is the cheapest parking at Heathrow?
Long stay parking at Heathrow is the cheapest form of parking if you want to stay with the official airport parking. However, if you are willing to park a little further out there are hotels and private parking options which are much cheaper than the official airport parking.
For cheaper parking, at Heathrow, you can check out companies such as:
- NCP flight path
- easyHotel Parking
- Purple Parking
- Good to Go drop and ride
- MBW meet and greet
Parking with these companies starts from £46 a week which is much cheaper than the official airport parking. But you do have the disadvantage of being further away from the terminals, and some of these parking centres only service certain terminals too so be sure to check before booking parking.
You will also need to consider how often these parking places have shuttles too. Just to make sure you don’t miss your flights or that they are running when you embark on your journey.
How do I pay for parking at Heathrow?
Booking parking at Heathrow is easy enough, you can use their online booking platform before your journey and all you have to do then is to turn up with your car and find a space.
Heathrow parking is actually very flexible and you can make amendments to your booking or even cancel it up to 24 hours before. With the current travel climate, this is very useful and can save you money.
What is the best parking at Heathrow?
For some the most affordable parking is going to be the best, while for others the most convenient is going to be the choice for them. On shorter weekend breaks short stay is a great choice as you can leave your car 1-2 minutes away from the terminal. This is convenient because you can walk straight to your car when landing, rather than having to wait around for a shuttle to long-stay parking.
With that said, long stay car parking isn’t that much of an inconvenience. Sometimes you have to wait around for a shuttle and then you have to wait for your stop but you can save a lot of money by being inconvenienced for half-hour.
Staying at a hotel near Heathrow airport is also a good option but in our experience, not all hotels can guarantee parking spaces. I would much prefer to book official parking or hire an airport taxi than not knowing if there is space for my car at the hotel.
Is Heathrow Parking safe?
Leaving your car at a car park while you are away there is always an element of risk, with that said Heathrow airport car park is as secure as any other airport car park and in our experience, we have never had any trouble when it comes to parking at Heathrow.
Heathrow airport car park is monitored 24/7 by advanced camera systems and security patrols.
Our final thoughts on parking at Heathrow Airport
Parking at Heathrow airport is convenient and can be booked easily online. The shuttle bus that connects the long stay car park is also easy to use and multiple shuttles make it so you aren’t waiting around too long for a taxi.
Short stay car parking at Heathrow is also convenient but expensive if you stay longer than a day or two. If you want the convenience of parking but think it’s a little pricey then you should consider an airport transfer. Click the button at the top of this page to get a free no-obligation quote. Airport transfers are more affordable than you may think.