Anyone dropping off or picking up passengers from Birmingham airport will need to bring plenty of change to feed the car park machine, with charges hitting £50 for less than an hour’s parking.
Dropping off at Birmingham Airport could cost £50 for an hour’s parking if you don’t want to take a bus: Wikipedia
Tightened security at UK airports has meant dropping off and picking up travellers has seen motorists pushed towards expensive parking zones.
Birmingham has been highlighted as one example, where using its Premium set-down zone could see you charged up to £1-a-minute. The alternative Standard set-down offering – a 5-10-minute walk from the terminal – charges £30 for the same duration.
Stansted hits travellers with a charge of £25 for stays longer than 30 minutes, while Gatwick will present drivers with a £23 bill for 30 minutes.
Anyone dropping off or picking up at Luton might like to steer clear of the Drop Off Zone, which will cost £3 for 10 minutes, but see the charging accelerate by £1-a-minute thereafter.
Find out how much you could be paying before you set off to drop-off or pick-up from the UK’s biggest airports.
Drop-off and pick-up charges at UK airports
Heading to the airport to drop-off or collects family or friends? Make sure you read this first to ensure you pick the correct option for each airport. Remember to share with others to help ensure they don’t get caught out by inflated charges.
| AIRPORT | DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP |
| Aberdeen | Short Stay Car Park: 15 mins: £2.50 60 mins: £6.50 |
| Belfast City (George Best) | Short Stay Car Park 10 mins: free 10-30 min: £3 60 mins: £6 |
| Belfast International | Drop off/Pick up Zone: 10 mins: £1 10-20 mins: £3 20-60 mins: £5 |
| Birmingham (premium) | Premium Set-down Car Park: 10 mins: £2 15-20 mins: £10 55-60 mins: £50. |
| Birmingham (standard) | Standard Set-down (5-10 mins walk): 30 mins: free 55-60 mins: £30 Pick up 60 mins: £5.10 |
| Bournemouth | Pick up and Drop off Area 30 mins: £3 |
| Bristol | Express Drop off: 10 mins: £1 10-20 mins: £3 40-60 mins £20 |
| Cardiff | Drop off Area: 10 mins: free £5 every 10 mins thereafter. Pick up Area: 10 mins: £1 60 mins: £3. Long Stay 1: 20 mins: free |
| Doncaster Sheffield | Drop off/Pick up: 15 mins: £2 Short Stay Car Park: 15 mins: free |
| East Midlands | Rapid Drop off: 10 mins: £2. £1 for every minute thereafter. Short Stay Car Park: 30 mins: £3.50 Long Stay 4: Free for 1 hour (bus) |
| Edinburgh | Drop off Zone: 5 mins: £2 5-10 mins: £4 Pick up Zone: 15 mins: £4 Long Stay Car Park: 10 mins: free (bus) |
| Exeter | Car Park 1: 30 mins: £1. Car Park 4: 10 mins: free (bus) |
| Glasgow | Drop off/Pick up Area: 10 mins: £2 Long Stay Car Park: 30 mins: free (bus) |
| Glasgow Prestwick | Drop off /Pick up Area: 5 mins: free 6-15 mins: £2 |
| Humberside | Car Park 1: 15 mins: free 60 mins: £4.50 |
| Inverness | Short Stay Car Park: Free for up to 10 minutes |
| Leeds Bradford | Mid-Stay Car Park: 60 mins: free (5-min walk) |
| Liverpool | Express Drop off/Pick up: 20 mins: £3 Drop-off 2: 40 mins: free. |
| London City | Short Stay Car Park: 10 mins: £7.50 |
| London Gatwick | Drop off Only Terminal forecourts: free Drop off/Pick up Short Stay Car Park: 30 mins: £4 Premium Short Stay Car Park: 30 mins: £5.20 Drop off/Pick up Long Stay: 2 hours: free (bus) |
| London Heathrow | Short Stay Car Park: 30 mins: £4 Long Stay Car park: 2 hours: free. |
| London Luton | Mid-Term Car Park: 15 mins: free (bus) Long Term Car Park: 2 hours: free (bus) Drop-off/Pick up Zone: 10 mins: £3 £1 per minute thereafter. |
| London Southend | Short Stay 1: 5 mins: free 5-60 mins: £4.50 Long Stay 3: 15 mins £free |
| London Stansted | Mid Stay: 60 mins: free (bus) Express Set Down: 10 mins: £3.50 |
| Manchester | Drop off/ Pick up Area: free (bus) Terminal Drop off/Pick up: 5 mins: £3 10 mins:£4 Multi- storey by terminals: 30 mins: £4 |
| Newcastle | Medium Stay: 15 mins: free. Express Parking: 10 mins: £1 |
| Southampton | Short Stay Car Park: 15 mins: £2 Long Stay: 30 mins: free (bus) |