The first thing that holiday makers and business travellers should know when they arrive in the UK is that they will be required to pay an arm and a leg if they drop-off or pick-up at UK airports.
Dropping off at Birmingham Airport could cost £50 for an hour’s parking if you don’t want to take a bus: Wikipedia
Where’s best to stop? Drop off charges vary depending on where you park so drivers need to decide which is the most convenient for them. Drop off charges range from £2 for ten minutes at London Stansted to £4 an hour at Heathrow and up to a whopping £50 for less than an hour’s parking at Birmingham Airport.
Picking up passengers? This is going to cost you even more money, with many UK airports charging between £5 for 10 minutes and £50 for one hour.
The most expensive airport in our survey was Birmingham Airport, where drivers are charged £3 every ten minutes in the drop-off zone, meaning that it costs up to £50 for just an hour’s parking. The cheapest airport for drop-offs was Stansted Airport , where the first hour is free and it costs £2 to park for between one and two hours. Drop-off charges ranged from £2 for ten minutes at London Stansted, up to a whopping £5 an hour at Heathrow Airport.
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.
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| AIRPORT | DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP |
| Aberdeen | Express Drop off: 10 mins: £3 30 mins: £10 |
| 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: 15 mins: £3 15-20 mins: £8 55-60 mins: £48. |
| Birmingham (standard) | Standard Set-down (5-10 mins walk): 20 mins: free 55-60 mins: £30 Pick up 60 mins: £6 |
| Bournemouth | Pick up and Drop off Area 30 mins: £3 |
| Bristol | Drop and Go: 10 mins: £5 10-20 mins: £7 40-60 mins £20 |
| Cardiff | Drop off Area: 10 mins: £1 10-20 mins: £2 Pick up Area: 10 mins: £1 60 mins: £5 Long Stay 1: 20 mins: free |
| Doncaster Sheffield | Drop off/Pick up: 10 mins: £4.00 Short Stay Car Park: 15 mins: free |
| East Midlands | Rapid Drop off: 15 mins: £5 £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: 0-10 mins: £4 Pick up Zone: 15 mins: £5 Long Stay Car Park: 30 mins: free (bus) |
| Exeter | Car Park 1: 30 mins: £3 Car Park 4: 10 mins: free (bus) |
| Glasgow | Drop off/Pick up Area: 10 mins: £4 Long Stay Car Park: 30 mins: free (bus) |
| Glasgow Prestwick | Drop off /Pick up Area: 0-30 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: £10.00 Drop-off 2: 40 mins: free. |
| London City | Short Stay Car Park: 10 mins: £3.80 |
| London Gatwick | Drop off Only Terminal forecourts: 10 mins: £6 Drop off/Pick up Short Stay Car Park: 30 mins: £6.50 Premium Short Stay Car Park: 30 mins: £6.50 Drop off/Pick up Long Stay: 2 hours: free (bus) |
| London Heathrow | Terminal Drop off: 10 mins: £5 Long Stay Car park: 2 hours: £8 |
| London Luton | Mid-Term Car Park: 15 mins: free (bus) Long Term Car Park: 1 hours: free (bus) Drop-off/Pick up Zone: 10 mins: £5 £1 per minute thereafter. |
| London Southend | Short Stay 1: 10 mins: £4 Long Stay 3: 15 mins £free |
| London Stansted | Mid Stay: 60 mins: free (bus) Express Set Down: 10 mins: £4 |
| Manchester | Drop off/ Pick up Area: free (bus) Terminal Drop off/Pick up: 5 mins: £5 10 mins:£6 Multi- storey by terminals: 30 mins: £6 |
| Newcastle | Medium Stay: 15 mins: free. Express Parking: 10 mins: £4 |
| Southampton | Short Stay Car Park: 15 mins: £6 Long Stay: 30 mins: free (bus) – currently closed |
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Southampton airport now charges a minimum fee of £6 to drop off or pick up, this is for 20 minutes, I used the drop off and was in the car park for 2 minutes, still charged £6.