Jenny Keefe
Updated: 18 July 2025
Some airports charge as much as £7 for a 10-minute drop-off (Bristol, Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted). Luton charges £10 for a 10-minute wait and Southend charges a whopping £15.
But this can often be avoided. Almost all airports have a free alternative area for drop-offs, even if there's a charge to park right outside the terminal.
Some airports charge as much as £7 for a 10-minute drop-off (Bristol, Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted). Luton charges £10 for a 10-minute wait and Southend charges a whopping £15.
But this can often be avoided. Almost all airports have a free alternative area for drop-offs, even if there's a charge to park right outside the terminal. But you may need to walk up to 15 minutes or take a free shuttle ride. See our full airport by airport help below.
Airports that charge told us they had done so to reduce traffic outside the airport or due to increased operational costs – and in most cases, stressed that passengers do have other options to park for free.
Here's what 29 major airports currently charge to drop passengers off directly outside the terminal.
| Airport | Charge for 10 mins | Charge for 30 mins |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | £5.50 | £20.50 |
| Belfast City | £4 | £20 |
| Belfast International | £3 | £10 |
| Birmingham | £6 | £23 |
| Bournemouth | £5 | £5 |
| Bristol | £7 | £13 |
| Cardiff | £3 | £9 |
| East Midlands | £5 | £20 |
| Edinburgh | £6 | £26 |
| Exeter | £5 | £5 |
| Gatwick | £7 | £27 |
| Glasgow | £6 | £21 |
| Glasgow Prestwick | £4.50 | £4.50 |
| Guernsey | Free for up to 30 minutes | Free for up to 30 minutes |
| Heathrow | £6 (no waiting allowed) | N/A |
| Inverness | Free | £3.80 |
| Isle of Man | Free to drop off (but no waiting allowed) | N/A |
| Jersey | Free to drop off (but no waiting allowed) | N/A |
| Leeds Bradford | £7 | £12.50 |
| Liverpool | £6 | £25 |
| London City | Free to drop off (but no waiting allowed) | N/A |
| Luton | £10 | N/A (1) |
| Manchester | £6.20 | £25 |
| Newcastle | £5 | £10 |
| Newquay | Free for an up to 10-minute drop-off | N/A |
| Norwich | £5 | £5 |
| Southend | £15 | £15 |
| Southampton | £7 | N/A (1) |
| Stansted | £7 | £25 |
Updated July 2025. (1) You're not allowed to wait longer than 20 minutes.
Even if there's a charge to park right outside the terminal, most airports have an alternative free drop-off area. It's usually a little way away though and you may need to take a shuttle or walk for up to 15 minutes. This is not ideal when dashing to make a flight, so always allow extra time for this option.
Many airports have additional free options for blue-badge holders or electric-vehicle drivers, so it's worth checking their websites if that's you.
Don't just assume you can drive near to the terminal and drop off by the roadside – some airports have double red lines on approach roads and even cameras to catch you if you stop. Always be mindful of safety too when stopping.
Here's how to avoid paying at the 24 UK airports that charge for drop-offs:
Aberdeen. Its long-stay car park is free for up to one hour, and there's a free shuttle bus to the terminal. Aberdeen Airport info
Belfast City. The long-stay car park is free for up to 10 minutes. It's a five-minute walk from the terminal. Belfast City info
Belfast International. Its long-stay car park is free for up to 15 minutes, and is a six-minute walk from the terminal. Belfast International info
Birmingham. While the airport charges for its 'premium set down' area, its drop-off zone is free for up to 10 minutes. It's a 10-minute walk from the terminal or a free bus service runs every 15 minutes. Birmingham Airport info
Bournemouth. Unfortunately, we can't find a free option here. Let us know if you know of one in the comments or by emailing news@moneysavingexpert.com.
Bristol. There's a free one-hour waiting zone by the 'Silver Zone' car park to the south of the terminal, with frequent buses to the terminal. Bristol Airport info
Cardiff. Car Park 2 is free for 20 minutes and is a short walk to the terminal. Cardiff Airport info
East Midlands. Its long-stay car park is free for up to an hour. It's a 15-minute walk to the terminal or a bus gets you there in two minutes (bus doesn't run 1 November - 31 March). East Midlands Airport info
Edinburgh. Its long-stay car park is free for up to 30 minutes. It's a 10-minute walk to the terminal. Edinburgh Airport info
Exeter. You can park for up to 30 mins for free in Car Park P4. Exeter Airport info
Gatwick. You can drop-off for free (up to two hours) in its long-stay car parks. Free shuttle buses take 10 to 12 minutes to reach the terminals. Alternatively, MoneySaver Tony suggests getting dropped off at the Gatwick Hilton, as you can walk through reception and straight into the South Terminal (we have not tried this ourselves though). Buses run every 10 to 12 minutes. Gatwick Airport info
Glasgow. Pull into its long-stay car park and you can stay for free for up to one hour. It's an 10-minute walk to the terminal, or there's a free shuttle bus that takes seven minutes. Glasgow Airport info
Glasgow Prestwick. Unfortunately we can't find a free option here – let us know if you know of one in the comments or by emailing news@moneysavingexpert.com.
Heathrow. Drop-offs of up to 29 minutes are free in Heathrow's various long-stay car parks for the different terminals. Passengers can take a free bus transfer to the terminal.
Inverness. You can stay for up to 15 minutes for free in its Short Stay car park, close to the terminal. Inverness Airport details
Leeds Bradford. There's a one-hour free parking zone, which is a three to four-minute walk to the terminal. Leeds Bradford Airport info
Liverpool. Its 'Drop Off 2' car park is free for up to 20 minutes and is a five to 10-minute walk to the terminal. Liverpool Airport info
Luton. Luton's drop-off area is currently in the midstay car park, which is free for 15 minutes. Alternatively, its Long Stay Car Park is free for one hour, with shuttle buses running every 20 minutes. Luton Airport's free drop-offs
Manchester. Its JetParks 1 car park is free for one hour and is a five-minute shuttle ride away from the terminal. Manchester Airport info
Newcastle. Its 'Short Stay 2' car park is free for up to 15 minutes, and is a short walk to the terminal. Newcastle Airport info
Norwich. Unfortunately we can't find an official free option here, though some MoneySavers recommended walking from the nearby McDonalds or Holiday Inn on Delft Way (we have not tried this ourselves though). Let us know if you know of any other options by emailing news@moneysavingexpert.com.
Southend. Sadly, there is no longer an official free option here. Some have suggested walking from the retail park next door to the airport. However, we have not tested these ourselves. Let us know if you know of any other options by emailing news@moneysavingexpert.com.
Southampton. Its long-stay car park was free for up to 30 minutes, but, unfortunately, it's currently closed. MoneySavers report that you can drop off for free at Southampton Airport Parkway rail station, then it's a short walk to the airport from there. Please let us know if you spot another way to drop off for free by emailing news@moneysavingexpert.com. Southampton Airport info
Stansted. Its mid-stay car park is free for an hour. There's a free shuttle bus every 10 minutes, which takes seven minutes to get to the terminal. Stansted Airport info
