‘Turn-up prices’ for airport parking are notoriously expensive. A week’s parking at London Heathrow short stay car park costs an eye-watering £616 if you don’t book in advance, Gatwick’s premium short stay is £525 per week and Birmingham airport’s Car Park 1 is £448.
Travellers can bag the best parking spots and save hundreds of pounds by booking in advance at ‘online-only’ prices. But advance booking at most major UK airports remains open until 1-3 hours before arrival.
We looked at five of the UK’s biggest airports (Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester) and found huge savings, including a £335 saving at Gatwick’s premium short stay – booked just one hour ahead of arrival.
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The savings we found booking 1-3 hours in advance ranged from £160 at Edinburgh’s mid-stay car park, to £360 at London Heathrow’s short stay car park.
On average, those booking 1-3 hours in advance will pay £272 per week less for airport parking than those who turn up without prebooking.
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The earlier you book your airport parking, the cheaper it will be. Late bookers often find that the cheapest options are sold out, especially at peak times.
That said, the savings for booking months in advance are not as high as you might think. Earlier this year we looked at the price of booking Heathrow’s short stay car park a month in advance and it cost £223 for a week’s parking. That’s considerably less than the £616 turn-up price, but only £33 less than the price of booking two hours before (£256).
The key thing is to book online and in advance, and never leave it until you arrive at the airport.
We found that Belfast International, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted airports allow you to book parking as late as 1-2 hours ahead of arrival.
For other airports, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow and Luton the cut off is 2-3 hours ahead. At Bristol airport, the entry time must be at least three hours after booking.
How to save on airport parking?
Apart from booking early, check prices of recommended off-site airport parking providers as these can be cheaper than on-site. The following companies are all Which? Recommended Providers:
undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/cheaper-airport-parking-book-an-hour-before-arrival-aNG3r9z444u4