Gatwick Airport car parking
Gatwick Airport is blessed with a large number of car parks making for a competitive market and therefore good rates for parking your car at the airport.
There are three main types of car parking available at Gatwick Airport:
- Short Stay car parking – best suited for stays of three days or less, or if you’re meeting or dropping someone off at the airport. These car parks have covered walkways directly into the North and South terminals.
- Long Stay car parking – available both ‘on airport’ and ‘off airport’ and requiring a short bus transfer to your terminal in either case.
- Meet and Greet car parking – where you are met at the terminal entrance by someone from the parking company, who will park your car for you (and meet you on your return). There’s no waiting for the transfer bus, but this is more expensive than normal long stay parking
Short Stay car parking
Both the North Terminal and South Terminal short stay car parks are operated by NCP and are immediately adjacent to the terminals, which can be reached via covered walkways.
Lifts and escalators at both mean you don’t need to carry your luggage, and both are staffed.
If you’re just picking someone up, or dropping them off, then you’ll need to use the Short Stay car park. A new 15 minute tariff has been introduced for this purpose of £1.
The full tariff rate is:
| Time | Cost |
| First 15 minutes | £1.00 |
| 15 minutes - 30 minutes | £2.40 |
| 30 minutes - 1 hour |
£3.90 |
| 1 - 2 hours | £5.60 |
| 2 - 3 hours | £6.90 |
| 3 - 4 hours | £8.50 |
| 4 - 5 hours | £9.50 |
| 5 - 6 hours |
£11.00 |
| 6 - 9 hours | £13.20 |
| 9 - 12 hours | £14.10 |
| 12 - 18 hours |
£17.40 |
| 18 - 24 hours | £20.40 |
| Price per subsequent 24 hours or part thereof | £20.40 |
A fast track service is also available for an additional fee.
Long Stay car parking
Long stay car parks divide into those that are “on airport” (this simply means within the perimeter fence of the airport) and those that are “off airport” (outside the perimeter fence).
Generally speaking on airport car parks have quicker transfer times, though the difference is never more than around 10 minutes so, if you’re not in a hurry, you’re better off saving some money and going for one of the off airport car parks, which are almost always cheaper because of the extra distance.
Meet and Greet car parking
Meet and Greet services have expanded greatly in the last few years, and there are now 10 suppliers.
With Meet and Greet you will be met at the terminal by a representative from the parking company who will park your car for you. On your return they will drop it back to you, ensuring a swift exit from the airport, because you won’t have to wait for the transfer bus.
