As the UK’s busiest airport, with more than 80 million passengers passing though each year to fly to 203 destinations, it’s no surprise that travelling to and from London Heathrow Airport can be one of the most stressful parts of your holiday.
Photo: Courtesy of Paul Thompson / CC BY-ND 2.0
To get your trip off to a more relaxed start, it can help to drive and use one of Heathrow’s many car parks, so there is no need to add extra time to your journey by waiting around for public transport. To help you get the best deal, we’ve rounded up three online vendors which offer a variety of parking services to suit all budgets.
Official Parking
Parking directly at the airport is the most convenient option, but it’s worth bearing in mind that it’s also the priciest. Heathrow Short Stay Parking is located right next to the terminals, making it the closest car park offered by the airport. However, this also makes it the most expensive option if you’re looking at parking for a few days, with rates set at £64.30 for every 24 hours. For holidays and longer trips Heathrow Long Stay Parking is more cost effective, with prices starting from £29.50 for the first day and from £23.50 for every additional 24 hours thereafter. You’ll have to take a shuttle bus from the Long Stay Parking to the terminals, but they run every ten minutes and the journey time is no longer than ten minutes, depending on your terminal. At T2, T3, and T5, business travellers also have the option of leaving their car in the dedicated Heathrow Business car park, which is closer to the terminals than the long-stay spots. You can also opt for a Meet and Greet service, so all you have to do is drive to the Short Stay car park to meet a member of staff, who will park your car for you, or choose Valet Parking, which will take you even closer to the terminal as with this service you can drop your car right outside. Prices for both start at £103.50 for one day.
Purple Parking
Purple Parking offers both short- and long-term parking in its own secure multi-storey car parks. The multi-storeys at Terminal 2 and 3 are the closest off-airport parking to Heathrow; from here it’s just a ten to 12-minute journey to the terminal using Purple Parking’s own shuttle bus. Terminal 5 is a ten to 15-minute shuttle transfer from Purple Parking’s car park, and there is no need to take a shuttle bus to Terminal 4, as it’s just a seven to ten-minute walk away. Parking starts at £6.87 per day and from £54.95 per week, if you book ahead. Each car park also comes with 24-hour security.
Meet & Greet
If you want to make your journey to and from the airport even easier, upgrade your car parking with a service such as Meet and Greet. With this option you won’t have to worry about parking your car, as a chauffeur will do it for you whilst you head straight to check in. You can also rest easy knowing that your car will be parked safely, thanks to Heathrow Car Parks offering security measures such as regular patrols for peace of mind. If you choose Valet Parking, then not only will a member of staff park your car for you, but you can also add on a Car Care option so your vehicle is cleaned whilst you’re away. You can find the cheapest option at Looking4Parking, which will search a number of operators and deals, potentially saving you up to 60 percent if you pre-book.