With 2024 a record-breaking year for Brits travelling abroad,* we wanted to find out more about how holidaymakers travel to the airport and get their opinions on airport parking.
Having surveyed 2,000 UK car owners, we found that when it came to getting to the airport:
- 40% drive and leave their car
- 39% get a lift from friends or family
- 17% rely on taxis
- 4% use public transport
What do motorists think about airport parking?
Despite driving being the most popular option for motorists, and 31% agreeing that they valued the convenience of driving and leaving their car at the airport, the price of airport parking was an issue for many.
Almost half of those surveyed (48%) believed it was too expensive, with 43% feeling that the cost could be off-putting to holidaymakers.
When it came to how motorists chose to park at the airport, we saw a divide between those looking for a bargain and those willing to spend more to be as close to the terminal as they could.
Almost a quarter of motorists (23%) said they would always look for the cheapest airport parking options available, with some (13%) admitting they would consider unofficial airport parking options run by third parties if they were cheaper. This is at odds with the one-in-six who would splash out on a premium parking experience to make things as easy as possible.
How much can holidaymakers expect to spend on airport parking in 2025?
Having analysed parking costs from 25 UK airports, we found that airport parking prices vary substantially. Even when it came to the cheapest parking options available at each airport, prices differed by almost £100.
According to our research, we predict that motorists will spend upwards of £140 on airport parking this summer – with London Southend (SEN) having the most expensive parking on the market at over £500 if you were to leave your car in the Stort Stay Car Park for 7-days:
| AIRPORT | CHEAPEST PARKING OPTION | PRICIEST PARKING OPTION |
| Aberdeen Airport (ABZ) | £54.99 | £104 |
| Birmingham International Airport (BHX) | £129.99 | £246.31 |
| Bournemouth Airport (BOH) | £143 | £247 |
| Bristol Airport (BRS) | £115 | £281.50 |
| Cardiff Airport (CWL) | £110 | £156 |
| Cornwall Airport (NQY) | £53 | £66 |
| East Midlands Airport (EMA) | £72.23 | £122.99 |
| Edinburgh Airport (EDI) | £69.99 | £159.99 |
| Exeter Airport (EXT) | £108.90 | £161.56 |
| Glasgow Airport (GLA) | £62.99 | £126 |
| Glasgow Prestwick (PIK) | £77 | £101 |
| Inverness Airport (INV) | £76.50 | £112.20 |
| Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) | £96 | £180 |
| Liverpool Airport (LPL) | £98.99 | £162.99 |
| London City Airport (LCY) | £149.50 | £209.55 |
| London Gatwick Airport (LGW) | £137 | £491.50 |
| London Heathrow Airport (LHR) | £142.57 | £235.43 |
| London Luton Airport (LTN) | £143.49 | £174.59 |
| London Southend Airport (SEN) | £94.79 | £520 |
| London Stansted Airport (STN) | £97.87 | £166.80 |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | £89.99 | £131.10 |
| Newcastle Airport (NCL) | £99.99 | £169.99 |
| Norwich Airport (NWI) | £97 | £117.15 |
| Southampton Airport (SOU) | £68.99 | £101.97 |
| Teeside Airport (MME) | £50 | £50 |
* Prices are based on parking from 6am on Saturday 2nd August to 10pm on Saturday 9th August 2025.
How do motorists feel about airport drop-off charges?
While almost a third of motorists (31%) said they were happy to give loved ones a lift to the airport so they could avoid airport parking charges, many admitted they found the process stress-inducing.
A fifth of people found airport parking stressful, with 24% saying they found the new airport parking rules confusing.
When it came to airport drop-off charges, 46% of motorists believed that they were too expensive, with the majority (55%) thinking it should be free to drop off and collect people from the airport.
What are people’s views on new barrierless drop-off zones?
With seven major UK airports having removed exit barriers to help traffic flow through drop-off areas, we wanted to find out how car owners are finding the new systems.
While some barrierless airports offer automated payment options, others rely on motorists being aware of payment processes and remembering to log on and pay the drop-off charges once they get home:
The airports with barrierless drop-off zones:
| Airport | Barrierless system introduced | Automated Payment Option |
| Birmingham International (BHX) | 18th March 2025 | Yes |
| East Midlands (EMA) | 1st May 2025 | Yes |
| Gatwick (LGW) | 8th March 2021 | Yes |
| Heathrow (LHR) | 1st January 2025 | No |
| Luton (LTN) | 12th July 2024 | No |
| Manchester (MAN) | 26th March 2025 | No |
| Stansted (STN) | 22nd January 2025 | Yes |
A quarter of those surveyed (24%) felt it was overly complicated having to remember to pay for parking once they got home, with motorists preferring to pay while still at the airport.
According to the research, 2.4 million motorists have already been fined when dropping or collecting someone from the airport.** While it’s not clear how many of these were the result of motorists forgetting to pay, we think this number could rise considerably as the new barrierless systems become more popular.
Methodology
* https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06022/SN06022.pdf
** Prediction based on the number of licensed cars in the UK (33,967,000) and our survey results which found that 7% of motorists had been fined when dropping or collecting someone from the airport
Original Research
For this piece of research, Motorpoint looked at parking at all major international airports in England, Wales and Scotland. The list is inclusive of all airports offering long-haul flights and those used by Ryanair and EasyJet.
Prices are based on parking from 6am on Saturday 2nd August to 10pm on Saturday 9th August. The data included the cheapest onsite official airport parking option as well as the most expensive. Where prices vary amongst terminals, an average price was taken.
To keep the research consistent, where possible Motorpoint opted for parking options that didn’t include added extras, such as security fast track. Where required, those travelling were specified as two adults and two children.
Pre-book prices were collected on June 12th and again on June 30th to understand how quickly prices change. Full data available on request.
Survey
Motorpoint enlisted SurveyGoo to survey of 2,000 UK car owners about their attitudes towards airport parking. Data collected in July 2025. All statistics and findings have been rounded to the nearest whole number. All data available.