Travel news · 5 min read · January 14, 2026

Edinburgh's drop-off fee jumps to £8.50, Stansted hits £10 – and how to avoid paying at every UK airport

Edinburgh has raised its terminal drop-off charge to £8.50, the latest in a string of increases that has also seen Stansted rise to £10 in March and Glasgow go up to £7 in February. With fines of up to £100 at some airports for non-payment, booking airport parking in advance with Holiday Extras can often work out cheaper than risking a penalty charge, especially at busy times.

Short on time? Let us summarise this guide for you.

UK airport drop-off charges have risen sharply in 2026. Edinburgh has increased its fee to £8.50 for 10 minutes, Stansted went up to £10 in March (with a steep £28 charge for stays over 15 minutes), and Glasgow rose to £7 in February. In this guide we explain what each major UK airport charges, how drop-off enforcement works, and where you can still avoid fees using free waiting zones, long-stay car parks or rail links. We also show why, once you factor in the risk of penalty notices, pre-booking airport parking with Holiday Extras can often work out cheaper and less stressful than racing the clock at the terminal.

Last updated: May 2026

Airport forecourts are becoming some of the most expensive places to stop your car in the UK. Charges at major airports now range from £5 to £10 for stays of just 10 to 15 minutes, and penalty notices for non-payment or overstaying can reach £100 at some airports – more than many travellers spend on a week's pre-booked parking.

There are three main ways people get stung for dropping off and picking up at the airport:

• Not planning ahead: It is possible to drop off for free at almost every airport if you are able to walk to the terminals or work the system, but if you just drive up on the day and pay the gate rate you will pay whatever the airport wants you to pay, and at many airports that now includes the risk of a hefty fine if you overstay.
• Picking up: Dropping off is usually straightforward and there are dedicated zones for it. Picking up is more complicated, because you have to wait for your passengers to clear arrivals while you are clocking up by-the-minute fees in short stay parking, or watching the clock in a 10 minute drop-off zone.
• Fines: Many airports are rigorous in pursuing people who drop off without handing over the fee. Barrierless ANPR systems at airports like Stansted, East Midlands and Gatwick make it straightforward to issue penalty notices to drivers who miss the payment deadline, and those fines are getting bigger.

If you are dropping off or picking up at a busy time, the combination of rising gate prices and hefty fines means parking at the airport – especially when you pre-book with Holiday Extras – can often be cheaper and a lot less stressful than hovering on the forecourt.

Heathrow

Heathrow charges £7 per visit at all terminals with a strict 10 minute maximum stay in the forecourt zones. If you stay longer than 10 minutes or do not pay, you will receive a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) of £80, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.

The charge applies every time a vehicle enters the drop-off zone, monitored by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), and must be paid online or by phone by midnight the following day. Blue Badge holders can register in advance for exemptions and concessions.

Heathrow still offers free alternatives: you can use the Park and Ride (Long Stay) car parks for free drop-off and pick-up, then take the shuttle bus to the terminal.

Skip the fees. For a free alternative, drop off at Hatton Cross tube station and catch the tube to any of the terminals – Hatton Cross is part of the Heathrow free travel zone so you can travel from there to any terminal. You'll need to tap an Oyster card, but it won't be charged. (The driver will need to be comfortable with a five-minute window to get in and out of the Hatton Cross car park before charges apply, and ULEZ compliant, to avoid getting stung at that end.)

There is no official drop-off at Pod Parking for T5 but it is possible to drop off there and then take the free pod, and quicker than the shuttle from the official drop-off at Long Stay.

When you add up the £7 fee plus the risk of an £80 PCN for overrunning – especially if you are dropping off at busy times – pre-booking airport parking with Holiday Extras can easily work out cheaper and a lot less stressful than trying to beat the 10-minute timer.

Source: Heathrow Airport – terminal drop-off charge and PCN details

Birmingham

Premium Set Down at Birmingham costs £6 for the first 15 minutes and is right outside the terminal, just a short walk to check-in. The main Drop Off area is free for up to 10 minutes, with a five to ten minute walk to the terminal via a covered walkway or shuttle bus. Pick-up is more expensive, with returning passengers encouraged to use the Short Stay car parks where hourly prices apply.

Skip the fees. As a better alternative at both ends of the journey, you can drive to Birmingham International station and use the free drop-off and pick-up point in the Short Stay car park there, then catch the free Air Rail link to the airport, which takes about 2 minutes and runs from early morning until late at night.

Source: Birmingham Airport – drop off and pick up

Bristol

Bristol Airport's transport interchange brings all drop-off and pick-up into a single area just outside the terminal. The combined Drop & Go and Short Stay & Pick Up zone charges a short stay fee, from £8.50 for the first period, with higher bands for longer stays. There is also a free waiting zone for up to an hour a short distance from the terminal, where you can wait before heading in to collect passengers.

Source: Bristol Airport – changes to drop-off and short stay fees

Cardiff

Cardiff has a dedicated drop-off zone directly outside the terminal for quick goodbyes. For a slightly longer stay, the Long Stay car park offers free parking for a short period, typically up to 20 minutes, and is only a few minutes' walk from the terminal. It is also where passengers with mobility needs can arrange assistance if they need extra time.

Source: Cardiff Airport – drop off and pick up information

Edinburgh

Edinburgh's paid drop-off area is on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park opposite the terminal. It now costs £8.50 for up to 10 minutes following a recent increase from £6, with further per-minute charges after that. Blue Badge holders get an hour for free in the car parks, while local residents and electric vehicle drivers can apply for discounts.

There is also a free drop-off option in the Long Stay car park, but without a dedicated shuttle from the free area you are looking at around a 10 to 12 minute walk to the terminal, so it is best suited for travellers with lighter luggage and plenty of time.

Source: Edinburgh Airport – drop off and pick up

East Midlands

East Midlands offers a Rapid Drop Off area right next to the terminal that costs £5 for up to 15 minutes, with additional per-minute charges after that. The airport has moved to a barrierless ANPR system, so you pay online by midnight instead of at a barrier when you leave. There is also an option to use Mid Stay with a short period free, generally enough time to drop off or pick up if you are happy with a short walk or shuttle.

(You probably can't) skip the fees. It is difficult or impossible to drop off or pick up anywhere else on East Midlands' estate; rules are rigorously enforced with video patrols and the fines are expensive. Some travellers recommend dropping off outside the airport grounds – at a nearby pub, office or even a flight school – but you are then looking at a walk of at least 15 minutes on busy roads with your luggage.

Source: East Midlands Airport – pick up and drop off

Gatwick

Gatwick charges a minimum of £10 to use its dedicated drop-off zones at both the North and South terminals for a short stay, with higher charges for longer visits or repeated entries. The charge is applied using ANPR and must be paid online.

Skip the fees. If you would rather avoid the fee, you can drop off for free at the Long Stay car parks and take the shuttle bus to the terminal. It adds extra time but can be a good option if you are dropping off a larger group or do not want to race the clock at the forecourt. It is also possible to walk from the Long Stay South car park to the terminal, which takes about five minutes.

Source: Gatwick Airport – drop off charges

Glasgow

Glasgow Airport's main Pick Up and Drop Off area, right next to the terminal, costs £7 for up to 15 minutes following an increase in February 2026. After that, the fee rises by the minute. For a cheaper option there is a Long Stay car park that offers a short period of free parking and a shuttle bus to the terminal, adding a bit more time but avoiding the forecourt charge.

Skip the fees. Locals suggest stopping at the BP garage off the M8 roundabout, just outside the airport grounds, and taking a five-minute walk (straight past the paid drop-off zone) from there. Assuming you are stopping as a customer of the garage and not obstructing the forecourt with piles of suitcases, that may be a reasonable alternative.

Source: Glasgow Airport – pick up and drop off

Leeds Bradford

Leeds Bradford's Pick Up and Drop Off car park, about a one-minute walk from the terminal, charges £7 for up to 10 minutes, with higher charges for longer stays. If you would rather not pay to be that close to the terminal, the airport also offers a One Hour Free Parking Zone a short walk away where you can park for up to 60 minutes at no charge and either walk in or meet returning passengers.

Source: Leeds Bradford Airport – parking and drop off

Liverpool

Liverpool John Lennon Airport's Express Drop Off and Pick Up zone, directly opposite the terminal, charges £6 for up to 10 minutes, with higher tariffs for longer stays. A second drop-off area further from the terminal offers 20 minutes free but involves a longer walk to departures and arrivals.

Skip the fees. Rather than pay to wait for passengers to clear arrivals, there is a 24-hour McDonald's five minutes from the airport at the New Mersey Retail Park.

Source: Liverpool Airport – Express Drop Off

London City

London City introduced its first-ever drop-off charge in January 2026, ending its long run as the last major UK airport to allow free kerbside drop-offs. The airport now charges £8 for up to five minutes, rising by £1 per minute to a maximum of ten minutes.

Skip the fees. Instead, get dropped off on the corner of Drew Road and Leonard Street, then head through the tunnel to the airport – the walk takes less than a minute.

Source: London City airport confirms £8 drop-off fee

Luton

London Luton Airport's closest drop-off zone by the terminal charges £7 for up to 10 minutes, with additional charges for longer stays and repeat entries. Payment is made using ANPR and online payment rather than barriers.

You can drop off for free at the Mid Stay and Long Stay car parks and take the shuttle bus, or drop at Luton Airport Parkway and take the Luton DART into the terminal. Once you factor in the DART fare, you only save a small amount versus the terminal drop-off, so it is mainly useful if you are already arriving by train.

Source: London Luton Airport – drop off and pick up

Manchester

Manchester's terminal forecourt drop-off starts at £5 for the shortest stays, with higher prices for up to 10 minutes and a £25 charge if you go over the limit. The airport now uses a barrierless ANPR system, so you pay online or by phone instead of at machines on exit.

There is also a free drop-off area a short distance from the terminals, with shuttle buses taking around 5 to 7 minutes to reach check-in. Blue Badge holders can still use the forecourt free of charge once they have registered their vehicle with the airport.

Skip the fees. If neither of those suit, you can drop off (and collect) passengers near Shadow Moss tram stop, one stop from the airport and just north of the airport grounds. It is legal to stop or park along several nearby roads, and travellers can then get a tram into the airport in four minutes, every 12 minutes, for a pound. While waiting for pick-up you might want to stop at the Airport Pub a couple of minutes away and get your passengers to call you once they clear arrivals.

Source: Manchester Airport – pick up and drop off

Newcastle

Newcastle Airport's Express Car Park, right in front of the terminal, costs £5 for up to 10 minutes for pick-up or drop-off (£6 for vans or minibuses), with higher bands for longer stays. If you want to avoid paying to be that close to the front door, a free shuttle service runs between the terminal and the Callerton Parkway waiting zone, where drivers can park free for up to 90 minutes. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes.

Skip the fees. If you do not have big luggage you can get dropped off at the bus stop on Ponteland Road and take the footpath from there. (If you do have luggage, the gate at the Hilton hotel makes it difficult or impossible to use this footpath.)

Source: Newcastle Airport – picking up and dropping off

Stansted

Stansted's Express Set Down zone, directly outside the terminal, increased to £10 for up to 15 minutes from 19 March 2026 (up from £7), making it joint most expensive in the UK alongside Gatwick. Longer stays escalate sharply: £28 for between 15 and 30 minutes. A re-entry rule also applies – if you return to the Express Set Down zone within 30 minutes of your first entry, an additional £20 charge is added on top of the standard fee.

The airport uses a barrierless ANPR system, so you pay online or by phone by midnight the following day. Failing to pay triggers a Parking Charge Notice of £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days – higher than the PCN at Heathrow.

To avoid the fee completely, you can use the Mid Stay car park, which offers up to 60 minutes free and a shuttle bus that takes about 7 minutes to reach the terminal. It is the safest way to dodge the forecourt fee without stopping on roads where stopping is prohibited and can incur its own fines.

Skip the fees (pick-up only). Birchanger Green is a motorway service station close to the airport. If you are waiting for passengers to disembark, you can get a cup of tea there and get them to call you when they are out.

Source: Stansted Airport – pick up and drop off

Alternatively, plan ahead and either book your airport parking in advance or stay overnight in an airport hotel and stroll into the airport fresh and ready for your holiday the next morning.

Most Holiday Extras customers saved £150 last year on their airport parking vs the gate rate by booking ahead with us. So before you start working out how to jump over a fence while carrying two suitcases, why not see if you would be better parking or sleeping at the airport before your flight?