Parking at Gatwick, explained properly
Gatwick has two terminals, several official car parks and a whole industry of independent operators around the perimeter. This is an independent guide to what the options actually are, what separates them, and how the pricing works — written to help you choose, not to push you toward one answer.
Start here
North Terminal parking at Gatwick
Which car parks serve the North Terminal, how long each one takes to reach the check-in desks, and when it is worth using a South Terminal car park instead.
South Terminal parking at Gatwick
The car parks that serve the South Terminal, how the railway station changes the calculation, and when a North Terminal space is the better buy.
Official versus off-airport parking at Gatwick
The single biggest decision in Gatwick parking, and an honest account of what you gain and give up on each side of it.
Long stay parking at Gatwick
The airport's own answer to holiday parking: a much lower daily rate in exchange for a free transfer bus at each end.
Meet and greet parking at Gatwick
Hand your car over at the terminal and walk straight into departures. The fastest option, and the one where the operator's credentials matter most.
Dropping someone off at Gatwick
The terminal forecourts carry a drop-off charge. There is a free alternative in the long stay car parks, and a third option that is often the most sensible of all.
The short version
Match the car park to the length of the trip
Short stay is priced for hours and climbs steeply; long stay and off-airport compounds are priced for days. Using short stay for a fortnight is the single most expensive mistake people make at Gatwick.
Book ahead — waiting does not pay
Airport parking is yield priced and generally rises into the date. The drive-up rate at the barrier is the highest there is, and booking even the night before usually beats it.
Either terminal's car parks will do
A free automated shuttle links the North and South Terminals, so if one side is cheaper for your dates you can take it. Allow for making that transfer twice, the second time with your luggage.
Judge an operator on the return leg
Every car park handles a relaxed morning departure well. What separates them is collecting you at eleven at night after a delayed flight — which is what recent reviews will tell you about.
Browse by topic
Terminals & Getting There 4
Which terminal you fly from decides which car parks make sense, and how you get between the two once you are on site.
Car Parks & Parking Types 7
Official on-airport car parks, off-airport operators, meet and greet, valet and park-and-ride — what each one actually is.
Practical Matters 7
Drop-off and pick-up, accessibility, electric-vehicle charging, transfers, security and what to do when plans change.
Costs & Booking 5
What drives the price, when to book, how cancellation works, and how to compare quotes honestly.
About the advice on this site
We do not publish prices. Airport parking is priced dynamically and any figure written here would be wrong within weeks, so these guides explain what drives the cost and leave the numbers to the operators — where they are current. Every page carries the date it was last reviewed, and we are not affiliated with Gatwick Airport Limited or with any car park operator. More about who writes this.