Meet and greet options at Birmingham
Three products let you hand over your keys: Car Park 7, the airport's Valet Parking and Maple Parking.
| Car park | 8 days, full price | 8 days | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Car Park 7 | £94.99 | £66.49 | £8.31 |
| Official Valet Parking | £139.99 | £98.00 | £12.25 |
| Maple Parking Meet & Greet | £169.99 | £119.00 | £14.87 |
Sample eight-day prices. The search at the top shows yours.
| Product | Handover | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Official Car Park 7 | Office at Car Park 7, across the runway | Courtesy bus to the terminal |
| Official Valet Parking | Valet cabin by the terminal | Walk about a minute |
| Maple Parking Meet & Greet | Outside departures | Walk straight in |
The official valet
The airport's Valet Parking is run with NCP from a cabin about a minute from the terminal.
You hand your keys to a chauffeur at the cabin and walk to check-in. The car stays in an on-site secured car park. On return, the attendant at the same cabin gives back your keys and shows you where the car is. See the Valet Parking page.
Car Park 7 as meet and greet
For pre-booked customers, Car Park 7 is a meet and greet product, and the cheapest official parking.
It sits across the runway at postcode B26 3QW. Staff at the office take your keys and park the car, and a courtesy bus runs up to four times an hour. On return, you catch it from bus stop D. The handover saves money, but the bus adds time. See the Car Park 7 page.
Maple Parking
Maple meets you outside departures and takes the car to a secure car park a few minutes away.
Maple says its drivers are uniformed, insured and DBS checked, and that it runs 24 hours a day. It is the dearest handover we sell at Birmingham, and the most convenient at the kerb. See the Maple Parking page.
Handing over and getting the car back
Every handover follows the same pattern: arrive, hand over the keys, walk or ride in, and reverse it on return.
- Prepare. One key, house keys removed, valuables out.
- Hand over. At the cabin, the office or the kerb.
- Travel. Keep the confirmation and the phone number.
- Return. Same place, or call Maple when you land.
Who meet and greet suits
Families, groups with heavy luggage and anyone short on time benefit most.
No carrying bags across car parks.
The shortest route to check-in.
Hand over close to the door.
Car Park 7 is the cheapest official option.
Set-down charges
Kerbside handovers use roads where the airport's Premium Set Down charges apply.
The airport's own valet uses its cabin, and Car Park 7 uses its own office, so neither involves the set-down zone. For Maple, check the confirmation for any airport charge due on the day.
Meet and greet or a terminal car park
At Birmingham, a terminal car park is almost as close as a handover.
Car Parks 1, 2 and 3 are a minute's walk from check-in. For many travellers, parking there themselves gives the same convenience as the valet for a similar price. Meet and greet earns its place when the car is large, the luggage heavy, or the morning tight.
Preparing the car
A few minutes of preparation makes the handover quick.
Remove valuables and anything you would not want moved with the car. Take house keys off the ring. Note the mileage and take photos of the bodywork, so you have a record to compare with on your return. Keep the confirmation and the phone number to hand.
When your flight is late
Tell the operator as soon as you know.
At the airport's Valet and Car Park 7, the car is on the airport site, so a delay is simple to manage. For Maple, call the number on your confirmation so the driver is ready when you land. Amend the booking before you fly home when the return date changes, to avoid overstay charges.
Larger vehicles
Check size before booking a handover.
Meet and greet services generally take standard cars. For a campervan or tall van, Car Park 5 has no height restriction and lets you park yourself.
Is meet and greet worth it at Birmingham
Because the terminal car parks are so close, the case is narrower than at bigger airports.
Car Parks 1, 2 and 3 are a minute's walk from check-in, so parking yourself there is almost as convenient as a handover. The strongest case for meet and greet at Birmingham is Car Park 7, which saves money; or the Valet and Maple, which save carrying bags across a car park when the family is travelling heavy. You can check the saving before you book on our Birmingham parking discount codes page.
Getting the car back
The return is where the options differ most.
At the Valet, you walk back to the cabin, collect the keys and are shown the car, all without leaving the terminal area. At Car Park 7, you ride the courtesy bus back across the runway and collect your keys at the office. With Maple, you call on landing and meet the driver at the agreed point. For a late-night arrival with tired children, the Valet is the simplest.
Meet and greet for business travel
For a short trip, the Valet saves the most time.
A day return or a single night away suits the airport's Valet: the car stays on site, the handover is quick, and the walk to check-in is short. For longer trips, Car Park 7 costs less.
Security
The airport says all its car parks hold Park Mark safer parking status, with CCTV and regular patrols.
Maple describes CCTV, floodlights and fencing at its own car park. We report operator claims as theirs.
Our view on meet and greet
Car Park 7 is the value pick, the Valet the convenient one, and Maple the kerbside option.
At Birmingham, where the terminal car parks are so close, meet and greet is less of a necessity than at larger airports. Car Park 7's handover saves money for those happy to take a courtesy bus. The airport's Valet, run with NCP, keeps the car on site and the handover beside the terminal, which suits families and anyone with heavy luggage. Maple's handover outside departures is the most convenient of all, at the highest price. All three take, and bookings made with us can be cancelled free within 24 hours of booking. Our Birmingham park and ride page compares the car parks side by side.
Groups and larger parties
For a group travelling in one car, a handover can simplify the start of the trip.
Everyone unloads at the door or the valet cabin, and nobody waits at a bus stop with the luggage. Check the vehicle size first: most handover services take standard cars, and a seven-seater with a roof box may need a car park instead.
Meet and greet at Birmingham: questions answered
The airport's own Valet Parking, Car Park 7 for pre-booked customers, and Maple Parking.
At the Valet Parking cabin, about a minute's walk from the terminal.
You leave your keys at the office by the entrance, then take a courtesy bus to the terminal, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Outside the departure terminal, per Maple.
Car Park 7, on our sample prices.
Ready to book? The search at the top compares every Birmingham car park we sell. Cancel free within 24 hours of booking. Pre-book now to pay up to 80% less than turning up on the day.