Parking prices at Cardiff Airport
Eight days at Cardiff run from Car Park 2 to Express Park and Highwayman.
The table shows every product we sell at Cardiff, with who runs it, the kind of parking, how you reach the terminal and the eight-day price. Click a name for its full guide.
| Operator | Car park | Type | Transfer | 8-day price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Official Car Park 2 On-Airport · Official |
Park & Walk | Walk 5–7 min, keep keys | £54.60 £6.83/day |
Book now |
 |
Official Car Park 1 On-Airport · Official |
Park & Walk | Walk 4–5 min, keep keys | £61.60 £7.70/day |
Book now |
 |
Official Express Park On-Airport · Official |
Meet & Greet | Keys at Priority Reception | £68.60 £8.58/day |
Book now |
 |
Highwayman Parking (APH Park & Ride) Off-Airport · Fonmon, Rhoose |
Park & Ride | Shuttle every 15 min | £68.60 £8.58/day |
Book now |
*Sample eight-day prices. Check your own dates in the search above.
The spread is narrow. The airport's value car park is also one of its closest, so at Cardiff you choose on convenience as much as on price.
The airport's own car parks
Cardiff Airport runs three of the four products we sell: Car Park 1, Car Park 2 and Express Park.
| Car park | Getting to the terminal | Keys |
|---|---|---|
| Official Car Park 1 | Walk, the nearest self-park | You keep them |
| Official Car Park 2 | Short walk or optional shuttle | You keep them |
| Official Express Park | Handover by the terminal | Handed in at reception |
Car Park 1 and Car Park 2 are separate car parks with separate pages: they differ in walk, price and role, since Car Park 2 also serves as the free short-stop area for pick-ups.
Car Park 2: the value choice
Car Park 2 is the lowest price we sell at Cardiff.
It is run by the airport, you keep your keys, and the terminal is a short walk away along marked paths, with an optional shuttle for heavy luggage. For a week or two in the sun, it is the natural first choice. See Official Car Park 2.
Car Park 2 also has a second role as the airport's free short-stop area for anyone meeting a flight. That makes it busy with cars coming and going in the evenings, but the long stay spaces and the short stops are simple to tell apart once you are inside.
Car Park 1: the nearest self-park
Car Park 1 is the official car park closest to departures.
It costs a little more than Car Park 2 and saves a couple of minutes each way. It has Blue Badge bays and a Special Assistance call point linked to the terminal team. Cars must fit a standard bay; trailers and minibuses are not accepted. See Official Car Park 1.
For short trips, the price gap between Car Park 1 and Car Park 2 is small, and many regular travellers simply book Car Park 1 for anything under a week. For a fortnight, the saving in Car Park 2 becomes worth having.
Express Park: the handover
Express Park is Cardiff's meet and greet, run by the airport.
You drive to the Express Park shelter by the terminal, hand in the keys at reception and walk to check-in. Staff move the car to a secure area on airport land, so it never leaves the airport. See Official Express Park.
It is the option to choose when the walk from a car park is the hard part of the trip: with small children, reduced mobility, sports kit or simply a very early flight. On return, you collect the keys from the same reception.
Highwayman: the park and ride
Highwayman at Fonmon, now APH Cardiff Park & Ride, is the one off-airport car park we sell here.
Staff park the car and a shuttle runs to the terminal around the clock. It takes trailers, which count as two spaces. See Highwayman Parking (APH Cardiff Park & Ride).
The site was long known as Highwayman Parking, and booking sites use both names. Your confirmation gives the postcode and the name to look for at the gate. The shuttle ride is short, and staff are on site through the night.
Long stay
Cardiff has no separate long stay car park; every official car park takes stays of any length.
For a long holiday, Car Park 2 is the value pick, Car Park 1 the shorter walk. Our Cardiff long stay page compares all four.
Short stay
For a night or two, Car Park 1 is the nearest self-park; for a pick-up, Car Park 2 has a free short stop.
Our Cardiff short stay page covers both, and the paid zone outside the terminal.
Meet and greet
Express Park is the only handover service at Cardiff, and it is the airport's own.
The car stays on the airport, which is unusual for meet and greet in the UK. Our Cardiff meet and greet page explains how it works.
Park and ride
Highwayman at Fonmon is the park and ride, with a short shuttle.
It is not the cheapest option here, because Car Park 2 costs less; it competes on service. See our Cardiff park and ride page.
Dropping off and picking up
The zone outside the terminal costs £4.50 for up to ten minutes, from 1 July 2026; Car Park 2 has a free short stop.
The zone charge repeats for each ten minutes. Beyond the free period in Car Park 2, the airport charges £6 up to 40 minutes, £8 up to an hour and £10 up to two hours. Every detail is in our Cardiff drop-off and pick-up page.
The cheapest way to park
Book Car Park 2 early.
At Cardiff, the budget choice is an official car park close to the terminal. Avoid turn-up rates and keep the booking in step with your flights. Our cheap Cardiff parking page has the detail, and our discount code page shows every saving.
Electric cars
We could not confirm public EV charging in the car parks we sell at Cardiff.
None of the four products lists charging on the pages we checked. Charge before you set off; the drive from Cardiff, Newport or Swansea is well within the range of most electric cars, and there are rapid chargers on the main routes. We will add charging here when it is confirmed.
Accessibility
The airport says dedicated parking and assistance are available in Car Parks 1 and 2, with ramp access to the terminal.
Car Park 1 has a Special Assistance call point connected to the terminal team, with a sheltered waiting area. Express Park removes the walk from a car park altogether. Book assistance through your airline for help to the aircraft.
Vans, trailers and larger vehicles
The official car parks take cars that fit a standard bay.
Trailers, commercial vehicles and minibuses are not accepted in Car Park 1. Highwayman at Fonmon accepts trailers, which take two spaces, so book twice for the same dates.
Which car park for which trip
Match the car park to the trip.
| Your trip | Our suggestion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Official Car Park 2 | Cheapest, short walk |
| Shortest self-park walk | Official Car Park 1 | Nearest to departures |
| No walk from a car park | Official Express Park | Handover by the terminal |
| Towing a trailer | Highwayman Parking (APH Cardiff Park & Ride) | Trailers accepted |
| Meeting a flight | Car Park 2 short stop | Free for a short stop |
The summer peak
Cardiff is a holiday airport, and summer is its busiest season.
From the late May bank holiday to early September, the morning waves to Spain, Portugal, the Canaries and the Greek islands fill the car parks. The Welsh school holidays start a little earlier than in England. Book as soon as flights are confirmed; the cheapest spaces go first.
Saturday mornings are the busiest of all, when holiday flights overlap and the A4050 slows through Culverhouse Cross. Leave a margin, and have the booking confirmation ready at the barrier or the Express Park reception.
Winter at Rhoose
The airport sits on an exposed plateau above the Bristol Channel.
Wind and rain are part of the experience in winter, and frost comes early on the high ground. Keep a scraper in the car. On a wet night, the shortest walk to the car, from Car Park 1 or the Express Park handover, is worth considering for the return.
Snow is rare on the coast, but when it comes the approach roads can be slow. Check the airport's travel updates before setting off on a winter morning, and allow extra time for the drive and for clearing the car on return.
Parking for families
Families at Cardiff usually choose between the value of Car Park 2 and the short walk of Car Park 1.
With young children, car seats and a buggy, a couple of minutes' less walking makes a difference, and Express Park avoids the walk entirely. For a fortnight on a budget, Car Park 2 with its optional shuttle is the sensible choice. Book early for the summer holidays and half-term.
On the way home, a tired family with cases and a sleeping child is when the short walk or the handover pays for itself. Agree before you fly who fetches the car and who waits with the bags, and keep the booking confirmation on one phone that stays charged.
Parking for business trips
Cardiff's routes suit short business trips.
For a same-day return or a night away, Car Park 1 puts you at check-in within minutes. Express Park suits a tight schedule even better. Keep the confirmation email with your travel documents; it names the car park and the reference.
Getting to Cardiff Airport
The airport is at Rhoose, about 12 miles south-west of Cardiff city centre.
Then the A4232 and the A4050 through Culverhouse Cross, following the brown airport signs to Rhoose.
The airport's postcode, used by all three official car parks. Highwayman is at CF62 3BH.
On the Vale of Glamorgan line, linked to the terminal by a shuttle bus.
Use the postcode in your confirmation: the official car parks share the airport's postcode, while Highwayman at Fonmon has its own.
By train, bus or taxi
Rhoose station is on the Vale of Glamorgan line, with a shuttle bus to the terminal.
Buses also run between Cardiff city centre and the airport, and taxis wait outside arrivals. For a dawn flight, check the first trains and buses of the day, which may arrive too late; driving and parking is often the simplest way to reach an early departure from the Valleys or West Wales.
Early flights and late landings
The first departures leave early, and the last arrivals land late in the evening.
For a dawn flight, the car parks nearest the terminal save the most time. Highwayman's shuttle runs through the night, and Express Park means no hunting for a space. On the way home, a late landing is when a short walk counts most.
Before you book
A few checks save trouble on the day.
Check that your vehicle fits a standard bay, or book Highwayman for a trailer. Check the dates and times against your flights, including the return. Check whether you want to keep your keys: you do in Car Parks 1 and 2, and staff hold them at Express Park and Highwayman. Put the car park's postcode from your confirmation into the sat-nav.
Changing or cancelling a booking
Bookings made with us can be cancelled free within 24 hours of booking.
To change dates, amend the booking rather than making a new one. When a return flight is delayed, update the booking before you travel where you can: booking terms reported by resellers allow a discretionary grace period at the official car parks, then a daily charge. Our team can help by phone.
About Cardiff Airport
Cardiff is Wales's main international airport, owned by the Welsh Government.
The airport reports more than a million passengers in the past twelve months and describes itself as the UK's second fastest-growing airport, with passenger numbers up 24% in the first quarter of 2026. It is still compact: one terminal, three official car parks a few minutes apart, and a park and ride down the lane.
Security
Resellers describe barrier control, CCTV and staff patrols at the official car parks.
Barriers, CCTV and patrols, as described.
The car stays on airport land.
Floodlighting, CCTV and patrols, per APH.
Not published by the airport, so not claimed.
Wherever you park, take valuables with you, keep bags out of sight and lock the car before walking away. Report anything that worries you to the staff on site or to the airport's own team, and check the car over before you drive away on return.
How booking with us works
Search, compare and book in a few minutes.
- Search. Enter your dates above to see live prices.
- Compare. Every Cardiff product appears.
- Book. Pay securely; the saving shows first.
- Travel. The barrier reads your plate, or staff take the keys.
Keep the confirmation on your phone. It names the car park and gives the postcode to use.
Parking at Cardiff: common questions
Car Park 2, the airport's own, on our sample prices. It is a short walk from the terminal.
Car Park 1 is the nearest self-park. Express Park lets you hand over the car right by the terminal.
Car Park 2 is free for the first 20 minutes, per the airport. The zone outside the terminal is charged.
Yes: Express Park, the airport's own handover service.
Yes: Highwayman at Fonmon, now APH Cardiff Park & Ride, with a shuttle to the terminal.
No. They are separate official car parks with different walks and prices, and each has its own page.
Bookings made with us can be cancelled free within 24 hours of booking.
Flying from Cardiff? Search your dates at the top of the page to save up to 80% on drive-up prices, and cancel free within 24 hours of booking. Need help? Call 0333 5678 678.