Cardiff Airport Drop-Off and Pick-Up

The terminal drop-off zone

The drop-off zone outside the terminal is the closest place to set down, and it is charged.

From 1 July 2026, the airport charges £4.50 for up to ten minutes, and the same for each ten minutes after that. The old rate was £3. The airport notes the charge is still among the lower ones in the UK. Keep the stop brief: unload, say goodbye and drive on.

The free alternative: Car Park 2

Car Park 2 is free for the first 20 minutes, per the airport.

It is a short walk from the terminal, so there is time to walk your passenger to the door and come back. Beyond the free period, the airport charges £6 up to 40 minutes, £8 up to an hour and £10 for up to two hours. See Official Car Park 2.

The options side by side

Three ways to drop off or collect at Cardiff.

Picking someone up

Do not wait in the drop-off zone for an arriving flight.

Park in Car Park 2 instead, and walk to arrivals when the flight has landed. The free period covers a quick meet on time; the tariff after that is modest, even for a long delay.

Timing a pick-up

Check the flight before you leave home.

Arrivals at Cardiff can be early or late, and baggage reclaim takes time on busy summer evenings. Leave when the flight shows as landed, and agree a meeting point with your passenger.

Passengers who need help

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. For help from the car to the aircraft, book assistance through your airline before you fly.

Handing over the car instead

For a trip rather than a drop, Express Park is the handover option.

You leave the car by the terminal and airport staff park it. It is priced for the trip, not by the minute. See Official Express Park.

Without a car

Rhoose station is on the Vale of Glamorgan line, and a shuttle bus links it to the terminal.

Buses also run between the city centre and the airport. For early flights, check the first services of the day, which may be too late.

Taxis

Taxis wait outside arrivals.

Book ahead for an early start; the airport is some way from the city centre, and at dawn fewer cabs are about.

Rules of the road

Cameras record vehicles in the drop-off zone.

Pay the charge the way the airport's signs explain, on the day. Do not leave the car unattended in the zone, and do not stop on the approach roads.

Our view

Use the drop-off zone for a quick goodbye and Car Park 2 for everything else.

The free short stop in Car Park 2 costs nothing and is only a short walk from the door. For anything longer, its tariff is still modest.

Staying longer to wave someone off

Some goodbyes take more than a few minutes.

For a longer farewell, park in Car Park 2 and walk in with your passenger; the tariff for up to two hours is modest. It is also the place to wait for a delayed arrival.

Planning the route

The airport is at Rhoose, about 12 miles south-west of Cardiff.

From the M4 at junction 33, the A4232 and the A4050 lead to the airport. Allow extra time through Culverhouse Cross at rush hour.

Before you set off

A drop-off goes smoothly with a little planning.

Check the departure time and terminal, and agree with your passenger where you will stop. Have bags ready to unload quickly at the kerb, and decide in advance whether to use the zone or Car Park 2. For an early flight, allow for roadworks on the A4050, which are common in summer.

Blue Badge holders

Passengers with reduced mobility have more time to think about at the kerb.

Car Parks 1 and 2 have dedicated spaces and ramp access to the terminal, per the airport. Parking there and walking in together is usually easier than a rushed stop in the zone. Book assistance through your airline for help beyond the doors.

Groups and minibuses

Larger groups need more planning.

For a minibus drop-off, use the zone briefly and drive on; the official car parks take standard vehicles only. For a group meeting a flight, one car waiting in Car Park 2 is simpler than several circling the forecourt.

Wet and windy days

The airport sits on an exposed plateau above the Bristol Channel.

On a wet day, a quick stop at the kerb keeps everyone drier than a walk from a car park. On the way home, waiting in the car in Car Park 2 is more comfortable than standing outside arrivals.

Charges after you leave

Pay what you owe on the day, as the signs explain.

Unpaid drop-off charges can be followed by a parking charge notice. The airport's signs and website set out how and when to pay, so check them the first time you use the zone.

Early morning drop-offs

Cardiff's first departures leave early, and the zone is busiest then.

At that hour, expect a queue of cars at the kerb. Unload quickly and move on, or use Car Park 2 and walk in together. On a summer Saturday, the morning wave to the sun is when the zone is at its most crowded.

Late night pick-ups

The last arrivals land late in the evening.

Park in Car Park 2 and walk across when the flight lands; do not wait on the forecourt. Take a torch or use your phone's light on the path in winter, and let your passenger know where you are parked.

Being a good kerbside neighbour

The zone works best when everyone keeps moving.

Pull as far forward as you can, unload on the kerb side, and move off as soon as the doors close. Do not leave the engine idling for long, and do not block the lanes used by buses and taxis.

Help from our team

We sell parking, not the drop-off zone, but we can help you choose.

Call 0333 5678 678 for advice on the car parks near the terminal. For questions about the zone charge itself, the airport's own customer team is the right contact.

Drop-off and pick-up at Cardiff: common questions