Checking your terminal before you travel
Gatwick has two terminals, North and South, and your airline decides which one you use. Check your booking or boarding pass before you choose a car park, because most official car parks come in a North and a South version.
Airlines can move between terminals, so do not rely on last year's trip. Jet2, which opened its Gatwick base in March 2026, flies from the South Terminal. Your airline's confirmation email names the terminal, and so does the Gatwick website's flight search.
North and South, linked by a free shuttle train that runs every few minutes.
Gatwick's railway station sits directly below the South Terminal.
Airlines can move terminals, so check before each trip, not just the first.
A wrong guess is not a disaster, because the inter-terminal train saves a costly drive round the airport. Still, parking at the right terminal saves you time at both ends of your trip, so settle this first.
Parking prices at Gatwick Airport
Eight days at Gatwick run from AVPS Park & Ride at the bottom to Premium Short Stay at the top. The top price is close to five times the bottom one.
We compare 24 products at Gatwick: six official options run by the airport and eighteen from off-airport operators. Each row shows the operator, the type of parking, how you reach the terminal and the eight-day price. Click a car park name for its full guide.
| Operator | Car park | Type | Transfer | 8-day price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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AVPS Park & Ride Off-Airport · Lingfield |
Park & Ride | Shuttle, 10–15 min | £53.38 £6.67/day |
Book now |
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LG Parking Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Off-airport storage |
Meet & Greet | Handover in Short Stay | £55.82 £6.98/day |
Book now |
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Cophall Park & Ride Off-Airport · Copthorne |
Park & Ride | 24-hour shuttle, allow 30–45 min | £60.16 £7.52/day |
Book now |
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AMAG Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Hookwood storage |
Meet & Greet | Handover at Passenger Drop Off | £60.72 £7.59/day |
Book now |
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Official Long Stay On-Airport · Official |
Park & Ride | Free bus, 10–12 min | £61.60 £7.70/day |
Book now |
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APH Park & Ride Off-Airport · Copthorne Road |
Park & Ride | Shuttle, 10–12 min | £65.05 £8.13/day |
Book now |
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Sure Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Off-airport storage |
Meet & Greet | Handover in Short Stay | £65.09 £8.14/day |
Book now |
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Purple Parking Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Storage up to 6 miles |
Meet & Greet | Handover 2–5 min from terminal | £66.45 £8.31/day |
Book now |
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Airparks Gatwick Off-Airport · Copthorne Road |
Park & Ride | Shuttle, 10–12 min | £67.14 £8.39/day |
Book now |
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Official Mid Stay On-Airport · Official |
Park & Walk | Walk, 6 min | £72.10 £9.01/day |
Book now |
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I Love Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Forecourt handover |
Meet & Greet | Handover on the forecourt | £80.64 £10.08/day |
Book now |
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Ace Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Off-airport storage |
Meet & Greet | Handover near the terminal | £81.38 £10.17/day |
Book now |
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APH Meet & Greet Forecourt Off-Airport · Forecourt handover |
Meet & Greet | Handover on the forecourt | £81.70 £10.21/day |
Book now |
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Official Valet Parking On-Airport · Official |
Valet | Handover in Short Stay, 2 min walk | £84.00 £10.50/day |
Book now |
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I Love Valet (with car wash) Off-Airport · Forecourt handover |
Meet & Greet | Handover on the forecourt | £90.72 £11.34/day |
Book now |
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APH Park & Ride with EV Charging Off-Airport · Copthorne Road |
Park & Ride | Shuttle, 10–12 min | £97.59 £12.20/day |
Book now |
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APH Self Park Off-Airport · Copthorne Road |
Park & Ride | Shuttle, 10–12 min | £97.60 £12.20/day |
Book now |
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Official Short Stay On-Airport · Official |
Park & Walk | Covered walk, 4 min | £115.50 £14.44/day |
Book now |
|
Official Premium Mid Stay On-Airport · North only |
Park & Walk | Covered walk, 2 min | £217.70 £27.21/day |
Book now |
|
Official Premium Short Stay On-Airport · Official |
Park & Walk | Same-level, 2 min walk | £248.50 £31.06/day |
Book now |
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Maple Parking Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Approved Operator |
Meet & Greet | Handover in Short Stay | Live price Search your dates |
Check price |
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Meteor Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Hookwood storage |
Meet & Greet | Handover near the terminal | Live price Search your dates |
Check price |
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Tudor Rose Park & Chauffeur Off-Airport · Hookwood |
Park & Chauffeur | Chauffeured to the terminal, 4 min | Live price Search your dates |
Check price |
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Bubble Meet & Greet Off-Airport · Off-airport storage |
Meet & Greet | Handover in Short Stay | Live price Search your dates |
Check price |
*Sample 8-day prices, for 7–14 November 2026. Prices are subject to availability; search your dates above for live rates. Rows marked Live price have no sample price yet.
Four meet and greet services near the bottom of the table have no sample price yet. Search your dates above to see their live rates next to everything else. Prices climb as you move closer to the terminal, and the drive-up rates are higher again, as our price guide further down shows.
North Terminal car parks
At the North Terminal you can choose Short Stay in Car Parks 5 and 6, Mid Stay, Premium Mid Stay, Long Stay and Valet. Premium Mid Stay is the one official product you can only book at North.
| Car park | Where | Walk or transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Short Stay | Car Parks 5 and 6, RH6 0PJ | Four-minute covered walk |
| Premium Short Stay | Car Park 5, same level as the terminal | Two-minute covered walk |
| Mid Stay | RH6 0JA | Six-minute covered walk |
| Premium Mid Stay | Same level as the terminal, RH6 0JA | Two-minute covered walk |
| Long Stay North | Use the map link in your confirmation | Free bus, 10–12 minutes |
| Valet | Car Park 6, Level 2 | About two minutes on foot |
Height limits are tight at North. Car Park 5 takes vehicles up to 1.8 metres and Car Park 6 up to 2.1 metres, so a roof box or a tall van may rule out Short Stay. Long Stay has no height limit. Gatwick does not publish an exact postcode for Long Stay North, so follow the airport signs or the map link in your booking.
South Terminal car parks
At the South Terminal you can choose Short Stay in Car Parks 1, 2 and 3, Premium Short Stay, Mid Stay, Long Stay and Valet. South also has an evening deal in Short Stay that North does not offer.
| Car park | Where | Walk or transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Short Stay | Car Parks 1, 2 and 3, RH6 0LL | Four-minute covered walk |
| Premium Short Stay | Car Park 3, same level as the terminal | Two-minute covered walk |
| Mid Stay | RH6 0NY | Six-minute walk |
| Long Stay South | RH6 0NY | Free bus, 10–12 minutes |
| Valet | Car Park 1, Level 2 | About two minutes on foot |
Short Stay at the South Terminal costs £25 flat between 5pm and 2am when you book in advance. It suits a late pick-up or an evening meal before an early flight.
Height limits are a little kinder at South. Short Stay takes vehicles up to 2 metres, and South Mid Stay suits vehicles of any height. The railway station sits under the South Terminal, which helps when someone is meeting you off a train.
Official Long Stay and the free two hours
Official Long Stay is the cheapest car park run by Gatwick, with a free bus every 10 to 12 minutes, day and night. It is also free for the first two hours, which makes it the best place to wait for arriving passengers.
The barrier reads your number plate on the way in and out, and the site is fenced, lit and patrolled by Gatwick's security staff. Gatwick states that Long Stay holds Park Mark Safer Parking approval, the police-backed award for car parks with proper lighting, surveillance and management.
There are no charging points and no height limit, but trailers are not allowed. Blue Badge bays number 32 at North and 95 at South. Our Official Long Stay page covers the bus stops and the return trip, and our Gatwick long stay parking page compares it with the cheaper off-airport options.
Short Stay and Premium
Short Stay sits a four-minute covered walk from each terminal. Premium Short Stay cuts that to two minutes, with same-level access to the terminal. Both let you keep your keys, and both are priced for short trips.
Short Stay
North: Car Parks 5 and 6. South: Car Parks 1, 2 and 3. Four-minute covered walk, 24-hour patrols and eight 22kW EV chargers across the two terminals.
Premium Short Stay
The closest parking to each terminal, in Car Park 5 at North and Car Park 3 at South. Two-minute covered walk on the same level as check-in.
On our sample dates, Premium Short Stay is the most expensive product we bring you at Gatwick, at more than £31 a day. Short Stay costs around half as much. For a trip of a day or two the convenience is worth it, but a week in Short Stay costs almost twice the price of Long Stay. Our Gatwick short stay parking page covers the drive-up tariff hour by hour.
Mid Stay at both terminals
Mid Stay is a pre-book-only car park with a six-minute walk to the terminal, sold at both North and South. Premium Mid Stay, on the same level as the North Terminal, is sold at North only.
Some guides still describe Mid Stay as a North Terminal product. Gatwick's own site now lists it at both terminals: RH6 0JA at North, with a covered walk, and RH6 0NY at South. You keep your keys, the barrier reads your plate, and 24/7 patrols cover the site.
Mid Stay suits a trip of a few days when you want to walk in rather than take a bus. You cannot turn up without a booking, so reserve before you set off. The Mid Stay and Premium Mid Stay page compares the two tiers.
Valet and meet and greet
Gatwick has a crowded meet and greet field: eleven off-airport services plus the airport's own Valet. LG Parking is the cheapest on our sample dates, and the official Valet keeps your car on the airport site.
| Service | Where you hand over | Car stored |
|---|---|---|
| LG Parking Meet & Greet | Short Stay approved operator bays | Operator's secure compound |
| AMAG Meet & Greet | Passenger Drop Off | Hookwood, about 4 minutes' drive |
| Sure Meet & Greet | Short Stay approved operator bays | Fenced compound, staffed 24 hours |
| Purple Parking Meet & Greet | Approved operator areas near each terminal | Compound up to 6 miles away |
| I Love Meet & Greet | Terminal forecourt, Approved Operator bays | Operator's secure site |
| APH Meet & Greet Forecourt | Terminal forecourt, Approved Operator bays | Delivered by I Love Meet & Greet |
| Ace Meet & Greet | South Short Stay; North hotel car park | Off-airport secure car park |
| Official Valet | Short Stay, Level 2 | Gatwick's own secure facility |
Meet and greet means a driver takes your car near the terminal and brings it back when you land. Valet is the airport's own version. It adds optional extras such as a hand wash or a two-hour EV charge. Maple, Meteor, Bubble and Tudor Rose also operate here, with live prices only. Our Gatwick meet and greet parking page sets every service side by side.
Off-airport park and ride
Four off-airport park and ride car parks serve Gatwick: AVPS, Cophall, APH and Airparks. AVPS is the cheapest product we bring you, and APH is the only one where you can pay to keep your keys.
Near Lingfield. The operator quotes a 10–15 minute transfer and offers EV charging.
In Copthorne. Shuttles run 24 hours; allow 30–45 minutes from check-in to terminal.
Off M23 Junction 10. Park and ride, an EV charging option and a keep-your-keys Self Park.
Sold from APH's Copthorne Road site, with the same 10–12 minute shuttle.
All four take your keys at check-in unless you book APH Self Park. That lets the operator move cars around the site. Remove house keys from the ring before you hand it over. Our Gatwick park and ride page compares the transfers in detail.
Dropping off and picking up
The forecourt drop-off charge at both terminals rose to £10 for the first ten minutes on 6 January 2026. Each extra minute costs £1, up to a £30 cap and a 30-minute maximum stay.
You pay online, by phone or through a registered AutoPay account, by midnight the day after your visit. Number plate cameras enforce the charge, and a Parking Charge Notice follows when you miss the deadline.
Picking up on the forecourt costs the same, so most drivers do better in a car park. Long Stay gives two free hours at both terminals, and the express pick-up bays sit inside Short Stay: Car Park 6 Level 4 at North and Car Park 3 ground floor at South. You must stay with your car there. Blue Badge holders are exempt from the forecourt charge once registered.
Full details, including how AutoPay works, are in our Gatwick drop-off and pick-up guide.
Price guide: drive-up against pre-booked
Gatwick's published drive-up rates run far above the pre-booked prices. Eight days in Long Stay at the gate works out at £262, against the pre-booked rate in our table.
| Car park | Drive-up tariff | 8 days at the drive-up rate |
|---|---|---|
| Long Stay | Free up to 2 hours, £38 for 2–24 hours, £32 each extra day | £262 |
| Short Stay | £8 up to 30 minutes, £70 for 12–24 hours, £70 each extra day | £560 |
| Premium Short Stay | £12 up to 30 minutes, £87.50 for 12–24 hours and each extra day | £700 |
| Mid Stay and Valet | Pre-book only, no drive-up sales | Book ahead |
Drive-up tariffs from Gatwick's roll-up price list, checked 25 September 2026. The eight-day totals are our sums of those tariffs.
The lesson is simple. Pre-booking beats turning up at each official car park on these figures, and the saving grows with the length of your trip. Gatwick also prices Mid Stay, Premium Mid Stay and Valet dynamically, so their rates move with demand. Book as early as you can.
For every option ranked by daily cost, see our cheap parking at Gatwick page. Our Gatwick parking discount codes page shows the exact saving on each product.
Which car parks let you keep your keys
You keep your keys at Short Stay, Mid Stay, Long Stay and APH Self Park. The other park and ride sites take them at check-in, and meet and greet drivers take them at handover.
| Car park | Keys | Getting to the terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Short Stay and Premium | You keep them | Two to four-minute covered walk |
| Mid Stay and Premium | You keep them | Two to six-minute walk |
| Official Long Stay | You keep them | Free bus |
| APH Self Park | You keep them | Shuttle |
| AVPS Park & Ride | Left with staff | Shuttle |
| Cophall Park & Ride | Left with staff | Shuttle |
| Meet and greet and Valet | Handed to a driver | Short walk from the handover |
Keeping your keys matters to some drivers with keyless or high-value cars. At the key-drop sites, a phone key or a ghost immobiliser may need extra steps, so read your confirmation before the day.
EV charging and Blue Badge parking
Short Stay has eight 22kW chargers, four at each terminal, and Valet sells a two-hour charge. Long Stay and Mid Stay have none, so electric drivers on a long trip should look at APH or Valet.
Charging options
APH Park & Ride with EV Charging charges your car to full while you are away. You bring your own cable. AVPS also says it offers charging.
Blue Badge
Holders can use Premium Short Stay at the standard Short Stay rate for up to four hours, and are exempt from the forecourt charge.
Our Gatwick EV charging page explains each option and what to bring.
Getting to Gatwick by car
Gatwick sits beside the M23, with a spur road from Junction 9 to both terminals. Use the postcode in your booking confirmation, because each car park has its own entrance.
The spur road from Junction 9 leads to both terminals.
Short Stay postcodes for North and South. Use the one in your confirmation.
The M23 and M25 are busy at peak hours.
Follow the signs for your terminal first, then for your car park. The off-airport park and ride sites sit in Copthorne, Lingfield and near Junction 10, so their routes differ. Traffic on the M25 and M23 can add a lot of time on a Friday afternoon or a bank holiday. Add the shuttle ride or the walk when you plan your arrival.
Security at Gatwick's car parks
Gatwick states that its official car parks hold Park Mark Safer Parking approval and are patrolled by its own security staff. The off-airport operators each describe their own measures.
Park Mark approval, barriers and patrols, per Gatwick.
Over 120 CCTV camera points and 24-hour staff, per APH.
Both say they hold Park Mark approval.
Operators describe fenced compounds, CCTV and insured drivers.
We have not independently verified the operators' own security claims, so we report what each says. Whichever you choose, take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.
How booking with us works
Search your dates, compare the car parks and book in a few clicks. Your confirmation arrives by email straight away, with the arrival instructions for your car park.
- Search. Enter your dates in the form above.
- Compare. Every Gatwick car park we bring you appears with its live price for your dates.
- Book. Pay securely online. Your total shows before you confirm.
- Travel. Follow the directions in your confirmation. Save the operator's number for meet and greet.
Keep your confirmation on your phone for the day of travel. It has the correct postcode and the terminal details you settled at the start.
More questions about parking at Gatwick
AVPS Park & Ride is the cheapest product we bring you on our sample dates. LG Parking is the cheapest meet and greet, and the official Long Stay is the cheapest car park run by the airport.
The official prices are the same at both terminals for Short Stay, Long Stay and Valet. Premium Mid Stay is sold at North only. The off-airport operators serve both terminals at one price.
Yes. The official Long Stay car parks at both terminals are free for the first two hours, with a free bus to the terminal. The Short Stay express pick-up areas charge normal Short Stay rates.
The forecourt charge is £10 for up to ten minutes, then £1 a minute, with a £30 cap. There are no machines, so you pay online, by phone or through AutoPay by midnight the day after.
At the official Short Stay, Mid Stay and Long Stay car parks, and at APH Self Park, yes. AVPS, Cophall, APH and Airparks park and ride take your keys at check-in, and every meet and greet driver takes them at handover.
A free shuttle train links the two terminals, running every few minutes. It is useful when your car park sits at the other terminal from your flight.
Short Stay has eight 22kW chargers, four at each terminal. Official Valet and APH Park & Ride both sell a charging option. Long Stay and Mid Stay have no chargers.
No. Gatwick sells Mid Stay at both terminals, with a six-minute walk. Premium Mid Stay is the North-only product, on the same level as the terminal.
Free cancellation runs for 24 hours after booking on bookings made with us. Check the terms of your product at checkout before you pay.
Ready to park at Gatwick? Use the search at the top to compare every car park for your dates and reserve in seconds. Free cancellation runs for 24 hours after booking. Call 0333 5678 678 if you need a hand choosing. Book ahead and save up to 80% on the price at the barrier.