How much is the drop-off charge at Heathrow?

Heathrow's page says a £7 charge applies every time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area, and entering a second time means paying again. Payment is online or by phone, by midnight on the following day.

Can I pay at the drop-off zone?

Not at Heathrow or Manchester: both pages say payment cannot be made in the drop-off areas and must be made online or by phone after the visit. Luton's page says payment is online only, up to midnight the following day.

Is there a free way to drop someone off at Heathrow?

Heathrow's page says free drop-off is available at its Park & Ride car parks, where passengers take a free bus transfer to the terminal.

How long can I stay in the Manchester drop-off zone?

The page gives a maximum stay of 30 minutes, priced at £5.50 for 5 minutes, £6.50 for 10 minutes and £25 for up to 30 minutes. The free alternative is JetParks 1, with a free shuttle bus.

What is the Stansted drop-off charge?

For the Express Set Down area outside Departures, Stansted's page gives £10 for up to 15 minutes and £28 over 15 minutes, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes. Its Mid Stay car park offers up to 60 minutes free.

What happens if I stay too long at Luton?

Luton's page says a £95 enforcement charge is payable by drivers who stay past 30 minutes in the zone, reduced to £55 if paid within 14 days.

What time is the last tram from Edinburgh Airport?

Edinburgh Airport's tram page says the first tram leaves the airport at 06:30 and the last at 22:52. Check the page on the day, as times can change.

How close is the station to the terminal at these airports?

Stansted's page puts the train station directly under the terminal, a 2-minute walk, and Edinburgh's tram stop is right outside the main terminal. At Manchester the station sits between Terminals 2 and 3, with a walk of 5 to 15 minutes.

Can I take liquids through security at these airports?

See our guide to liquids in hand luggage at UK airports for what GOV.UK says, and check your airport's security page before you travel.

UK airports: drop-off charges and how to get there

A. FruchardCo-founder & CEOLast updated: 2 November 2026

Each of the five airports in our table charges at the terminal drop-off zone and names a free drop-off car park, reached by a bus or a walk. Every figure comes from the airport's own page, checked on 31 October 2026.

This page is the starting point for airport questions. It covers Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted, Luton and Edinburgh, and the table grows as more airports' own pages are read and checked. Gatwick, Birmingham, Glasgow and Bristol are not in it yet. It is a guide, not a booking service, and we sell no parking or tickets.

How we work

Every guide on hellosafe.co.uk is written from official sources: GOV.UK and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the embassies and immigration services of each destination. Each fact is checked on the date shown under its table, and the page is updated when a rule changes. No airline, tour operator or visa service pays for a place in our guides.

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Between £5.50 and £10 buys the first minutes at the terminal door, and the price depends on the airport and on how long you stay. Heathrow charges per visit, the others by time. At Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted and Luton you cannot pay at the zone: you pay afterwards, online (at Heathrow, Manchester and Stansted also by phone), by midnight the day after.

Heathrow
Terminal Drop-Off Charge
Where the drop-off area is
Right outside each terminal: Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5
What the page says it costs
£7 every time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area. Entering a second time means paying again.
Free option on the page
Park & Ride car parks (formerly Long Stay), with a free bus transfer to the terminal
If you overstay or do not pay
Non-payment: an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days
Manchester
Pick up and drop off
Where the drop-off area is
Forecourts at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3
What the page says it costs
£5.50 for 5 minutes, £6.50 for 10 minutes, £25 for up to 30 minutes. Maximum stay 30 minutes.
Free option on the page
JetParks 1, with a free shuttle bus to the terminals (around 6 minutes)
If you overstay or do not pay
Non-payment: a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days
Stansted
Pick up and drop off
Where the drop-off area is
Express Set Down, outside Departures
What the page says it costs
£10 for up to 15 minutes, £28 over 15 minutes. Maximum stay 30 minutes.
Free option on the page
Mid Stay car park: up to 60 minutes free, with a free shuttle bus
If you overstay or do not pay
Non-payment: a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days
Luton
Dropping off
Where the drop-off area is
Drop Off and Pick Up Zone, a short 5-minute walk from the terminal
What the page says it costs
£9 for up to 12 minutes, then £1 per minute. Maximum stay 30 minutes.
Free option on the page
Long Stay car park: up to 2 hours free, with a 10-minute bus ride to the terminal, every 20 minutes
If you overstay or do not pay
Staying past 30 minutes: a £95 enforcement charge, reduced to £55 if paid within 14 days
Edinburgh
Drop off and pick up
Where the drop-off area is
Ground floor of the multi-storey car park outside the terminal building
What the page says it costs
£8.50 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 per minute. Card payment only.
Free option on the page
Long Stay car park: 30 minutes free, about a 10-minute walk, no shuttle bus
If you overstay or do not pay
The page states no overstay charge

Airport	Where the drop-off area is	What the page says it costs	Free option on the page	If you overstay or do not pay
Heathrow Terminal Drop-Off Charge	Right outside each terminal: Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5	£7 every time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area. Entering a second time means paying again.	Park & Ride car parks (formerly Long Stay), with a free bus transfer to the terminal	Non-payment: an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days
Manchester Pick up and drop off	Forecourts at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3	£5.50 for 5 minutes, £6.50 for 10 minutes, £25 for up to 30 minutes. Maximum stay 30 minutes.	JetParks 1, with a free shuttle bus to the terminals (around 6 minutes)	Non-payment: a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days
Stansted Pick up and drop off	Express Set Down, outside Departures	£10 for up to 15 minutes, £28 over 15 minutes. Maximum stay 30 minutes.	Mid Stay car park: up to 60 minutes free, with a free shuttle bus	Non-payment: a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days
Luton Dropping off	Drop Off and Pick Up Zone, a short 5-minute walk from the terminal	£9 for up to 12 minutes, then £1 per minute. Maximum stay 30 minutes.	Long Stay car park: up to 2 hours free, with a 10-minute bus ride to the terminal, every 20 minutes	Staying past 30 minutes: a £95 enforcement charge, reduced to £55 if paid within 14 days
Edinburgh Drop off and pick up	Ground floor of the multi-storey car park outside the terminal building	£8.50 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 per minute. Card payment only.	Long Stay car park: 30 minutes free, about a 10-minute walk, no shuttle bus	The page states no overstay charge

Sources: the drop-off page of each airport, linked in the first column. Prices as the pages state them, checked on 31 October 2026.

Drop-off is not the only way in: for a lift that needs more than a few minutes, the airports' own pages point to their short-stay or free car parks. Charges change, so open the airport's page before you set off.

Four of the five airports have a rail station at or close to the terminal, and Edinburgh runs a tram to its door. The table gives the main options each airport lists, with the journey time and frequency it states.

Heathrow
By rail or train
Main public transport
Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line, Piccadilly line (all terminals)
What the page says
Heathrow Express: Paddington to Terminals 2 and 3 in 15 minutes, trains every 15 minutes. Elizabeth line: under 40 minutes to central London. Piccadilly line: under an hour.
Manchester
Trains
Main public transport
Train and Metrolink tram, from the station between Terminals 2 and 3
What the page says
Trains to Manchester Piccadilly take around 20 minutes and run every 10 minutes. Trams run direct to Victoria, every 12 minutes. The walk to the terminals is 5 to 15 minutes.
Stansted
Trains
Main public transport
Stansted Express, from the station under the terminal
What the page says
Liverpool Street in 48 minutes and Tottenham Hale in about 36 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes. The walk to the terminal takes 2 minutes.
Luton
The Luton DART
Main public transport
Train to Luton Airport Parkway, then the Luton DART shuttle
What the page says
The DART takes less than four minutes and runs 24 hours a day: every 5 minutes at peak, every 8 off-peak and every 15 minutes between 22:00 and 04:00.
Edinburgh
By tram
City bus links
Main public transport
Tram, and the Airlink 100 bus
What the page says
Tram: 30 minutes to the city centre, first tram 06:30, last 22:52, every 7 minutes between 6:30am and 7pm. Airlink 100: to Waverley Bridge in an average 30 minutes, at least every 10 minutes between 04:00 and 01:00.

Airport	Main public transport	What the page says
Heathrow By rail or train	Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line, Piccadilly line (all terminals)	Heathrow Express: Paddington to Terminals 2 and 3 in 15 minutes, trains every 15 minutes. Elizabeth line: under 40 minutes to central London. Piccadilly line: under an hour.
Manchester Trains	Train and Metrolink tram, from the station between Terminals 2 and 3	Trains to Manchester Piccadilly take around 20 minutes and run every 10 minutes. Trams run direct to Victoria, every 12 minutes. The walk to the terminals is 5 to 15 minutes.
Stansted Trains	Stansted Express, from the station under the terminal	Liverpool Street in 48 minutes and Tottenham Hale in about 36 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes. The walk to the terminal takes 2 minutes.
Luton The Luton DART	Train to Luton Airport Parkway, then the Luton DART shuttle	The DART takes less than four minutes and runs 24 hours a day: every 5 minutes at peak, every 8 off-peak and every 15 minutes between 22:00 and 04:00.
Edinburgh By tram City bus links	Tram, and the Airlink 100 bus	Tram: 30 minutes to the city centre, first tram 06:30, last 22:52, every 7 minutes between 6:30am and 7pm. Airlink 100: to Waverley Bridge in an average 30 minutes, at least every 10 minutes between 04:00 and 01:00.

Sources: the rail, tram or bus page of each airport, linked in the first column, and for Edinburgh its city bus links page (Airlink 100). Times and frequencies as the pages state them, checked on 31 October 2026.

Check your airport's own security page before you pack. Our guide to liquids in hand luggage at UK airports sets out what GOV.UK says. For bag sizes, see cabin bag sizes by airline.

Flying with an airline: airlines. Sorting documents: passports and entry requirements for British passport holders. Other ways to travel: trains, ferries and driving abroad. For the wider checklist, start from travel tips or holiday ideas from the UK.

Heathrow’s page says a £7 charge applies every time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area, and entering a second time means paying again. Payment is online or by phone, by midnight on the following day.
Not at Heathrow or Manchester: both pages say payment cannot be made in the drop-off areas and must be made online or by phone after the visit. Luton’s page says payment is online only, up to midnight the following day.
Heathrow’s page says free drop-off is available at its Park & Ride car parks, where passengers take a free bus transfer to the terminal.
The page gives a maximum stay of 30 minutes, priced at £5.50 for 5 minutes, £6.50 for 10 minutes and £25 for up to 30 minutes. The free alternative is JetParks 1, with a free shuttle bus.
For the Express Set Down area outside Departures, Stansted’s page gives £10 for up to 15 minutes and £28 over 15 minutes, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes. Its Mid Stay car park offers up to 60 minutes free.
Luton’s page says a £95 enforcement charge is payable by drivers who stay past 30 minutes in the zone, reduced to £55 if paid within 14 days.
Edinburgh Airport’s tram page says the first tram leaves the airport at 06:30 and the last at 22:52. Check the page on the day, as times can change.
Stansted’s page puts the train station directly under the terminal, a 2-minute walk, and Edinburgh’s tram stop is right outside the main terminal. At Manchester the station sits between Terminals 2 and 3, with a walk of 5 to 15 minutes.
See our guide to liquids in hand luggage at UK airports for what GOV.UK says, and check your airport’s security page before you travel.

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