Quick answer
The cheapest official Gatwick car park is Long Stay (free shuttle); off-site Park & Ride is often cheaper still, from about £5–£10/day pre-booked. Premium and Valet buy you a 2-minute walk and keys-handed-over convenience for more. Book early — pre-booking saves up to ~70% on the drive-up rate. And note the new £10 drop-off charge outside the terminals (there's a free workaround below).
Gatwick (LGW) is two airports in one: the North Terminal and the South Terminal, each with its own set of car parks, linked by a free shuttle that runs 24 hours and takes a couple of minutes. The first rule of Gatwick parking is simple — park for the terminal your flight departs from, which is printed on your boarding pass.
Every Gatwick car park compared (2026)
These are the official London Gatwick products plus off-site. Prices are indicative "from" figures that swing hugely with how far ahead you book, the season and demand — treat them as a guide, not a quote, and always check live.
| Car park | How it works | To terminal | Best for | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Stay | Park yourself, keep keys, free shuttle | ~10–15 min shuttle | Holidays & budget — cheapest official | low daily rate |
| Off-site Park & Ride (APH, Purple, etc.) | Off-airport, keep keys, operator shuttle | ~10–15 min shuttle | Lowest price if booked early | ~£5–10 /day pre-book |
| Mid Stay (North only, Green CP7) | Pre-book only, ANPR free-flow | Short shuttle | Medium trips at the North Terminal | mid |
| Short Stay | Park next to terminal, keep keys | Minimal walk | Pick-ups, drop-offs, short visits | ~£6–7 /30 min |
| Premium | Closest undercover parking, keep keys | ~2-min walk | Convenience without valet | premium |
| Valet (a.k.a. Meet & Greet) | Hand keys at Short Stay valet zone; car stored securely | ~2-min walk, no shuttle | Max convenience, families, business | highest pre-book 24h |
| Drop-off zone | Kerbside outside terminal, drop only | At the door | A quick goodbye | £10 min charge |
North vs South Terminal parking
For most travellers the two terminals are mirror images: both have Short Stay right by departures, Long Stay a short shuttle out, Premium close in, and Valet from the Short Stay zone — at broadly the same prices. The differences worth knowing:
- Mid Stay is North-only — the pre-book-only Green Car Park 7, handy for medium-length North Terminal trips.
- The free inter-terminal shuttle runs 24/7 and takes ~2 minutes, so a wrong-terminal mistake isn't fatal — but you'll waste time, so park for the right one.
- EV charging: 22kW points sit in Short Stay at both terminals (North CP5, South CP3), with the GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt on the South Terminal ring road for rapid charging.
The cheapest way to park at Gatwick
In order of price, cheapest first: off-site Park & Ride booked early, then official Long Stay, then Mid Stay (North), then Premium, with Valet the priciest. Short Stay is cheap only for genuinely short visits and becomes expensive fast over a day. So for a holiday, the contest is really off-site Park & Ride versus official Long Stay — off-site usually wins on headline price, official wins on being on-airport with a slightly shorter, Gatwick-run shuttle. Either way, the saving that dwarfs all others is pre-booking.
The drop-off charge — and the free way around it
Since 6 January 2026, using the kerbside drop-off zones directly outside the terminals carries a minimum £10 charge, payable by midnight the day after your visit. Miss the payment window and it becomes a £100 Parking Charge Notice (reduced to £60 if you pay within 14 days). It's drop-off only — pick-ups aren't allowed there.
Valet / Meet & Greet vs Park & Ride
This is the convenience-versus-cost decision. Valet (which off-site firms sell as "Meet & Greet") lets you drive to the Short Stay valet zone, hand over the keys and walk two minutes to check-in while staff park the car in a secure on-airport compound; it's returned to the same spot when you land. It must be pre-booked at least 24 hours ahead, and you can add EV charging or a car wash. Park & Ride (Long Stay or off-site) is much cheaper but you park yourself and ride a shuttle, so allow your usual check-in time plus 20–30 minutes. Choose Valet for families, heavy luggage, tight schedules or business; choose Park & Ride when price leads.
How far in advance should you book?
As early as you reasonably can. Gatwick takes bookings up to a year ahead, and the earlier you commit, the lower the rate tends to be — pre-booking can save up to around 70% against driving up, and it guarantees a space (turn-up risks being diverted to a dearer car park). Short, Mid and Long Stay can be booked as late as an hour before arrival; Valet needs 24 hours. Booking by phone adds a £5 surcharge, so book online. Many off-site providers offer free cancellation, so there's little downside to locking it in when you book the flight.
Best parking for an early-morning flight
For a pre-dawn departure the maths shifts toward convenience: you don't want to be hunting a Long Stay shuttle at 4am with the family. Premium or Valet get you from car to check-in in a couple of minutes, which is worth the premium when every minute counts and you're half-asleep. But the genuinely stress-free answer for an early flight is often not to drive at all — see below.
Or skip parking entirely
Every option here leaves your car at Gatwick on a daily rate, plus the drive in and out, the bags, and now a £10 drop-off charge if you're seen off at the kerb. For two or more travellers, a longer holiday or an early flight, a fixed-fare door-to-door transfer often matches or beats the parking bill once you add it all up — collected from home, dropped at the right terminal, met on arrival, no car to fetch at 1am. RushXO covers both North and South Terminals at one fixed price, flight tracked, no surge.
See Gatwick transfer fares →Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to park at Gatwick?
Is parking different at North and South Terminal?
How much is the Gatwick drop-off charge?
What's the difference between Valet, Meet & Greet and Park & Ride?
How far ahead should I book?
Is a taxi cheaper than parking?
Prices quoted are indicative official London Gatwick and third-party "from" rates current at the time of writing (2026) and change frequently with dates, demand and provider. Always confirm live prices on the official Gatwick parking site or your chosen operator before booking. RushXO is not affiliated with London Gatwick Airport.