Start with the passenger, not the cheapest fee
A quick terminal drop-off works when the passenger can unload, say goodbye and walk to check-in without help. It is a poor choice when someone needs a wheelchair, a child seat must be removed, several heavy bags need organising or the driver plans to wait for an arrival. The paid forecourts are traffic lanes, not short-stay parking bays. London City and Southend publish ten-minute limits; Gatwick, Stansted and Luton publish thirty-minute limits. Heathrow prohibits waiting and collection on its terminal forecourts.
Before leaving home, decide whether this is a departure drop-off, an arrival pickup or a longer assisted handover. Then choose the correct zone. The airport's free or short-stay alternative can be slower, but it removes the pressure of unloading against a camera-recorded deadline. If a taxi or private-hire vehicle is being used, ask whether the airport charge is included in the quote so the same fee does not appear as a surprise at the end of the journey.
- Use the terminal forecourt only for a passenger who is ready to leave the vehicle immediately.
- Choose a car park when the driver needs to wait, enter the terminal or help with luggage.
- Allow extra time for the shuttle when using Heathrow Park & Ride, Gatwick Long Stay, Stansted Mid Stay or Luton Long Stay.
- Save the vehicle registration accurately; one wrong character can leave the visit unpaid.
- Treat every re-entry as a new charge unless the airport's current terms expressly say otherwise.
Heathrow: £7 per entry, 10-minute maximum
Heathrow normally charges £7 per terminal drop-off entry, with exemptions and discounts for eligible vehicles. Its published 2026 decision sets a 10-minute maximum stay. The forecourts at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 are for setting down departing passengers only: waiting, collection and unattended vehicles are prohibited. Use Terminal Parking or Park & Ride for an arriving passenger.
There are no barriers or payment machines at the forecourt. Heathrow records the registration with ANPR. Drivers can pay online, by automated telephone or through AutoPay, and a post-visit payment is due by midnight on the next day. The charge applies again if the vehicle re-enters. Free drop-off is available at Heathrow Park & Ride car parks, where passengers use a free bus to reach the terminal. This is the calmer option when ten minutes at the forecourt is unrealistic.
- Terminal 2: follow Constellation Way and the up ramp.
- Terminal 3: use Cosmopolitan Way, then Camborne Road.
- Terminal 4: follow Stratford Road to the ramp.
- Terminal 5: approach by Wayfarer Road.
- Non-payment can lead to an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 when paid within 14 days.
Read the detailed Heathrow drop-off guide
Gatwick: £10 at either terminal
Gatwick charges £10 for the first 10 minutes at both North and South Terminal drop-off zones. Each additional minute up to 20 minutes costs £1. The published maximum daily charge is £30 and the maximum stay is 30 minutes. The zones are barrierless, so the driver does not take a ticket or pay at a machine. Payment is due by midnight the day after the visit, either online, by automated telephone or through a pre-arranged AutoPay account.
Terminal choice matters. The North Terminal zone is on the lower level between the Sofitel and the multi-storey car park. The South Terminal zone is also on the lower level. A driver who follows the wrong terminal sign can lose time before the timed visit even begins. For a longer goodbye, use Short Stay. Gatwick also permits up to two hours free in Long Stay and provides a free shuttle bus to both terminals.
- Confirm North or South Terminal before reaching M23 junction 9.
- Do not assume the terminal shuttle makes a wrong-terminal drop-off convenient for someone with heavy luggage.
- Blue Badge holders can claim an exemption, but the vehicle must be registered through Gatwick's permit system.
- A missed payment can lead to a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
- Pickup is a separate decision: use the airport's pickup or car-park guidance rather than waiting on the forecourt.
Read the detailed Gatwick drop-off guide
Stansted: £10 for 15 minutes, then £28
Stansted's barrierless Express Set Down costs £10 for up to 15 minutes. A vehicle remaining beyond 15 minutes and up to the 30-minute maximum moves into the £28 tier. The sharp jump matters when a passenger is not ready to unload, a child needs settling or assistance takes longer than expected. For a planned meeting or collection, Short Stay Green and Blue provide longer timed parking and let the driver walk towards the terminal.
Express Set Down uses ANPR and has no cash machine at the zone. The driver can pay online or by phone after the visit, with payment due by midnight the next day, or set up AutoPay in advance for future visits. Stansted also provides free drop-off at Mid Stay with a free shuttle to the terminal. All vehicles using Express Set Down pay, including vehicles carrying a Blue Badge holder; if more than 15 minutes is needed, speak to a traffic marshal before the limit expires.
- Do not enter Express Set Down early when the passenger is still finishing the journey to the airport.
- Use Mid Stay when price matters more than the extra shuttle leg.
- Use Short Stay when the driver needs to meet an arriving passenger or accompany someone.
- The payment phone line published by Stansted is 03450 175046.
- Non-payment can result in a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
Read the detailed Stansted drop-off guide
Luton: £9 for 12 minutes with a two-hour free alternative
Luton's Drop Off and Pick Up Zone costs £9 for the first 12 minutes and £1 for each additional minute, with a 30-minute maximum stay. The same zone is used for both departures and collections, which makes timing especially important for an arriving flight. Waiting for baggage reclaim or a delayed passenger inside the paid zone can turn a £9 visit into a much larger bill.
The barrierless zone is reached using postcode LU2 9QT. Payment is online after the visit and must be completed by midnight the following day. Drivers who need time can use Long Stay for up to two hours free. The free shuttle takes about 10 minutes, runs from stops around the car park and returns from Bus Bay B outside the terminal. Luton publishes LU2 9NW for Long Stay, which helps prevent sat-nav from steering the driver back towards the paid terminal zone.
- For a departure, have bags and travel documents ready before entering the paid zone.
- For a pickup, wait away from the terminal until the passenger has cleared arrivals and is ready to walk out.
- The Long Stay shuttle operates 24 hours a day at the airport's published interval of every 20 minutes.
- There is no Blue Badge concession in the main paid zone.
- Blue Badge holders or passengers with booked assistance can use Terminal Car Park 1 for 30 minutes free after following the airport's eligibility process.
Read the detailed Luton drop-off guide
London City: £8 for five minutes and no room to wait
London City introduced its terminal drop-off charge in 2026. The first five minutes cost £8, followed by £1 for each additional minute, and the maximum stay is 10 minutes. The charge applies around the clock and to every visit. Those limits make the zone suitable for a prepared departure handover, not for rearranging bags, waiting for a colleague or saying a long goodbye.
The airport's APCOA portal handles past-visit payments and accounts. Check the live portal for the current payment window and save the confirmation after paying. Pickup uses the airport's separate pickup arrangements rather than the drop-off lane. London City's single compact terminal reduces the walking uncertainty found at Heathrow or Gatwick, but the tight 10-minute road limit leaves less recovery time if the passenger is not ready to step out.
- Use postcode E16 2PB for the airport, then follow the current Drop-off signs rather than a saved map pin.
- Confirm the registration before paying; ANPR links the charge to the vehicle, not the passenger name.
- Do not use the drop-off zone for pickup or waiting.
- Blue Badge exemptions are managed through the airport's APCOA account portal and need the correct vehicle details.
- Use the terminal car park or official pickup area when the driver needs more than a few minutes.
Plan the full London City Airport journey
Southend: £8 for a combined express pickup and drop-off area
Southend's Express Pick-up and Drop-off area costs £8 for up to 10 minutes. It sits directly opposite the terminal, next to the Superior car park, and serves both departing and arriving passengers. The lane is barrierless and ticketless. Drivers must use it first, leave the area and then pay online by midnight the following day. The airport specifically tells drivers not to attempt payment while still in the zone.
Ten minutes is a hard maximum rather than a cheap first tier. Southend says a Parking Charge Notice will be issued when a vehicle remains longer. Use the Budget car park if an arriving passenger is not outside, or the Superior car park when someone needs help with luggage and the closest access matters. Neither is free, but they are designed for time that the express lane does not provide.
- Airport address: Eastwoodbury Crescent, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 6YF.
- Express is adjacent to Superior and directly opposite the terminal.
- Pre-payment is not available; pay only after the visit.
- There is no return within one hour, and a new charge applies to each permitted visit.
- Blue Badge bays are in Superior; charges apply and extra-time help is available through the car-park assistance controls.
Plan the full Southend Airport journey
Payment checklist: avoid turning a small fee into a PCN
Most terminal zones use ANPR, so a raised barrier or paper ticket is not required to create a charge. The camera records entry and the airport expects the registered keeper or driver to complete payment using the correct vehicle registration. A screenshot of the confirmation is useful when a receipt email is delayed or a registration was entered incorrectly.
Deadlines are similar but not identical enough to rely on memory. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Southend publish a midnight-the-following-day deadline for the schemes compared here. London City's current payment portal accepts past visits, but drivers should follow the live deadline shown by the operator rather than borrowing another airport's rule. Rental and company vehicles need extra care because an unpaid notice can reach the fleet operator first and attract an administration fee.
- Photograph or note the registration before opening the payment page.
- Use the official airport or named parking-operator portal, not a sponsored search result with a similar name.
- Check the visit date, airport and terminal before authorising payment.
- Save the receipt or confirmation number until the journey is complete.
- If payment fails, contact the operator before the deadline rather than waiting for a notice.
Blue Badge and assisted drop-off rules are airport-specific
A Blue Badge does not create one London-wide exemption. Heathrow offers a 100% discount after the visit is registered correctly. Gatwick provides an exemption through its permit system. Stansted charges every vehicle in Express Set Down but tells passengers needing more time to speak to a marshal. Luton directs eligible Blue Badge holders and passengers with booked assistance to Terminal Car Park 1 for a 30-minute free period instead of exempting the main zone.
London City manages its exemption through the APCOA account portal. Southend directs Blue Badge users who need the closest bays to Superior, where normal charges apply, and asks them to use the help controls if extra time is needed. Registering assistance with an airline does not automatically register a vehicle for a road-charge exemption. Treat the airport's parking process and the airline's passenger-assistance booking as two separate tasks.
- Read the named airport's current accessibility and drop-off page before travel.
- Check whether registration is required before the visit, after the visit or for every visit.
- Keep the badge number, expiry date and vehicle registration available when applying.
- Use a car park rather than a timed forecourt when a safe transfer will take longer.
- Tell a taxi or transfer operator about the exemption process before the vehicle reaches the airport.
Use this comparison without confusing drop-off, pickup and parking
Drop-off charges answer one narrow question: what does the closest departure set-down cost? They do not price an arrival pickup, a 30-minute wait, terminal parking or an overnight stay. Heathrow forbids pickup on its terminal forecourts. Luton and Southend use a combined pickup and drop-off facility, but their short time limits still make flight-arrival timing risky. Gatwick and Stansted direct drivers who need to meet someone towards their car parks.
A practical rule is to use drop-off for a passenger who is standing beside the vehicle with luggage ready, and parking for everything else. For arrivals, wait off-airport until the passenger has cleared passport control, collected bags and confirmed the meeting point. Do not stop on approach roads, bus stops, hotel forecourts or red routes to avoid the airport fee. Those places may be enforced separately and create a safety problem for other road users.
- Check the flight terminal on the airline or airport site, not only on an old booking email.
- Agree the exact meeting point before the passenger loses signal or enters baggage reclaim.
- For pickups, add immigration and baggage time rather than entering when the aircraft lands.
- For young, elderly or disabled passengers, choose the option that allows a safe handover.
- Recheck the official source on the day because airport road layouts and tariffs change.
