Turn up at Birmingham Airport and park for a week and you can pay £390 or more. Book the same parking ahead online and it can cost as little as £83. Pre-booking at Birmingham is routinely 70 to 80 percent cheaper than paying at the gate. Here is what parking really costs in 2026 and how to pay the least.

Birmingham Airport parking costs in 2026

The gap between turning up and booking ahead is enormous:

  • Turn up at the gate: the on-site daily rate is capped at £64 for up to 24 hours, which works out at roughly £390 to £450 for a week.
  • Pre-booked online, on-site: a week in the airport's own car parks is typically around £83 to £117.
  • Off-airport park and ride: often £40 to £80 for a week.

Two recent real-world checks make the point. Money Saving Expert found Birmingham at £315 for a week on the day versus £83 booked ahead, a saving of around 74 percent. Which? found £448 on the day versus £90 booked a month ahead, around 80 percent off. The lesson is simple: never turn up and pay at the gate if you can book first.

The on-site car parks explained

  • Car Park 1: short stay, around a minute's walk to check-in, no shuttle needed.
  • Car Parks 2 and 3: take any length of stay, a 1 to 2 minute walk to the terminal.
  • Car Park 5, Long Stay: a free shuttle runs every 15 minutes, best for longer trips.
  • Car Park 7: the outermost long stay option, ideal for 7 to 30 day trips, with a free courtesy bus.

Park and ride versus meet and greet

Off-airport operators are usually cheaper than the airport's own car parks.

  • Park and ride: you park at an off-site compound and take a free shuttle to the terminal, typically £40 to £80 a week. The cheapest option, with a short shuttle leg.
  • Meet and greet: you hand the car over at the terminal and a driver parks it for you, typically £70 to £120 a week. More convenient, with no shuttle.

How to get the cheapest Birmingham parking

The single biggest saving is booking ahead rather than paying the gate rate. After that it pays to compare the on-site car parks against off-airport park and ride and meet and greet, because the cheapest option changes with your dates and how long you are away. Compare every car park at Birmingham Airport to find the best price for your trip.

Prices are correct as of June 2026 and can change. Always check the airport's own website before you travel.