Heathrow Long Stay parking starts around £51 a week pre-booked in 2026, the cheapest official option across all four terminals. Off-airport Park and Ride sits in a similar bracket with more variability by operator. Pod Parking at T5 is faster but more expensive. Multi-Storey Short Stay is intentionally punitive past 24 hours. Here is the 2026 price picture.
The price brackets
| Product | Indicative weekly rate (pre-book) | Walk or shuttle |
|---|---|---|
| Long Stay (on-airport, all terminals) | £51 to £100 | 8 to 12 min shuttle, 24/7 |
| Off-airport Park and Ride | £50 to £85 | 5 to 15 min shuttle |
| Pod Parking T5 | £100 to £140 | 6 min driverless pod |
| Business Parking (POFO) | £140 to £200 | Business-class shuttle, 5 min |
| Off-airport Meet and Greet | £80 to £150 | 0 min, driver at the forecourt |
| Short Stay (multi-storey) | £200 to £350 | 2 to 3 min walk |
Walk-up rates for Long Stay, Business and Short Stay are 40 to 80% higher than pre-booked. The single biggest cost-saver at Heathrow is the act of pre-booking, regardless of which product you pick.
The cheapest official option: Long Stay
Long Stay is Heathrow operated and priced consistently across T2/T3 (shared lot) and T4 (dedicated lot), with T5 Long Stay slightly cheaper most of the year. From £51 per week pre-booked, with a free 8 to 12 minute shuttle running 24/7, CCTV monitored, with secure barrier entry. The 8 to 12 minute shuttle frequency holds at night which matters for late-arriving returns.
The off-airport edge
Heathrow has the largest off-airport parking market in the UK, with operators along the M4, M25, A4 and A30. Park and Ride typically opens up at £50 to £60 a week, with some operators dropping promotional rates below £45. Quality varies, so check Park Mark accreditation on the listing card; we flag this on every Heathrow listing in our marketplace.
Pod Parking at T5: the time vs money trade-off
Heathrow Pod Parking is unique in the UK. A driverless electric pod takes you direct from your car to T5 in about 6 minutes, with no shared shuttle. Pricing sits £40 to £60 a week above Long Stay. Worth it for T5 travellers with tight connections or business trips where time matters more than headline price.
The Short Stay trap
Short Stay multi-storey car parks are attached to each terminal with a 2 to 3 minute walk to check-in. The hourly rate is sensible, the weekly rate is intentionally punitive (£200-plus) to discourage long-stay use. If your trip is more than 24 hours, never book Short Stay. If your trip is under 24 hours, it may be the right choice, particularly for business travellers.
Off-airport Meet and Greet
The dominant Heathrow product for 2 to 5 night family trips. Drive to the terminal forecourt (T2, T3, T4 or T5), hand keys to a uniformed driver, walk in. £80 to £150 a week is the typical band, with the lower end on Saver or Non-Flexible tiers. Add the £7 drop-off charge if not bundled.
The rules that move the price most
- Book 4 to 12 weeks ahead. The cheapest window for every Heathrow product.
- Pick Saver or Non-Flexible tiers if dates are firm. 20 to 30% cheaper than fully flexible.
- Check terminal-specific pricing. Long Stay T5 is sometimes £10 to £15 a week cheaper than T2/T3 for the same dates.
- Watch for off-airport promotional rates. Heathrow off-airport competition is sharp; operators run real discounts on quieter weeks.
- Avoid school holidays where possible. Half-term, Easter, summer and Christmas all lift rates 10 to 25%.
The honest one-line answer
For most Heathrow travellers in 2026, on-airport Long Stay at £51 to £85 a week pre-booked is the genuine cheapest sensible option. Off-airport beats it only on specific operator promotions. Meet and Greet wins for families. Pod Parking wins for T5 time-sensitive travellers. Short Stay is for hours, not days.
See live prices and book
For real-time prices across every Heathrow car park including the four terminal-specific Long Stay lots and off-airport operators, see our Heathrow parking comparison page. For the operational rules and product types in depth, see our Heathrow buyer guide.