The short answer
On turn-up prices, the cheapest official car park for a week is Mid Stay, at £336. Only Mid Stay and the Short Stay Green and Blue car parks take drivers who turn up without booking; Long Stay, JetParks, Meet & Greet, Valet Parking and the premium Short Stay zones are pre-book only. London Stansted says booking ahead can save up to 80%. Its parking page says its pre-book prices and savings are based on an 8-day stay in January 2027, but none of the pages we checked says which car park or dates get the full 80%, so treat it as a ceiling and check the live price for your dates. For short visits, Short Stay Green and Blue is a 5 to 12 minute walk from the terminal, at £70 for the first 24 hours. Only collecting someone? Mid Stay is free for up to 60 minutes, then £5 for the second hour, with a free shuttle bus that the airport says runs 24/7 and takes 7 minutes to the terminal; re-entering within an hour of first entering costs £48.
Every turn-up price on this page is the airport's own published price, checked on its website on 25 Oct 2026. Weekly totals are our sums from those prices. Pre-booked and partner prices change often, so we link to them live rather than quote them. How we check.
The official car parks and the Express Set Down
These are the parking options on London Stansted Airport's own parking pages, with the Express Set Down; each name links to the airport's page. Only Mid Stay and the Short Stay Green and Blue car parks take drivers who turn up without booking.
| Car park | Distance | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Short Stay Green and Blue | Green: 5 to 8 minute walk to the terminal; Blue: 10 to 12 minute walk | Short visits and pick-ups without booking |
| Mid Stay | Free shuttle bus, 24/7, about 7 minutes to the terminal; the airport's Blue Badge page says to allow up to 20 minutes | The lowest turn-up price for a week, and 60 free minutes for drop-offs and pick-ups |
| Long Stay | Free shuttle bus every 15 minutes, 24/7; the airport gives the ride as 15 minutes on its Long Stay page and 7 minutes on its Blue Badge page | Trips of a week or more, booked ahead |
| JetParks | Free shuttle every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, about 10 minutes to the terminal (the same page also says 15) | Park and ride for stays of a week or more, booked ahead (closes over winter) |
| Premium Short Stay (Orange, Red and Yellow) | 1 to 4 minute walk to the terminal | The shortest walk to check-in, booked ahead |
| Enterprise House | 5 to 7 minute walk to the terminal | Weekend trips of up to three days, booked ahead |
| Meet & Greet | 2 minute walk to check-in | Handing over your keys next to the terminal |
| Valet Parking | Right outside the terminal, in Zone C of the Express Set Down | Handing over your keys at the terminal forecourt |
| Express Set Down | On the forecourt outside the terminal | Dropping off only, for up to 30 minutes |
- Short Stay Green and Blue: The two Short Stay car parks you can drive into without booking: Green, a new multi-storey 5 to 8 minutes' walk from the terminal, and Blue, which the airport calls its most affordable Short Stay car park, 10 to 12 minutes' walk away. They are also the only Short Stay car parks the airport lets you use for picking up or dropping off. The airport warns that turn-up spaces are limited and can't be guaranteed. Take a ticket at the barrier and pay when you leave, or at the automatic ticket machines in and around the terminal. The airport gives a 2.0m height limit for its multi-storey car parks, and trailers are not allowed. There are Blue Badge bays in the Green zone, but the airport says there are none in the Blue car park at the moment because of ongoing works. The airport publishes no turn-up price between 4 and 24 hours. Park Mark accredited. Postcode CM24 1QW.
- Mid Stay: The one car park away from the terminal you can turn up at without booking, subject to availability. You park, keep your keys and take the free shuttle bus, which the airport says runs 24/7 and takes 7 minutes to the terminal, though its Blue Badge page says to allow up to 20 minutes for the transfer. The first 60 minutes are free for dropping off or picking up, the second hour costs £5, and after 2 hours you pay the Turn Up & Park rate, £48 for each 24-hour period; re-entering within an hour of first entering costs £48. The minimum stay when you book is 3 days. The airport's Mid Stay page says it accepts cash and all major credit cards. Blue Badge bays are in Zone L, close to the bus shelter, and the shuttle is fully accessible to wheelchair users. Trailers are not allowed. Park Mark accredited. Postcode CM24 1PZ.
- Long Stay: Pre-book only: the airport says you can't turn up and park here. The minimum booked stay is 5 days. Free shuttle buses run every 15 minutes, 24/7, to the terminal building. Blue Badge bays are in Zone Q, and the airport says badge holders usually board the transfer bus before other passengers, and that the bus is free and fully accessible to wheelchair users. Trailers are not allowed. Park Mark accredited. Postcode CM24 1SF.
- JetParks: The airport's own park and ride, listed on its parking pages. Pre-book only, with a minimum stay of 7 days, and the airport says this car park closes over winter. Number-plate cameras open the barrier, so there is no ticket. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. The airport says JetParks is suitable for Blue Badge holders, and that if you tell it your needs when you book, you are moved up to Long Stay. Park Mark accredited. Postcode CM24 1AE.
- Premium Short Stay (Orange, Red and Yellow): Three premium Short Stay car parks: Orange, which the airport calls the closest to the terminal, Red, right next to the terminal, and Yellow, right next to Arrivals. The Short Stay page labels all three pre-book only, but the airport's other pages disagree about Orange: the Long Stay page says you can turn up and park in the Orange zone, and the parking FAQs send pick-ups there at turn-up rates. The dedicated Turn Up & Park page lists only Green and Blue, and gives no Orange price. The car parking terms say booked Short Stay Premium has no 6-hour grace period: extra time is charged at the turn-up tariff. Postcode CM24 1QW.
- Enterprise House: Pre-book only. The airport describes it as a Short Stay option for weekend trips of up to three days, close to the terminal. You keep your keys, and number-plate cameras work the entry and exit.
- Meet & Greet: Pre-book only. Follow the signs for the Short Stay car parks and then Meet & Greet, park at a drop-off bay and hand in your keys at reception; a driver takes the car to a secure on-site car park, and check-in is a 2-minute walk. When you return you collect your keys from reception and the car is waiting close by. A 2.0m height limit applies, and it is not available for motorcycles. You will be charged for any extra days, but only if you leave more than 6 hours after your booked time. Park Mark accredited.
- Valet Parking: Booked ahead: the airport's parking page labels it pre-book only. Drive to Zone C of the Express Set Down, signed Valet Parking, and check your keys in with the receptionist at the mobile building there; your car is waiting on the terminal forecourt when you return. The airport's car parking terms charge £70 for each extra day if you overstay. Park Mark accredited.
- Express Set Down: The paid drop-off on the terminal forecourt. The airport says it is for dropping off, with a 30-minute maximum stay, and re-entering within 30 minutes of first entering costs £28. There are no barriers or machines: cameras read your number plate and you pay by midnight the day after your visit, online, by automated phone on 03450 175046 or with an autopay account, never in advance and not in cash. Miss the deadline and a £100 Parking Charge Notice follows, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. Don't leave the car unattended: unauthorised vehicles may be towed, for a fee. Blue Badge holders pay too (see Blue Badge, below), and electric vehicles get no exemption.
Turn-up prices
If you arrive without booking, these are the airport's published prices. Long Stay, JetParks, Premium Short Stay (Orange, Red and Yellow), Enterprise House, Meet & Greet and Valet Parking are priced when you book.
| Short Stay Green and Blue | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 minutes | £13 |
| Up to 1 hour | £21 |
| Up to 2 hours | £25 |
| Up to 4 hours | £38 |
| Each 24-hour period | £70 |
| Mid Stay | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 60 minutes | Free |
| Up to 2 hours | £5 |
| Each 24-hour period (the day rate, after 2 hours) | £48 |
| Express Set Down | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 15 minutes | £10 |
| Over 15 minutes (30 minutes' maximum stay) | £28 |
Booking ahead: London Stansted says booking ahead can save up to 80%. Its parking page says its pre-book prices and savings are based on an 8-day stay in January 2027, but none of the pages we checked says which car park or dates get the full 80%, so treat it as a ceiling and check the live price for your dates. Book on the airport's own site, or compare prices on the booking sites below. The airport says bookings made on its own site can be cancelled free of charge up to 72 hours before arrival, less any booking fee, or up to 1 hour before with Upgraded Cancellation Protection; you can amend a booking up to 72 hours before it starts and change vehicle details up to 24 hours before. Booked stays are priced per calendar day or part of one, so Monday to the following Monday is 8 days, and you can arrive up to 6 hours early or leave up to 6 hours late without extra charge; stay longer and each extra day costs the overstay rate, £70 in Short Stay, Meet & Greet and Valet and £48 in Mid Stay, Long Stay and JetParks. Turn-up prices are for each 24-hour period instead. Bookings made through Ryanair are non-refundable.
Park or get dropped off? A week away
| Option | Cost for 7 days |
|---|---|
| Dropped off at the Express Set Down (£10 for up to 15 minutes) and collected from the Short Stay Green or Blue car park within 30 minutes (£13) | £23 |
| Dropped off and collected using Mid Stay's free 60 minutes, each time, with the free shuttle bus to and from the terminal (no return within an hour) | Free |
| Mid Stay, turned up | £336 |
| Short Stay Green and Blue, turned up | £490 |
A lift costs least in charges, but it means two return trips to the airport for whoever drives you. If you're driving yourself, don't just turn up at the barrier: even the cheapest official car park costs £336 a week that way. The London Stansted drop-off guide has the full rules for the Express Set Down, and park or drop off at Stansted compares the two by trip length. The airport says the Express Set Down is for dropping off, so the collection is priced in Short Stay; collecting from Mid Stay's free 60 minutes instead brings a lift both ways down to the £10 drop-off. Using Mid Stay for both trips costs nothing in charges, but re-entering Mid Stay within an hour of first entering costs £48, and the airport's Blue Badge page says to allow up to 20 minutes for the shuttle transfer each way.
Turn-up cost for 3, 7 and 14 days
| Car park | 3 days | 7 days | 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Stay | £144 | £336 | £672 |
| Short Stay Green and Blue | £210 | £490 | £980 |
These are our sums from the day rates in the airport's published turn-up prices above; the lowest in each column is in bold. Check the pre-booked price for your dates on the airport's own site before you settle for any of these.
Compare before you book
Booking sites and private spaces
Holiday Extras and Airparks both sell spaces in London Stansted Airport's own car parks, among them JetParks, Long Stay, Mid Stay and the Short Stay Blue and Green car parks, plus its Official Meet and Greet and Valet. Airparks says it only sells pre-booked parking, and that the airport sets and collects the Turn Up & Park prices. Neither lists an off-airport park & ride on its Stansted parking page, although Holiday Extras' hotel page names Maple Park and Ride and CSL Park and Ride as off-airport options with some hotel packages. YourParkingSpace is different: it lists parking spaces near the airport, and invites owners to rent out a driveway, parking space or garage. Their prices change often, so compare them live.
Compare London Stansted parking →Also: Airparks · YourParkingSpace
Offer: £5 off your first YourParkingSpace booking
Code PARKING5. New customers only, until 23:59 on 31 October 2026 (UK time). YourParkingSpace's offer terms apply. Find a space on YourParkingSpace →
These are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never affects the prices and facts on this page.
Picking someone up
| Where to wait | Cost |
|---|---|
| Short Stay Green or Blue, 5 to 12 minute walk (the airport's pick-up car parks at the terminal) | £13 for up to 30 minutes, £21 for up to an hour, £25 for up to 2 hours |
| Express Set Down, outside the terminal | Drop-off only: £10 for up to 15 minutes |
| Mid Stay, 7-minute free shuttle bus | Free for up to 60 minutes, then £5 for the second hour |
The airport says the Express Set Down is for dropping off: for pick-ups, or to go into the terminal, it points you to the Short Stay car parks, and its pick-up page says only the Green and Blue ones. The free option is Mid Stay: wait there for up to 60 minutes and your passenger takes the free shuttle bus out to you. Don't leave Mid Stay and come back within an hour, because re-entry then costs £48. In Short Stay, up to 4 hours costs £38; the airport publishes no pick-up price for longer. The Express Set Down has no barriers or machines: you pay online, by automated phone on 03450 175046 or with an autopay account by midnight the day after your visit, and not in cash or by cheque. In Short Stay and Mid Stay you take a ticket at the barrier and pay when you leave, or at the automatic ticket machines in and around the terminal.
Early flight?
Hotel and parking the night before
Holiday Extras and Airparks both sell hotel-and-parking packages at Stansted. Holiday Extras describes four kinds: leaving the car at the hotel while you're away; parking at the hotel overnight, then driving to the airport's Long Stay or Mid Stay; meet and greet, where you drive to the terminal in the morning and hand the car to a driver; and off-airport park and ride. It lists the Radisson Blu Stansted as 500m from the airport under a covered walkway. Check which kind yours is before you book.
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Hand over the keys
Meet & greet and valet
The airport's own Meet & Greet is booked ahead only: you follow the signs for Meet & Greet, park at a drop-off bay, hand in your keys at reception and a driver takes the car to a secure on-site car park, a 2-minute walk from check-in; when you return, you collect your keys from reception and the car is waiting close by. The airport's Valet Parking is booked ahead too: you hand over the car in Zone C of the Express Set Down, right outside the terminal, and it is waiting for you on the terminal forecourt when you get back. Holiday Extras and Airparks both sell the airport's own Official Meet and Greet and Valet; the Holiday Extras meet and greet page we checked lists only those two, so compare their price for your dates with the airport's.
Compare meet & greet →Also: Airparks
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Blue Badge and accessible parking
Blue Badge holders get no exemption at the Express Set Down: the airport says every vehicle using it must pay, £10 for up to 15 minutes. Where the passenger, not the driver, holds the badge and needs longer than 15 minutes, speak to a traffic marshal, who can extend the maximum stay if reasonably required; if the driver holds the badge, the normal charges and time limits apply. None of the airport's pages we checked offers a Blue Badge discount in its car parks. Blue Badge bays are at the front of the Express Set Down, in the Orange and Green zones of Short Stay, in Zone L of Mid Stay, close to the bus shelter, and in Zone Q of Long Stay; because of ongoing works, there are none in the Blue car park at the moment. The Mid Stay and Long Stay buses are free and fully accessible to wheelchair users, and the airport says to allow up to 20 minutes for the Mid Stay transfer. You can't leave a car unattended at the Express Set Down, and the airport says the Blue Badge scheme doesn't operate on its road system: unattended vehicles are towed by the police. If you book JetParks and tell the airport your needs, you are moved up to Long Stay. The airport has a separate Blue Badge booking site, and help points in each car park. See how London Stansted compares with other airports in the Blue Badge guide.
Before you fly
Lounges and fast track
London Stansted has one lounge you can pay to use on its own pages, and an airline lounge: Essence by Escape Lounges (from £28.99 per person booked ahead, or from £35 walking up; at Gates 1 to 19, and not open to Ryanair or easyJet passengers) and the Emirates Lounge (for Emirates First and Business Class passengers, Skywards Platinum and Gold members and eligible guests). The airport says the Escape Lounges space in the main terminal is now closed. Essence is at Gates 1 to 19, and once there you can't return to the main terminal; it opens 04:45 to 19:30 daily from 25 October, and infants under 3 go free. Security FastTrack, at the main security checkpoint for Departures, costs from £6.49 per person booked ahead, on the day or up to 12 months in advance, and is non-refundable unless stated otherwise when you book; it opens from 04:00 to 20:00, and infants under three go free when the rest of the party has bought FastTrack.
Compare lounges →Also: Fast track
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Nearby airports
London Stansted Airport parking: your questions
How much is parking at London Stansted Airport?
If you turn up without booking, Mid Stay costs £48 for each 24-hour period, so a week costs £336, and the Short Stay Green and Blue car parks cost £70 for each 24-hour period. Long Stay, JetParks, Meet & Greet, Valet Parking and the premium Short Stay zones can only be booked ahead. The airport says booking ahead can save up to 80%, based on an 8-day stay in January 2027.
What is the cheapest parking at London Stansted Airport?
On turn-up prices, Mid Stay: £336 for a week by our sum, against £490 in Short Stay Green or Blue. Long Stay and JetParks are pre-book only, so they have no turn-up price. Holiday Extras and Airparks sell the airport's car parks too, so compare the pre-booked price for your dates.
How much is 3 days of parking at London Stansted Airport?
If you turn up without booking, 3 days costs £144 in Mid Stay and £210 in Short Stay Green and Blue. Those are our sums from the airport's published day rates, checked on 25 Oct 2026. They are gate prices, so check the pre-booked price for your dates before you travel.
How much is 2 weeks of parking at London Stansted Airport?
If you turn up without booking, 14 days costs £672 in Mid Stay and £980 in Short Stay Green and Blue. Those are our sums from the airport's published day rates, checked on 25 Oct 2026. They are gate prices, so check the pre-booked price for your dates before you travel.
Is there free parking at London Stansted Airport?
Yes, for up to 60 minutes in Mid Stay, for dropping off or picking up, with a free shuttle bus that the airport says runs 24/7 and takes 7 minutes. The second hour costs £5, and re-entering within an hour of first entering costs £48. The Express Set Down outside the terminal is not free: it costs £10 for up to 15 minutes.
How much is the Express Set Down at London Stansted Airport?
£10 for up to 15 minutes and £28 for over 15 minutes, with a 30-minute maximum stay; re-entering within 30 minutes of first entering costs £28. There are no barriers or machines: pay online, by automated phone on 03450 175046 or with autopay by midnight the day after, or a £100 Parking Charge Notice follows, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. Blue Badge holders pay too.
How much is Short Stay parking at London Stansted Airport?
If you turn up, the Green and Blue car parks cost £13 for up to 30 minutes, £21 for up to an hour, £25 for up to 2 hours and £38 for up to 4 hours, and £70 for each 24-hour period; the airport publishes no price between 4 and 24 hours. The premium Orange, Red and Yellow zones and Enterprise House are pre-book only on the Short Stay page, although other airport pages say you can turn up at Orange.
How do I get from Mid Stay to the terminal at Stansted?
By the free shuttle bus, which the airport says runs 24/7 and takes 7 minutes to the terminal building. Its Blue Badge page says to allow up to 20 minutes for the transfer, and that the bus is fully accessible to wheelchair users. You keep your keys.
Can I just turn up at Long Stay at Stansted?
No. The airport says Long Stay is pre-book only, with a minimum stay of 5 days, and JetParks is pre-book only with a minimum of 7 days. Without a booking, your options are Mid Stay, at £48 for each 24-hour period, and Short Stay Green and Blue, at £70, and the airport warns that turn-up spaces are limited.
Does London Stansted Airport have meet and greet parking?
Yes, booked ahead only. With Meet & Greet you park at a drop-off bay, hand in your keys at reception and a driver takes the car to a secure on-site car park, a 2-minute walk from check-in. Valet Parking starts in Zone C of the Express Set Down, and the car is waiting on the terminal forecourt when you return. Holiday Extras and Airparks sell both.
Where can I pick someone up at London Stansted Airport?
The airport's pick-up page labels the Express Set Down drop-off only and sends pick-ups to Short Stay Green and Blue, though its Express Set Down terms call it a drop-off and pick-up zone; if you do collect there, the same £10 and £28 charges and 30-minute maximum apply, and you can't wait or leave the car. Wait free for up to 60 minutes in Mid Stay while your passenger takes the free shuttle bus, or meet them at the terminal from the Short Stay Green or Blue car park, where up to 30 minutes costs £13.
Is it cheaper to park or get dropped off at London Stansted Airport?
Being dropped at the Express Set Down within 15 minutes and collected from Short Stay within 30 minutes costs £23, or £10 if you're collected from Mid Stay's free 60 minutes, but it means two return trips for your driver. A week in Mid Stay costs £336 if you turn up without booking.
What are the height limits at Stansted car parks?
The airport gives 2.0 metres (6ft 6in) for all Meet & Greet car parks and all its multi-storey car parks, which include the Short Stay Green car park. Its other parking pages give no height limit. Trailers are not allowed in any official Stansted car park.
Do Blue Badge holders park free at London Stansted Airport?
No. The airport says every vehicle using the Express Set Down must pay, £10 for up to 15 minutes, and none of its pages we checked offers a Blue Badge discount in its car parks. Where the passenger holds the badge and needs longer than 15 minutes, a traffic marshal can extend the stay. Blue Badge bays are in Short Stay Orange and Green, Mid Stay Zone L, Long Stay Zone Q and at the front of the Express Set Down.
Can I cancel London Stansted Airport parking?
The airport says bookings made on its own site can be cancelled free of charge up to 72 hours before arrival, less any booking fee, or up to 1 hour before if you add Upgraded Cancellation Protection. You can amend a booking up to 72 hours before it starts. Bookings made through Ryanair are non-refundable. Check the terms of your own booking.
Method & corrections
Every turn-up price on this page is checked against the airport's own published charges and stamped with the date we checked it. Details credited to a booking site come from that site's own pages, and weekly totals are our sums. We re-verify the full dataset quarterly, and after any reported change — see how we check every figure and who maintains the site.
Spotted an error? Email hello@airportdropoffcharges.co.uk — corrections are made visibly and dated. The dataset behind this page is free to reuse with attribution: JSON · CSV (CC BY 4.0) — about the data.