Quick answer
If you are dropping someone off, you will pay £7 to enter the Terminal 2 forecourt, or nothing at all if you use the Heathrow Park & Ride car park and take the free bus. If you are parking for a few hours, the T2 Short Stay car park is the only option attached to the terminal, and it starts at £8 for up to 29 minutes. If you are flying and leaving the car, on-airport Long Stay costs around £46.80 for the first day, and off-site park and ride or meet and greet booked in advance will usually cost considerably less.
The single biggest saving on any Heathrow trip is booking ahead rather than turning up. On-the-day rates at the official car parks are the highest prices Heathrow charges.
Terminal 2 parking at a glance
| Option | Best for | Walk or transfer | Typical starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2 Short Stay | Stays under a day, meeting arrivals | Short covered walk | £8 for 0 to 29 minutes |
| T2 Long Stay | Holidays, on-airport peace of mind | Free bus, under 15 minutes | About £46.80 first day |
| Business Parking (T2 and T3) | Frequent flyers, short business trips | Shuttle, around 10 minutes | About £47.90 per day |
| Off-site park and ride | Value on longer trips | Provider shuttle, 10 to 20 minutes | Varies, usually the cheapest |
| Meet and greet | Convenience, families, early flights | None, hand over at the terminal | Mid range, varies by provider |
| Terminal drop-off | Dropping off only, no waiting | Right outside | £7 per entry |
| Park & Ride drop-off | Free dropping off | Free bus | Free |
All prices below are the published rates at the time of writing. Airport tariffs change, often in January, so always check the live price on our Heathrow airport parking page before you travel or book.
Terminal 2 Short Stay parking
The Short Stay car park is the multi-storey directly opposite Terminal 2. It is the only car park you can walk to from T2, which is what makes it the default choice for anyone meeting a flight or popping in for an hour.
Postcode: TW6 1EW
Short Stay tariff, from 6 January 2026
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 to 29 minutes | £8.00 |
| 30 to 44 minutes | £12.50 |
| 45 to 59 minutes | £15.50 |
| 1 to 2 hours | £20.00 |
| 2 to 3 hours | £24.00 |
| 3 to 4 hours | £28.00 |
| 4 to 5 hours | £35.00 |
| 5 to 6 hours | £44.00 |
| 6 to 9 hours | £63.00 |
| 9 to 12 hours | £78.00 |
| 12 to 24 hours | £98.00 |
| Each further 24 hours | £98.00 |
Two things are worth noticing. First, the jump from 29 to 30 minutes costs you £4.50, so if you are cutting it fine on a pick-up it is worth watching the clock. Second, at £98 a day this is an expensive place to leave a car for a holiday. Anything longer than about six hours and you should be looking at Long Stay or an off-site option instead.
Height restriction: standard bays take normal cars. There is a designated overheight area for vehicles up to three metres, with a minimum charge of £21.00 for up to two hours.
Payment: if you have not pre-booked and you are staying under 24 hours, drive in and pay at one of the on-foot machines before you return to your car.
Electric vehicles: Heathrow does not currently provide EV charging in the Short Stay car parks. If you need to charge, plan for a different car park or a charger off-airport.
Terminal 2 Long Stay parking
Long Stay is Heathrow's own holiday car park for Terminal 2. You park it yourself, then take a free shuttle bus to the terminal.
Postcode: TW6 2SB
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 to 29 minutes | Free |
| 30 minutes to 1 hour 59 minutes | £9.40 |
| First day | About £46.80 |
| Each further 24 hours | About £37.40 |
Buses run every 15 minutes between 04:00 and 23:30 and drop you outside the Terminal 2 entrance in under 15 minutes. Booking ahead is optional but it is nearly always cheaper than the roll-up rate, and Heathrow currently allows free cancellation or amendment up to two hours before arrival.
That free first 29 minutes is a useful detail. If you are dropping someone off and want to avoid the £7 forecourt charge, Long Stay and Park & Ride both let you do it for nothing, provided you are quick.
Business Parking for Terminals 2 and 3
Business Parking sits on the Northern Perimeter Road and is aimed at people who fly often and want to be in and out quickly. Shuttles run on demand with a maximum wait of around 10 minutes, and the buses themselves are a step up, with leather seats and onboard wi-fi.
Published pricing has recently been around £47.90 for one day. That is roughly the same as Long Stay for a single day, so the case for it is speed and comfort rather than cost. For a week away, off-site park and ride will almost always beat it.
Off-site park and ride near Terminal 2
Off-site car parks sit a few minutes from the airport perimeter and run their own shuttle buses to the terminals. You park the car yourself, take the bus in, and reverse the process on the way back. See our park and ride guide for how the model works in detail.
This is normally the cheapest way to leave a car at Heathrow for a week or more, and the gap widens the longer you stay. The trade-off is time: budget 10 to 20 minutes for the transfer each way, plus waiting, so add half an hour to your airport arrival plan.
What to check before booking any off-site car park:
- Park Mark accreditation. This is the police-backed Safer Parking award and it is granted per car park, not per company. If a provider claims it, check the specific site holds it.
- Transfer frequency, not just transfer time. A 10-minute ride with a 30-minute wait is a 40-minute journey.
- Whether keys are retained. Most park and ride sites let you keep them. If a site takes your keys, it is effectively a valet service and should be described as one.
- What happens if your flight is delayed. Good operators do not charge for arrival delays outside your control.
Meet and greet at Terminal 2
With meet and greet, you drive to the terminal, a driver meets you at a designated point in the forecourt, and they take the car away and park it. On return, they bring it back to you.
For Terminal 2 this is the least disruptive option with children, heavy bags or an unsociable departure time. It usually costs more than park and ride and less than the Short Stay car park for a week.
The category has had genuinely bad press, so a few checks are worth the two minutes they take:
- The company should be named, registered and traceable, with a real address.
- Ask where the car is actually parked, and check that site's security and accreditation.
- Confirm the driver is insured to drive your vehicle.
- Read recent reviews, not the ones on the company's own site.
- Be wary of prices dramatically below everyone else. In this category that is a warning, not a bargain.
Heathrow also runs its own official meet and greet service, which costs more than independents but removes the question of who is holding your keys. For a provider-by-provider comparison, see our guide to meet and greet parking at Heathrow.
Dropping off at Terminal 2
There is a £7 charge every time a vehicle enters the Terminal 2 drop-off area. It is charged per entry, not per minute, so there is no benefit to rushing, but you also cannot wait or leave the vehicle unattended.
Payment is online, by automated phone line on 0330 008 5600, or by autopay. Cash and cheques are not accepted. If you pay afterwards, you must do it by midnight the following day, or you risk a penalty.
Blue Badge holders get a 100% discount, applied by registering the vehicle in advance, during the trip, or by midnight the following day. The discount is not automatic, so you do have to claim it.
There is no discount for electric vehicles.
The free alternative: drop off at the Heathrow Park & Ride car park and use the free bus to the terminal. It costs nothing, and Long Stay's free first 29 minutes works the same way. It adds perhaps 20 minutes to the trip and saves £7 every time.
Picking someone up at Terminal 2
The same £7 charge applies to the forecourt, and you still cannot wait there. For arrivals, where the wait is unpredictable, the sensible approach is different from drop-off:
- Use the Short Stay car park and walk in to meet them. At £8 for up to 29 minutes it costs barely more than the drop-off charge and you can actually wait.
- Or wait at Long Stay or Park & Ride for free and drive round once they have cleared baggage reclaim.
Baggage reclaim at T2 routinely takes 20 to 40 minutes after landing. Arriving at the forecourt on the scheduled landing time is the most common way people end up paying twice.
Which option should you choose?
| Your trip | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Dropping off, no waiting | Park & Ride free drop-off, or accept the £7 |
| Meeting an arrival | Short Stay, 0 to 29 minutes if you time it well |
| Half a day at the airport | Short Stay, but check Long Stay for anything over 6 hours |
| 2 to 4 nights | Long Stay or off-site park and ride |
| A week or more | Off-site park and ride, or meet and greet for convenience |
| Early morning flight with family | Meet and greet, or a hotel and parking package |
| Frequent short business trips | Business Parking |
Five ways to pay less at Terminal 2
- Book in advance. On-the-day rates are the highest Heathrow charges. Booking even a day ahead usually helps, and one to three months ahead is where the real savings sit.
- Compare off-site against official. For anything over about three nights, off-site park and ride is normally well below the on-airport rate.
- Use the free drop-off. Park & Ride costs nothing and Long Stay gives you 29 free minutes. Two drop-offs a year covers the cost of the petrol detour many times over.
- Do not let the booking lapse into a roll-up. If your plans change, amend the booking rather than abandoning it. Heathrow currently allows changes up to two hours before arrival.
- Check a hotel and parking package for early flights. For a departure before about 07:00, a night at an airport hotel with parking included is often close to the price of the parking alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the postcode for Heathrow Terminal 2 Short Stay parking?
TW6 1EW. Terminal 2 Long Stay is TW6 2SB. Set the postcode rather than "Heathrow Airport" in your satnav, because the airport road system will otherwise route you to the wrong car park.
How much is parking at Heathrow Terminal 2 for an hour?
Between £15.50 and £20.00 in the Short Stay car park, depending on whether you are under or over the hour. Under 29 minutes costs £8.00.
Is there free parking at Heathrow Terminal 2?
Not for parking as such, but Terminal 2 Long Stay gives you the first 29 minutes free, which covers a quick drop-off. There is no free parking for longer stays anywhere at Heathrow.
How much is the Heathrow Terminal 2 drop-off charge?
£7 per entry to the terminal forecourt. Blue Badge holders can claim a 100% discount. There is no discount for electric vehicles.
How do I avoid the Heathrow drop-off charge?
Use the Park & Ride car park and take the free bus to the terminal, or use Terminal 2 Long Stay within its free 29-minute window.
Can I park a high vehicle at Terminal 2?
Yes. The Short Stay car park has a designated overheight area taking vehicles up to three metres, with a minimum charge of £21.00 for up to two hours.
Is there electric vehicle charging at Terminal 2 Short Stay?
No. Heathrow does not currently provide EV charging in the Short Stay car parks.
How long does the Terminal 2 Long Stay bus take?
Under 15 minutes to the terminal entrance, with buses every 15 minutes between 04:00 and 23:30.
Is Terminal 2 in the ULEZ or the Congestion Charge zone?
Heathrow sits inside the ULEZ boundary, so a non-compliant vehicle will pay the daily ULEZ charge. It is outside the Congestion Charge zone. Check your vehicle on the Transport for London checker before travelling.
Is it cheaper to book Heathrow Terminal 2 parking in advance?
Yes, substantially. Roll-up prices are the highest rates charged. Prices generally climb as the departure date approaches, so booking one to three months ahead is usually the sweet spot.
Where do I pick someone up at Terminal 2?
There is no free waiting area on the forecourt. Either pay to enter the drop-off zone, use the Short Stay car park and walk in, or wait at Long Stay or Park & Ride and drive round when your passenger has cleared baggage reclaim.