I often fly out of Heathrow International Airport on business and I always insist on driving myself to the airport. Over the past few years I’ve experimented and used all of the car parking companies at the airport, with various results. I’ve become somewhat of an expert, so I thought I’d share what I’ve learnt and help make life easier for others too.
The first thing that you should know is that parking at the airport is never going to be cheap, but you can sometimes get a bit of a deal online by arranging things in advance.
In terms of service, you should be satisfied no matter where you go. Check-in procedures are generally smooth and straightforward, and you’ll find most of the staff pleasant and professional. A lot of car parks have won awards for their security and you’ll find that security is pretty tight across the board. Where you end up parking will probably depend on where you’re coming from, which terminal you’re departing from and your budget for parking.
When I don’t have a lot of time, I like to indulge in the valet parking service offered by MBV Parking. It’s without question the priciest option, but it’s also the easiest. They meet you at the terminal, pick up your keys, park your car and have it ready for you when you get back.
Pink Elephant and Parking Express are the easiest places to find if it’s your first time parking at Heathrow. Pink Elephant is much closer, and if you’re in a hurry and don’t mind paying a little extra for the privilege, you should be able to get to the main terminals in only a few minutes (5 to 10 minutes for Terminal 4). Parking Express has frequent shuttles and can provide transfers to the terminals on demand, but it takes about 15 minutes to get there (longer for Terminal 4.)
Q-Park and Airways Cranford have what I think is the best check-in procedure, with the exception of the valet parking service. You park in front of reception while the staff park your car for you. They also have your car ready for pick up when you come back. Of the two, I prefer Q-Park. It’s easy to find and only 7 minutes from the main terminals. Airways Cranford is not as close, but it’s easy to get to if you are coming from the M4.
You should consider parking at the Park and Fly if you are flying out of Terminal 4. Their lot is easy to get to if you want to skip traffic on the M4 or if you are coming from the south. The shuttle to Terminal 4 only takes 2 minutes.
The other parking company near Heathrow is Purple Parking. They have shuttles on demand that take about 15 minutes to reach the airport.
It’s a lot easier than you may think to get your parking sorted out in advance. I usually use one of these websites. They’re fast and easy to use and should get the job done in less than 5 minutes.
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