Express Set Down is now barrierless. Find out more.  
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Car Parking FAQs

Find answers to common questions about parking at Stansted Airport

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Save up to 80% on parking by booking in advance
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How can we help?

Car park booking

You may amend your booking up to 72 hours before your car parking commences, either online or by contacting us.

If your booking will change by less than 6 hours (for example if your flight time has changed slightly) there’s no need to contact us to change your booking. You can arrive in the car park up to 6 hours earlier and leave up to 6 hours later without incurring a charge.

Please note, if you have booked Security FastTrack, Passport Control FastTrack or a lounge with your car park booking then your original booking time will still apply to those products.

To amend your booking online, please re-visit the website you used to book and follow the online instructions or click the links below.

London Stansted Airport parking amendments

JetParks parking amendments

Amendments to the dates of stay are subject to the terms and conditions of your booking. Certain promotional products cannot be amended, it will be made clear at the point of booking if this is the case.

Please note if you booked during a sale or at a lower price and that rate is no longer available, the new rate will apply. Where specified in the product details some special offer bookings cannot be amended or cancelled.

Plans changed? Free cancellation up to 72 hours before your booking when you book directly with London Stansted Airport.

To cancel your booking online, please re-visit the website you used to book and follow the online instructions or click the links below.

Cancellations are subject to the terms and conditions of your booking. Where specified in the product details some special offer bookings cannot be amended or cancelled.

Stansted Airport parking cancellations

JetParks parking cancellations

Bookings cancelled within 72 hours of the time and date of arrival will not be refunded (or with booking where other cancellation conditions may apply).

If you chose to purchase the Cancellation Protection as part of your booking, you can cancel your booking up to 1 hour prior to arrival. Bookings cancelled within 1 hour of the car park arrival date will not be refunded.

Bookings made less than 72 hours before departure are non-refundable unless Cancellation Protection was purchased at the time of booking.

Customers who have booked via a third party should contact them directly.

If you are trying to amend or cancel your booking online via our website link below

Stansted Airport parking amendments

JetParks parking amendments

and your booking reference is not recognised, it is likely that the booking has been made through a third-party site. Please check your booking confirmation email for information regarding how to amend/cancel your booking or click on the link below for third party contact details:

Third party contacts

You will receive an on-screen confirmation which details your booking reference and instructions (please read these carefully). Please print this page for your records as you will need this information at the airport.

We will also send you a booking confirmation email. Please ensure that your vehicle registration details are correct as this is used to give you access to the carpark. There is an option to amend your booking if you will be arriving at the airport in a different vehicle than originally planned.

You are responsible for supplying a valid email and we cannot be held responsible for non-delivery of booking confirmation emails due to transmission failure or incorrect address details.

Failure to receive the confirmation email has no bearing on the status of your booking, your booking is still valid, but please check your junk or spam folder just in case your booking confirmation email has been sent there. If not, your email address may have been entered incorrectly.

Yes. Bookings can be made up to at least 2 hours (6 hours for all Meet & Greet bookings) prior to your arrival time at the relevant Airport.

All Car Park bookings are subject to availability and the Airport reserves the right to withdraw availability at its entire discretion for a given date.

You may amend your vehicle details on your booking up to 24 hours before your car parking commences. To amend your vehicle details on your carpark booking online, please re-visit the website you used to book and follow the online instructions or click the links below.

Stansted Airport parking cancellations

JetParks parking amendments

If you booked with one of our sales agents please get in touch with them directly.

You will be charged for the additional days in which you stay in the car park, based on the overstay rate applicable to the car park and Airport.

Please be aware that if you have booked Meet & Greet parking and know in advance that you will be delayed, need to stay longer than expected or need to collect your car earlier than expected, please contact the Meet & Greet operation to inform them of your late/early return as soon as possible.

The Meet & Greet Operation contact details can be found on the booking receipt given to you by your Meet & Greet Receptionist when you drop off your keys.

For further details of these Overstay charges please refer to the terms and conditions on your booking confirmation or to ‘Section 6. Car Park Conditions of Use’ in the car parking terms and conditions on the Airport website.

Please note overstay charges are only applicable if you leave the car park 6 hours after the departure date and time entered at time of booking.

Car Parks

All our car parks are on site and are managed locally by the Airport.

However, the price can vary dependent on availability, car parking facilities and distance to the terminals. View information on all our car parks at a glance to decide which one is most suitable to your needs.

All our Airport car parks have a tarmac surface, with the exception of our Jet Parks car parks that have a gravel surface. However, please note that all our car parks have the Park Mark® Accreditation.

A height restriction of 2.0 metres (6 ft. 6 inches) applies to all Meet & Greet car parks and all multi-storey car parks across all the Airport sites.

Trailers are not permitted in any of our parking facilities.

The Airport car parks have been awarded Park Mark® Accreditation.

This means you're visiting a safer parking area that has been vetted by the British Parking Association (BPA) and has measures in place in order to create a safer environment for both you and your vehicle.

Yes, the coordinates stated on your email booking confirmation will direct you to the car park entrance. Please enter your chosen car park coordinates carefully into your Sat Nav.

There is no minimum stay duration for our Meet & Greet, Meet & Greet Plus or Short Stay car parks. However, the following car parks have the following minimum stay criteria:

  • Mid Stay

    From 3 days

  • Long Stay

    From 5 days

  • JetParks

    From 7 days

Please note, these stay durations are subject to change due to car park availability.

The maximum stay in the majority of our car parks is 60 days. Longer stays can be requested by contacting our contact centre.

Our Short Stay car parks have limited capacity and unfortunately cannot serve all demand over peak periods, therefore they may only be available for shorter stay durations.

ANPR Technology

Please allow 30 seconds for the ANPR to recognise your vehicle. If your vehicle has not been recognised by our automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, please do not take a token but instead press the intercom assistance button on the entry column, a member of staff will then assist you. Taking a token will disable the ANPR system in relation to your booking, resulting in issues arising when you exit the car park and you may be double charged.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition is used for pre-book customers only.

If you have pre-booked your parking, drive up to the barrier, once the ANPR cameras have recognised your vehicle registration the barrier will raise so you may enter the car park. Please allow 30 seconds for the ANPR to recognise your vehicle.

If for any reason the ANPR cameras do not recognise your vehicle registration plate (if the vehicle plate is obscured by dirt/snow etc.), the barrier will not lift. In this instance, please do not take a token but instead press the intercom assistance button on the entry column, a member of staff will then assist you. Taking a token will disable the ANPR system in relation to your booking, resulting in issues arising when you exit the car park and you may be double charged.

Payment

All you need is your booking confirmation e-mail. This should be a printed hard copy to ensure you can scan the code at all our car park barriers.

The booking confirmation will help direct you to the correct car park and also states your booking reference number so you have it to hand, should you need to speak to a member of staff.

To protect your privacy and security, our website uses SSL encryption software, which is the industry standard. It encrypts your personal information so that it cannot be read.

You will know you are in the secure area of our site when the website address is preceded by “https://” and a padlock symbol appears in the frame of your browser.

You can pay online via our payment portal, or by phone: 0345 017 5046

Payments cannot be made using cash or cheque. Additionally, no payment for our Express Set Down area can be made upon exiting, as there are no payment barriers in this area. If payment is not received by midnight the following day, a £100.00 Parking Charge Notice will be issued, which will be reduced to £60.00 if paid within 14 days.

Airport parking process

All you need is your booking confirmation e-mail. This should be a printed hard copy to ensure you can scan the code at all our car park barriers.

The booking confirmation will help direct you to the correct car park and also states your booking reference number so you have it to hand, should you need to speak to a member of staff.

Approach the barrier, where your vehicle registration will be scanned by our ANPR cameras and verified against your booking details. The barrier should then open automatically. Please be patient, as this process may take up to 30 seconds to happen.

If the registration is not recognised, please have your booking reference to hand, please do not take a ticket but instead press the intercom assistance button on the entry column, a member of staff will then assist you.

Taking a ticket will disable the ANPR system in relation to your booking, resulting in issues arising when you exit the car park and you may be double charged.

Approach the barrier, where your vehicle registration will be scanned by our ANPR cameras and verify this against your booking details and the barrier should then open automatically. Please be patient, as this process may take up to 30 seconds to happen.

If the registration is not recognised, please have your booking reference to hand, please do not take a ticket but instead press the intercom assistance button on the entry column, a member of staff will then assist you.

Taking a ticket will disable the ANPR system in relation to your booking, resulting in issues arising when you exit the car park and you may be double charged.

Terminals 1, 2 & 3:

If you have pre-booked Meet & Greet parking, approach the entry barrier and your name will appear on the screen in front of you. Parking instructions will be provided on the screen and the barrier will lift to grant you access.

Please remember to hand your keys into the office or use our self-service kiosks.

Please also have your return flight details available, as the Meet & Greet operative will make a note of these to ensure your vehicle is ready upon your return.

When you return, the Meet & Greet operatives will direct you to your car and advise of the exit procedure.

Blue badge parking

Please be aware, under no circumstances can we reserve a space for blue badge holders.

For security reasons the Blue Badge scheme does not operate on the London Stansted Airport road system. Unattended vehicles will be towed away by the police and a fine must be paid in order to retrieve such vehicles.

However, Blue Badge parking bays are available in each of the following car parks: Short Stay Car Park, Long Stay Car Park, Mid Stay Car Park and Express Set Down.

Jet Parks Customers (Pre-Booked Only): please ensure that at time of booking you make your requirements known and you will be upgraded automatically into Long Stay.

Additional details in regards to Blue Badge parking at the Airport can be found via the following links:

Blue Badge parking

Parking availability and price

Lack of car park availability could be due to:

  • The car park being fully booked for all or part of your stay;

  • Because the booking conditions for the car parking product have not been met; or

  • Because you are trying to book for less than the minimum stay.

Try adjusting your selection or choose another car park. For Meet & Greet bookings, please check to ensure that you have entered the correct arrival time.

If you are still experiencing problems, please contact our Customer Contact Centre, on the following free phone numbers, who can advise on a suitable alternative car park:

Car parks are priced per calendar day or part thereof. Prices are subject to change and quotes are valid at the time of booking only. The number of days charged is calculated on the basis of the dates and times you select at time of booking.

For example if you are travelling on a Monday and returning the following Monday you will be charged for 8 days.

All prices shown are in GBP and include VAT at 20%.

Car parking charges will also vary according to:

  • The time of year;

  • Location of car park in relation to the terminal; and

  • How far you book in advance.

London Stansted Airport parking costs depend on the length of your stay and the type of car park you want to book. Budget parking can be found in our Long Stay car park, just a short bus ride from the terminal, for £59.99 for an 8 day stay in February 2025. Alternatively, Short Stay parking for an 8 day stay costs £58.99.

Whatever type of parking you’re looking for, we recommend that you book in advance to get the best London Stansted Airport car park prices.

Drop off and pick up

We have a number of options available when picking up or dropping off at the airport, allowing you to choose what works best for you.

  • The Express Set Down is for dropping-off friends or loved ones;

  • If you are looking to pick-up or head in to the terminal then you should use either our Short Stay car parks (Orange zone); or park for free for up to 1 hour in our Mid Stay car park.

Please note that turn-up car parking tariff charges will apply to the Express Set Down Drop Off and Short Stay Orange car park.

You can pay online via our payment portal, or by phone: 0345 017 5046

Payments cannot be made using cash or cheque. Additionally, no payment for our Express Set Down area can be made upon exiting, as there are no payment barriers in this area. If payment is not received by midnight the following day, a £100.00 Parking Charge Notice will be issued, which will be reduced to £60.00 if paid within 14 days.

Barrierless

The switch to a barrierless Express Set Down is designed to streamline the drop-off and pick-up process, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow. By removing the barriers, drivers can pass through more smoothly, without stopping at barriers, which minimises wait times and eases vehicle flow.

You can pay online via our payment portal, or by phone: 0345 017 5046

Payments cannot be made using cash or cheque. Additionally, no payment for our Express Set Down area can be made upon exiting, as there are no payment barriers in this area. If payment is not received by midnight the following day, a £100.00 Parking Charge Notice will be issued, which will be reduced to £60.00 if paid within 14 days.

Payment must be made by midnight the day after you visited to ensure a Parking Charge Notice is not sent to the registered vehicle holder.

No, payment can only be made after you have visited the Express Set Down area. To avoid a parking charge, payment must be made by midnight the day after your visit. Alternatively, you can create an autopay account and add a payment card to enable automatic payments for each of your journeys. You can create an account by visiting our payment portal.

You can set up an account and add your vehicle registration and payment card, which will automatically take payment after each journey through the Express Set Down area. No pre-payments can be made before your visit to this area. To create an account please visit our payment portal.

If you have any problems or concerns about your payment for visiting the Express Set Down area, please contact APCOA via one of the following options:

• Customer Services webchat: Live chat with an agent here

• Customer Services phone number: 0345 017 5046

Non-payment will result in a £100 Parking Charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. f you wish to appeal a Parking Charge Notice you have received, please visit the APCOA website.

I have received a Parking Charge for going through the Express Set Down, but I had pre-booked parking, can I appeal this charge?

If you wish to appeal a Parking Charge Notice you have received, please visit the APCOA website.

Due to the high volume of applications the team are receiving our response time is currently 10 working days. We're processing applications as quickly as possible. Please allow the full 10 days for any new applications. If you have any concerns or further questions, or your application has taken longer than 10 working days, you can contact us by emailing DD_carparking@stanstedairport.com.

We appreciate your understanding.

What time of day is the Express Set Down charge enforced?

The charge for using the Express Set Down applies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Do you provide a free pick-up and drop off option?

We have a free pick up or drop off option at our Mid Stay car park. This car park is free for up to 60 minutes.

I am travelling via taxi; do I have to pay for the Express Set Down charge?

It is the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle to ensure they have paid the Express Set Down charge.

Are Blue Badge holders exempt from charges in the Express Set Down area?

No blue badge holders are not exempt, all vehicles that use the Express Set Down area must ensure they have paid for their visit. However, if you require longer than the 15-minute period, please speak to one of our traffic marshallers who will be able to provide further guidance.

I have an electric vehicle do I have to pay the Express Set Down charge?

Yes, the Express Set Down charge still applies. There is no exemption for Electric Vehicles.

I have pre-booked Valet do I need to pay for entering the Express Set Down area?

If you have a pre-booking for our VIP Valet car parking product you do not need to pay for entering the Express Set Down area, when using this service your vehicle will be exempt.

If I use the Express Set Down more than once in one day, do I have to pay for every visit?

Yes, every time you use the Express Set Down area payment must be made for each visit and non-payment will result in a £100 Parking Charge which must be paid within 14 days, terms and conditions will apply.

How will I know that payment for the Express Set Down has been processed?

Payment will show within 24 hours of the online payment being made.

I have received a Parking Charge for going through the Express Set Down, but I had pre-booked parking, can I appeal this charge?

If you wish to appeal a Parking Charge Notice you have received, please visit the APCOA website.

Why does payment need to be made by midnight the following day?

The payment timescale is set to midnight the following day to provide customers with ample time to complete their payment conveniently after using the Express Set Down area. This flexible timescale ensures that passengers can make payments at a time that suits them. To make the process even easier, customers can register for AutoPay. By doing so, payments are automatically deducted after each visit, eliminating the need to remember to pay manually and ensuring a seamless experience

General car park

If you can’t see the answer to your question above, or for any other general enquires please call our Customer Contact Centre on the following free phone numbers:

London Stansted Airport queries

0808 169 7031

Our team are ready to help with your booking between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, closed on Bank Holidays

For third party bookings, passengers should refer to their initial provider.

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