Full list of UK's most expensive airport parking - with one costing as much as a holiday

As thousands of Brits prepare to jet off this summer, new research reveals which airports charge the most.

By Cally Brooks, News Reporter

06:00, Sat, Apr 20, 2024

Person waiting for a shuttle bus in an airport long stay car park

Gatwick Airport costs an average of £257 for the week, putting it in first place (Image: Getty)

As millions of Brits prepare to jet off on holidays this summer, people are in for a shock as airport parking costs have risen by up to 260 percent.

New research conducted by Spin Casino analysed data from 300 of the most popular airports in the world, ranking them on which have the most expensive weekly parking rates.

When compared to the other UK airports on the list, residents flying from Gatwick Airport are spending 34.75 percent of their weekly salary for one week’s parking at the airport costing £257 - more than it would cost to fly to a number of European destinations including Barcelona (£136), Tenerife (£154) and Rome (£78).

It was followed by London City Airport, where residents are spending 23.12 percent of their weekly salary for one week’s parking at the airport. Belfast City, Bristol, and Heathrow also all made it into the top 10.

The average parking costs at London City Airport comes in at £171, while Belfast City Airport comes in third at £170.

Runway extension on London City Airport

London City Airport costs around £171, putting it in second place (Image: Getty)

Bristol Airport costs around £149, while Heathrow Airport takes fifth place at £123.70.

Commenting on the research, a spokesperson at Spin Casino said: "If you’re planning to travel by plane, the expenses can quickly add up, and with reports that parking is becoming more expensive than the flights themselves in some cases, it’s natural that the cost of parking might influence where you decide to fly from, or whether you decide to park at the airport rather than using public transport methods.

"Our research looked at the cost of airport parking at some of the most popular airports, in a wide variety of countries around the world. We took into account the average weekly salary in each country, to determine how affordable the parking will be for residents, proportional to their earnings. We used this to calculate an affordability score for each airport, to make the cost of parking at these airports comparable between countries with varying average incomes.

"Princess Juliana International Airport, which is located on the Caribbean island St Martin, is 2024’s most expensive airport for parking worldwide, but in the UK, Gatwick Airport took the top spot, followed by London City, Belfast City, and Bristol. In the research, we looked at parking options within a ten minute walking distance of the airport, which are uncommon at Gatwick, with most of the options requiring a shuttle bus transfer. This may explain why the costs were higher."

Belfast City Airport