London Heathrow Airport Parking

Airport Parking > London > Heathrow (LHR)

Airport Parking at Heathrow Airport

Any regular traveller on the Heathrow Express will no doubt be familiar with the rows and rows of car parks which line the tracks between West Drayton and Southall. Whilst it is certainly worth shopping around for a good deal on Heathrow airport parking, the options generally boil down to expensive multi-storey car parks on the airport site or inconvenient, but cheaper, off-airport parking. The multi-storey car parks next to terminal buildings are able to charge huge premiums because of a shortage of space at the Heathrow site, especially within the central area, which includes terminals 1,2 and 3. Compared to other London airports, Heathrow has a much greater volume of long-haul passengers, putting further pressure on the central area car parks, because families tend to spend much more time in the airport seeing off, or greeting, their loved ones. There are numerous hotels offering parking deals, although there are no hotels within the central terminal complex. Most Heathrow airport hotels are situated around the access road between the M4 and the northern perimeter of the airport. If you're using Heathrow terminal four, then the Hilton hotel is by far the most convenient option, as it is the only hotel with direct access to the terminal. There is a covered walk away from the Hilton to terminal 4, but you can expect to pay heavily for the convenience, especially during peak periods!

Can I leave my car at home, or am I better off parking it at Heathrow airport?

Heathrow airport is well served by train or Underground from central London, but getting there from the west is much more cumbersome. Many passengers take advantage of the Railair link coaches from stations such as Reading, Woking and Watford Junction, but this is still a relatively inconvenient and expensive option. National Express coaches provide services to and from Heathrow airport from numerous parts of the UK.

Bottlenecks to watch out for near Heathrow airport

Despite ongoing widening projects, the M25 and M4 are subject to heavy congestion, especially during the peak rush hour. Bear in mind that Heathrow itself is a significant generator of traffic throughout west London, so the rush hour can often start very early in the morning, as people are travelling to the airport for the first wave of departures, or leaving the airport having arrived on overnight flights.