- 8 of 10
paid minutes can go on driving in and out of Bristol's drop-off car park at busy times
- 5,000%+
rise in UK searches for "airport drop off charge", past week, on the same week last year
- £8.50
for ten minutes at Bristol, against £7 at Heathrow
The clock starts when a camera in the entry tunnel reads the number plate. In Tick Taxi's timings from thousands of trips, reaching a bay from that camera takes up to five minutes at busy times, usually evenings. Driving back out through the exit barrier, some way from the bays, takes a minute normally and up to three when busy. That can leave two minutes to unload or load, so a pick-up with luggage easily runs into the £10.50 band.
The charge has gone up three years running, from £5 to £8.50, and is now more than Heathrow's £7. Of 12 major UK airports compared by Tick Taxi, only London City, Gatwick and Stansted charge more.
For a week away, parking costs £185 in Bristol Airport's Short Stay car park and £209 in its Multi-Storey, against £96 for Tick Taxi's return fare from central Bristol, drop-off charge included.
“Most people only find out what it costs when they reach the barrier. On a busy evening the drive in and out can take eight of your ten minutes before anyone has lifted a suitcase.”
Drop-off charges at 12 UK airports
| Airport | Charge | A 10-minute stop |
|---|---|---|
| London City | £8 for 5 min, then £1 a minute | £13 |
| Gatwick | £10 for up to 10 min | £10 |
| Stansted | £10 for up to 15 min | £10 |
| Bristol | £8.50 for up to 10 min | £8.50 |
| Edinburgh | £8.50 for up to 10 min | £8.50 |
| Heathrow | £7 a visit, 10 min maximum | £7 |
| Luton | £7 for up to 10 min | £7 |
| Glasgow | £7 for up to 15 min | £7 |
| Birmingham | about £7 for up to 15 min | about £7 |
| Manchester | £6.50 for up to 10 min | £6.50 |
| Liverpool | £6 for up to 10 min | £6 |
| Newcastle | £5 for up to 10 min | £5 |
Each airport's published price for its closest drop-off zone, checked August to October 2026.
The full tables, method and sources: UK airport drop-off charges compared.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Method: timings are Tick Taxi's own, from thousands of trips to Bristol Airport: entry camera to a bay up to five minutes at busy times; bay to exit barrier about one minute normally and up to three at busy times. Drop-off charges are each airport's published price for its closest drop-off zone, checked August to October 2026: London City £8 for 5 minutes then £1 a minute (£13 for ten); Gatwick £10 for 10 minutes; Stansted £10 for 15 minutes; Bristol £8.50 for 10 minutes, £10.50 for 10 to 20; Edinburgh £8.50 for 10 minutes; Heathrow £7 a visit, 10 minutes maximum; Luton £7 for 10 minutes; Glasgow £7 for 15 minutes; Birmingham about £7 for 15 minutes; Manchester £6.50 for 10 minutes; Liverpool £6 for 10 minutes; Newcastle £5 for 10 minutes. Bristol: £5, then £6 in 2024, £7 in 2025, £8.50 from 5 January 2026. Penalty: Bristol Airport's £100 Parking Charge Notice for stopping on its roads. Searches: Google Trends, UK, "airport drop off charge", to 7 October 2026: the past week more than 5,000% up on the same week of 2025 (marked "Breakout" by Google); the past three months up 200% on the same period of 2025; the past 12 months up 70% on the 12 before. Parking: Bristol Airport prices for seven days, October 2026. Taxi: Tick Taxi's fixed fare from central Bristol, £48 each way including the drop-off charge (£39 each way booked online with the 20% discount).
- Tick Taxi is a Bristol taxi and airport transfer firm.
- Full tables and method: https://ticktaxi.co.uk/en/answers/airport-drop-off-charges-uk
