What Is Meet and Greet Airport Parking? (And Is It Worth It?)

Meet and greet is airport parking where you don't park the car yourself. You drive to the terminal, hand your keys to a driver, and walk in to check in. They park the car. When you land, you meet the driver again and get your car back.

That's the whole idea. The rest of this page covers what actually happens, how it compares with park and ride, and when it's worth paying for.

How meet and greet works, step by step

1. Book in advance. You choose your dates and the car park or service, and get a confirmation with the meeting point and instructions.
2. Drive to the meeting point. This is usually at or near the terminal. Your booking confirmation tells you exactly where.
3. Hand over the keys. The driver checks the car with you, usually noting any existing marks, then takes it away to park.
4. Fly. Nothing to do with the car while you're away.
5. Call or message when you land. Follow the instructions in your booking. The driver brings the car back to the same meeting point.

Details differ between operators (where the meeting point is, how much notice they need on your return, what the vehicle check involves), so read your own confirmation rather than assuming.

Meet and greet vs park and ride

• Who parks the car: with meet and greet, a driver. With park and ride, you.
• Getting to the terminal: with meet and greet, you're already there. With park and ride, you take a shuttle bus from the car park.
• Time at the start of the trip: meet and greet is quickest. With park and ride, allow for the bus.
• Time when you land: with meet and greet, you wait for your car to be brought over. With park and ride, you wait for the bus back, then walk to your car.
• Price: meet and greet is generally higher. Park and ride is generally lower.

Park and ride is usually the cheaper option. Meet and greet costs more because you're paying for the driver's time, and what you get for that is convenience.

What does a week cost at eight UK airports?

These are the cheapest prices we found on Parking4Less for a week away: from 09:00 on Saturday 14 November 2026 to 09:30 on Saturday 21 November 2026, searched on 10 October 2026. Each line shows the cheapest park and ride, the cheapest meet and greet, and the difference.

• Gatwick: park and ride £44.99, meet and greet £76.75, difference £31.76.
• Heathrow: park and ride £89.95, meet and greet £129.90, difference £39.95.
• Stansted: park and ride £59.99, meet and greet £71.40, difference £11.41.
• Manchester: park and ride £43.64, meet and greet £82.99, difference £39.35.
• Luton: park and ride £32.29, meet and greet £68.60, difference £36.31.
• Birmingham: park and ride £29.74, meet and greet £68.94, difference £39.20.
• Bristol: park and ride £66.00, meet and greet £165.00, difference £99.00.
• Newcastle: no park and ride found, meet and greet £111.99.

Newcastle has no park and ride in our search for these dates. The cheapest option there where you drive to the terminal and walk was park and stroll, at £71.99.

Prices change with dates, availability and supplier pricing, so use these as a guide and check a quote for your own dates. Where we found both, meet and greet was the dearer option at every airport, but the gap varies a lot: about £11 for the week at Stansted and nearly £40 at Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester. Bristol and Newcastle had only a few options for these dates, so their prices are higher.

When meet and greet is worth it

• You're travelling with young children or lots of luggage. Not having to find a space, unload and wait for a bus is the biggest convenience and also time saving.
• You're arriving late or landing late. No one wants to wait for a bus or coach at 2am in winter when it's dark, cold and often raining in the UK.
• It's a short trip. If you're only away a few days, a smaller price gap can feel more worthwhile.
• You'd rather not drive around a big car park. You can spend 5 to 10 minutes driving around a car park looking for a space, then have to walk to a bus stop with your luggage and wait for the courtesy bus or coach.

When it probably isn't

• You're on a tight budget. Park and ride will usually be cheaper.
• You're away a long time. The price difference adds up over a two-week holiday.
• You'd rather your car stayed in your own sight. Some people simply prefer to park it themselves. That's a fair reason.

Things to check before you book

• Where the meeting point is for your terminal.
• What happens if your flight is delayed. Check what notice the operator needs for your return.
• Whether the car park is secure and what the vehicle check involves.
• What the cancellation terms are.

Booking through Parking4Less

We compare meet and greet and park and ride options at UK airports. If you find exactly the same product, from the same supplier and with the same cancellation terms, cheaper within 24 hours of paying for your booking, we'll refund the difference. Member and loyalty scheme prices are excluded, and the full terms are on our best price guarantee page.

If you'd rather talk it through, you can call us free on 020 3332 0853 and speak to a person.