Get London Transfer Ltd is a TfL licensed private hire operator - London private hire operator licence number 11588. getlondontransfer.co.uk and rushxo.com are trading names of Get London Transfer Ltd, and rushxo.co.uk is the UK site of rushxo.com. Every booking made on these websites is operated by Get London Transfer Ltd.
Home › Airport Parking vs Taxi: Christmas Costs Compared
Airport parking or a fixed-fare taxi? What a week away really costs
Long-stay parking, meet-and-greet parking and drop-off charges at London airports compared with a return fixed-fare car, with the hidden costs most people forget.
Parking costs
Long-stay parking at Heathrow or Gatwick for a week over Christmas is typically well over £100 even pre-booked, plus the shuttle bus, plus the drop-off and pick-up charges applied at every London airport forecourt (included in our fares). Meet-and-greet parking costs more again.
Taxi both ways
A fixed-fare car each way, luggage included, flight tracked for the return, no de-icing the car at 5am and no parking charges. For a week or more away, two cars are normally cheaper than parking for most of London and Kent.
Our fares
Shown below from our live rate card, per vehicle one way.
What a fixed-fare car costs
Destination
Heathrow saloon / 8-seater
Gatwick saloon / 8-seater
Stansted saloon / 8-seater
Luton saloon / 8-seater
Central London
£85 / £145
£107 / £167
£121 / £181
£113 / £173
Canary Wharf
£85 / £145
£90 / £150
£104 / £164
£99 / £159
Richmond
£85 / £145
£93 / £153
£114 / £174
£103 / £163
Fixed fares from our live rate card, per vehicle one way, tolls and airport charges included; exact fare confirmed before you pay. Christmas & New Year airport taxis · Book now
Updated October 2026. Operated by Get London Transfer Ltd, TfL private hire operator licence 11588.
Airport drop-off charges (seen 15 Oct 2026)
Dropping someone off by car now costs money at every London airport. With a fixed-fare taxi the driver uses the forecourt and the charge is included.
Heathrow drop-off £7 each time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area Free alternative: Free drop-off at Heathrow Park & Ride car parks (formerly Long Stay) with free bus to terminal · source
Gatwick drop-off £10 for 10 minutes, +£1/min up to 20 min, max £30; pay by midnight next day Free alternative: Drop off, pick up or park free for up to 2 hours in Long Stay car parks with free shuttle · source
Stansted drop-off Express Set Down: 15-minute period; price not shown on the airport page (reported at £10 up to 15 min) Free alternative: Free drop-off area at Mid Stay car park with free shuttle bus to terminal · source
Luton drop-off Drop Off & Pick Up Zone £9 for 12 minutes, then £1/min, 30-min max Free alternative: Long Stay car park: up to 2 hours free, shuttle every ~20 min (approx 10-min ride) · source
London City drop-off £8 per visit for the first 5 min, then £1/min; max stay 10 min Free alternative: None stated on airport pages · source
Southend drop-off Express Pick-up & Drop-off £8 per visit, up to 10 minutes; pay online by midnight next day Free alternative: None stated on airport site · source
Facts as published on the airports’, operators’ and venues’ own sites, seen 15 Oct 2026 – each entry links to its source. Entries marked “2025 dates” are last season’s and will be updated when 2026 dates are announced.
Airport parking prices vs a fixed-fare taxi (2026)
Official car-park prices at each London airport, next to the drop-off charge and what a fixed-fare taxi costs instead. Pre-booked long-stay for a week often costs more than a taxi each way for two people – and you still have the shuttle bus.
Car hire at Gatwick: Car rental desks (Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, Europcar, Sixt) – South Terminal arrivals; vehicles at the car rental centre (book)
Blue Badge: Blue Badge bays in all car parks; Blue Badge holders may use Premium Short Stay at standard rate up to 4h; pre-register plate for free drop-off.
Tunbridge Wells Station car parks (APCOA/Southeastern)
Mount Pleasant Road / station TN1
Premium car park £9.50 per day (£10.00 Tue–Thu); £4.50 evening after 18:00; £38.00 weekly; main 75-space car park season-ticket holders only; Blue Badge free (register)
Up to 2h £2.60; 3h £3.90; 4h £5.20; 5h £6.50; over 5h £13.20 (09:00–15:00); free after 15:00 until 1 Nov 2026, then £1 overnight 16:00–08:00; Blue Badge 3h free (register online)
Rail, coach and car-park details are as published by the operators and airports (seen 15 Oct 2026) and link to their source; our fares are the fixed saloon price shown on the linked route page.