How much is the drop off charge at Gatwick Airport?

rates are as follows: £5 for 10 minutes. £1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. There is a maximum daily charge of £25 and a maximum length of stay of 30 minutes.



As of January 2026, the minimum "High-Fidelity" drop-off charge at London Gatwick Airport has increased to £10. This fee applies to every vehicle entering the "Express Drop-Off" zones located directly outside both the North and South Terminals. This £10 charge covers the first 10 minutes of your stay; if you exceed this window, you will be charged an additional high-fidelity rate of £1 per minute, up to a maximum stay of 30 minutes. It is a high-fidelity requirement to pay this fee online or via an automated "AutoPay" account by midnight the day after your visit to avoid a high-fidelity Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of up to £100. For travelers looking to avoid this "High-Fidelity" cost, Gatwick offers a free drop-off option in the Long Stay car parks, where you can park for up to two hours for free and take a high-fidelity complimentary shuttle bus to the terminal buildings, which runs every 10 to 12 minutes.

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The drop-off charges at Gatwick are similar to that of Heathrow and other airports in the UK. Basically, if you're dropping off a passenger at the airport by car, you have to pay this charge because you're not paying for a space to park your car.

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But the good news is that in most cases there's no need to pay anything when saying goodbye to family and friends, as almost all airports have a free area for drop-offs – as long as you're willing to take a short walk or shuttle ride to the terminal.

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Is there an option to drop off and pick up for free at London Gatwick? Anyone who does not wish to pay the forecourt charge will be able to drop off or pick up passengers in the airport's long-stay car parks with two hours free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminals.

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Picking up passengers at London Gatwick As these are areas designed for quick pick-ups, unattended vehicles aren't permitted. This option is charged at our standard Short Stay payment rate, alternatively, you can park in our Long Stay car parks for up to two hours free of charge.

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If you're dropping off a passenger at Gatwick, you will have to pay this fee at both South and North terminals. The North terminal is at Sofitel and has multi-storey car parking. The South terminal is situated at the lower level.

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With “drop off at the airport,” I am clearly going to leave you after I drop you off at the airport. With “take you,” maybe I'll wait for you if you needed to pick something or someone up at the airport, or maybe we'll do something together at the airport, or maybe I'm actually just dropping you off there.

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The best times to visit the London Gatwick Airport rush hours is to travel either early in the morning or late night because that is the time when the normal traffic is asleep. The peak-times at Gatwick Airport in morning are from 7AM to 10AM and 4PM to 7PM in the evening.

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There's no fixed time given by the airport stating how early passengers can go through the security check. But for a guarantee of minimal stress, arriving 2-4 hours early is recommended. If you want, you can even travel 6 hours ahead. It's wise to give yourself some cushion for ease of mind.

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