Airparks Park & Ride Gatwick Airport

These two have more in common than the names suggest. APH says Airparks and APH Gatwick have teamed up to offer Airparks Park & Ride, and it runs from the same car park as APH Park & Ride. With both, you check in at reception, hand over your keys and staff park the car. Shuttles run to North Terminal and South Terminal every 10 to 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the rules match: a 2.4m height limit, no trailers, and no bikes, surfboards or windsurf boards on the bus, although skis and snowboards are fine.

The main difference is the booking terms. Airparks Park & Ride is Flexible, so you can amend or cancel at no charge up to 24 hours before your departure date, and APH’s terms count those 24 hours back from 00:01 on your first booked day, whatever time you arrive. APH Park & Ride is Super-Flex: you can amend or cancel free of charge right up to your booked arrival time at the car park.

Verdict: As you’re parking at the same site either way, this one comes down to price and how settled your plans are. If APH Park & Ride costs the same or less for your dates, it’s probably an easy call, thanks to its Super-Flex terms. If Airparks Park & Ride is cheaper and your dates won’t move, it makes sense to take the saving.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows APH Park & Ride was £54.92 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So APH Park & Ride is the same price as Airparks Park & Ride.

Airparks Park & Ride and APH Gatwick Self Park both run from APH’s car park, so the journey to the airport looks the same: a free shuttle every 10 to 15 minutes, day and night, taking about 10 to 12 minutes to North Terminal or South Terminal. Both have a 2.4m height limit, and neither lets you bring a trailer.

The main difference is your keys. At Airparks Park & Ride, you hand them in at reception and staff park the car, then tell you where it is when you pick the keys up on your way home. At APH Gatwick Self Park, a member of staff shows you to a space, you park the car yourself and keep your keys, and APH says it stays exactly where you leave it. To get out, you collect a barrier exit code at reception.

A ghost immobiliser makes the choice for you. Airparks Park & Ride’s staff can’t move a car fitted with one, so you may end up switching to a Self Park booking on arrival, at an extra £20. The terms differ as well: APH Gatwick Self Park is Super-Flex, so you can amend or cancel free of charge right up to your arrival time, while Airparks Park & Ride’s Flexible terms stop 24 hours before your departure date.

Verdict: If you’d rather hang on to your keys, your car has a ghost immobiliser or your plans could change at the last minute, APH Gatwick Self Park is probably the one to book. If none of that applies, Airparks Park & Ride does the parking for you, so let the price difference for your dates decide.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows APH Gatwick Self Park was £59.92 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So APH Gatwick Self Park is £5.00 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

Both run from APH’s car park, where you check in at reception and leave your keys. The shuttles match too, running every 10 to 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and taking about 10 to 12 minutes to either terminal, and APH lists fully insured drivers for each.

The main difference is charging. At APH Park and Ride with EV charging, a trained, insured valet driver charges your car and then moves it to a secure bay, so you’re not hanging around while it charges. When you get back, you collect your keys at reception and the car is charged and ready. You’ll need to bring your own cable, arrive with at least 5% battery and hand over a physical key, as a phone key can’t be used for charging.

If you’ve a long drive to Gatwick in an electric car, that saves hunting for a charger near the airport before your flight, or after it, when all you want is to get home.

Verdict: If you don’t drive an electric car, or you’re happy to charge at home, Airparks Park & Ride probably makes more sense. If you do, and APH Park and Ride with EV charging is cheaper for your dates, it’s probably an easy call. Where it costs more, it comes down to how much a charged car waiting for you is worth - it’s a judgement call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows APH Park and Ride with EV charging was £104.91 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So APH Park and Ride with EV charging is £49.99 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

Both are park and rides serving North Terminal and South Terminal, where you hand your keys in at reception and staff park the car. Both are booked on Flexible terms, so changes and cancellations are free up to 24 hours before your departure date, and APH says the drivers are fully insured at both.

The main difference is getting to and from the terminal. Airparks Park & Ride’s free shuttle runs every 10 to 15 minutes and takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Cophall Parking, in Copthorne, uses eight-seater minibuses and asks you to allow 30 minutes from check-in to arriving at Gatwick. Coming home, you catch Airparks Park & Ride’s bus from its stop outside the terminal, whereas Cophall Parking sends a minibus to where you were dropped off once you ring the free number on your key receipt. Most of those pick-ups take just a few minutes, according to Cophall Parking.

What you’re travelling with can tip it. Airparks Park & Ride’s shuttle can’t take bikes, surfboards or windsurf boards, while Cophall Parking can carry bikes, surfboards and golf clubs on request. If someone in your party uses a wheelchair, though, Airparks Park & Ride’s buses are wheelchair accessible, whereas Cophall Parking’s minibus can carry a wheelchair but passengers need to be able to step up into it, with mobile steps on hand.

Verdict: Bringing a bike or a surfboard? Cophall Parking is probably the better fit. Travelling with a wheelchair user? Airparks Park & Ride’s accessible buses probably make the day easier. Otherwise there’s little to separate them, so go with whichever is cheaper for your dates - you won’t go far wrong with either.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows Cophall Parking was £48.96 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So Cophall Parking is £5.96 cheaper than Airparks Park & Ride.

Cophall Parking Super Saver is the same Copthorne car park as Cophall Parking, sold at a Non-Flex rate. Like Airparks Park & Ride, it’s a park and ride for North Terminal and South Terminal, where you leave your keys at reception and staff do the parking.

The main difference is what happens if your plans change. As a Flexible booking, Airparks Park & Ride lets you amend or cancel without charge until 24 hours before your departure date. Cophall Parking Super Saver is Non-Flex: once it’s booked, you can’t amend or cancel it.

The two car parks are in different places, too. Cophall Parking Super Saver is on Effingham Road in Copthorne, by The Curious Pig pub, off junction 10 of the M23, and its transfers use eight-seater minibuses. Airparks Park & Ride’s shuttle runs every 10 to 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and takes about 10 to 12 minutes.

Verdict: If your dates are fixed and Cophall Parking Super Saver is the cheaper of the two, taking the saving probably makes sense. If there’s any chance your trip could move, Airparks Park & Ride’s Flexible terms may be worth paying a bit more for, and where it’s cheaper anyway, it’s probably an easy call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows Cophall Parking Super Saver was £45.94 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So Cophall Parking Super Saver is £8.98 cheaper than Airparks Park & Ride.

With both, your keys go to staff who park the car for you, and both serve North Terminal and South Terminal. Both are Flexible, with free changes or cancellation up to 24 hours before your departure date, and both have fully insured drivers.

The main difference is where you leave the car. With Sure Parking Meet & Greet, you take a ticket at the barrier of the Short Stay car park at your terminal and meet a driver in an orange high-vis jacket in the Approved Operators area: Orange Car Park 3, Level 1 at South Terminal, or the ground floor of Car Park 5 at North Terminal. The meeting points are under cover, the terminal is about a 2-minute walk away, and the company behind it, Sure Parking, is on Gatwick Airport’s own list of Approved Operators. With Airparks Park & Ride, you drive to the car park, check in and wait for the shuttle.

Height is the catch. The Short Stay car parks where Sure Parking Meet & Greet meets you have limits of 1.8m at North Terminal and 2m at South Terminal, and it doesn’t take minibuses, long wheelbase vans or motorhomes. Airparks Park & Ride’s limit is 2.4m.

Verdict: Driving something taller than 1.8m to North Terminal, or 2m to South? Airparks Park & Ride is probably the safer choice. Otherwise, if Sure Parking Meet & Greet is cheaper for your dates, it’s probably an easy call, and if it costs more, you’re weighing the price difference against a short walk instead of a bus ride.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows Sure Parking Meet & Greet was £68.99 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So Sure Parking Meet & Greet is £14.07 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

With both, you hand over your keys and the car is kept at a secure site with CCTV, barrier-controlled entry and exit and staff on site around the clock. Both serve North Terminal and South Terminal, both want a car that fits a standard parking bay, and neither takes trailers.

The main difference is the handover. Bubble Meet & Greet meets you in your terminal’s Short Stay car park: at North Terminal, you keep left, take a ticket and head for the meet and greet bays near the exit on the ground floor of Car Park 5, and at South Terminal, you take a ticket and go up to Level 1 of Car Park 3. You ring about 10 minutes before you arrive, and from there it’s about a 2-minute walk into the terminal. With Airparks Park & Ride, you drive to the car park and take a shuttle of about 10 to 12 minutes.

Bulky kit is a point in Bubble Meet & Greet’s favour. Airparks Park & Ride’s shuttle can’t take bikes, surfboards or windsurf boards, but with Bubble Meet & Greet there’s no shuttle at all, so they simply come with you on the short walk to the terminal.

Verdict: If Bubble Meet & Greet is cheaper for your dates, handing the car over a short walk from check-in is probably an easy call. If Airparks Park & Ride saves you a fair amount and the shuttle doesn’t bother you, the saving is probably worth having - it’s a judgement call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows Bubble Meet & Greet was £73.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So Bubble Meet & Greet is £18.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

Both serve North Terminal and South Terminal, and with both, you hand your keys to staff who park the car for you. Both are Flexible, so you can amend or cancel free of charge until 24 hours before your departure date.

The main difference is where the handover happens. ACE Meet & Greet takes the car at the airport: at South Terminal, you take a ticket at the Short Stay barrier, which you aren’t charged for, park in row D or E on Level 1 of the Orange Car Park and hand your keys and the ticket to the uniformed staff. At North Terminal, the handover is in a hotel car park near the terminal. Either way, check-in is a short walk, about 2 minutes according to APH. With Airparks Park & Ride, you drive to the car park, check in at reception and take the shuttle.

Handing your keys over in a car park can feel uncomfortable, but ACE Meet & Greet’s staff do a walkaround check and photograph the car at the handover, and the company says its drivers are uniformed, fully insured and DBS-checked. One thing to know: for insurance reasons, ACE Meet & Greet can’t take an Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati or Rolls-Royce.

Verdict: Driving one of those? ACE Meet & Greet is off the table. Otherwise, if ACE Meet & Greet is the cheaper of the two for your dates, skipping the shuttle is probably an easy call, and if it costs more, it’s down to whether a handover close to the terminal is worth the price difference to you.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows ACE Meet & Greet was £75.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So ACE Meet & Greet is £20.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

Both take your keys and park the car for you, and both cover North Terminal and South Terminal on Flexible terms, so you can change or cancel at no cost up to 24 hours before your departure date.

The main difference is the forecourt. With I Love Meet & Greet, you follow the Passenger Drop Off signs, keep to the right-hand lane and drive to the far end, where a uniformed driver meets you in the Approved Operator bays at North Terminal, or the Approved Operator lane at South Terminal. You call about 10 minutes before you get there, and it’s then about a 2-minute walk to check-in. Airparks Park & Ride means a drive to the car park, checking in at reception and a shuttle of about 10 to 12 minutes.

If giving your keys to a driver at the kerb feels like a leap of faith, I Love Meet & Greet says its insurer requires its drivers to have held a licence for three years with no criminal convictions, and their licences are checked every six months. Your booking is also logged on the driver’s handheld device at the handover and every time the car is moved.

Both have rules for cars with unusual keys or security. I Love Meet & Greet’s drivers need a key of some form to start the car, so if yours runs from an app and you don’t bring one, it’s £15 a day. At Airparks Park & Ride, staff can’t move a car with a ghost immobiliser, which may mean switching to a Self Park booking for an extra £20 on arrival.

Verdict: If you’re juggling children, heavy cases or limited mobility, the forecourt handover is probably worth paying a little more for. If Airparks Park & Ride is noticeably cheaper and you don’t mind the bus, the saving probably wins, and if I Love Meet & Greet is the cheaper of the two, it’s probably an easy call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows I Love Meet & Greet was £69.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So I Love Meet & Greet is £14.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

APH is involved in both, in different ways. Airparks Park & Ride is a tie-up between Airparks and APH Gatwick, while APH Meet & Greet Forecourt is sold by APH and run on its behalf by I Love Meet & Greet. With both, you hand over your keys, and both serve North Terminal and South Terminal.

The main difference is the handover. With APH Meet & Greet Forecourt, a uniformed I Love Meet & Greet driver meets you on the terminal forecourt, at the far end of the Passenger Drop Off, and at North Terminal you use the lane closest to the Sofitel and Premier Inn. From there it’s about a 2-minute walk into the terminal, and Gatwick’s forecourt charges are included. When you land, you phone as you collect your luggage and walk out to the forecourt, where the car is waiting. With Airparks Park & Ride, you drive to the car park and rely on a shuttle that runs every 10 to 15 minutes.

APH Meet & Greet Forecourt has one rule to get right: you must give the correct registration before you arrive, as APH says a wrong or missing one results in a £20 PCN.

Verdict: If you want to pull up at the terminal and walk straight in, APH Meet & Greet Forecourt is the more convenient of the two, and where it’s cheaper for your dates, it’s probably an easy call. If Airparks Park & Ride saves you enough to make the shuttle worthwhile, go with it - it’s a judgement call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows APH Meet & Greet Forecourt (North & South) was £80.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So APH Meet & Greet Forecourt (North & South) is £25.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

APH has a hand in both. Airparks Park & Ride is a tie-up between Airparks and APH Gatwick, while APH Meet & Greet South Terminal Only is run by APH itself, with its own chauffeurs. With both, you hand over your keys and someone else parks the car, and both are Flexible, so you can amend or cancel at no charge up to 24 hours before your departure date.

The main difference is that APH Meet & Greet South Terminal Only does what its name says: it serves South Terminal only, so it’s no use if you’re flying from North. You phone APH about 30 minutes before you get there, keep to the right-hand lane into the South Terminal Short Stay car park and take a ticket at the barrier, which has nothing to pay. A chauffeur meets you in the Approved Operators area on Level 1 of Orange Car Park 3, and from there it’s about a 2-minute covered walk to the terminal. With Airparks Park & Ride, you drive to APH’s car park on Copthorne Road, check in at reception and catch a shuttle of about 10 to 12 minutes to either terminal.

Coming home is quicker with the meet and greet, too. You phone APH, walk back to the Short Stay car park and a chauffeur meets you there with the car ready to go. With Airparks Park & Ride, you wait at the car park’s bus stop outside the terminal, ride back and collect your keys at reception.

The upside to Airparks Park & Ride is that, as a park and ride, it usually costs less than having a chauffeur meet you at the terminal.

Verdict: Flying from North Terminal? Then Airparks Park & Ride is the one of these two that works. Flying from South, where APH Meet & Greet South Terminal Only is cheaper for your dates, it’s probably an easy call. If Airparks Park & Ride is noticeably cheaper and you don’t mind the shuttle, the saving is probably worth having - it’s a judgement call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows APH Meet & Greet South Terminal Only was £84.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So APH Meet & Greet South Terminal Only is £29.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

With both, you hand over your keys and APH is behind the operation: APH Meet & Greet North Terminal is run by APH’s own drivers, and Airparks Park & Ride runs from APH’s car park on Copthorne Road. Both are Flexible, with free changes or cancellation until 24 hours before your departure date, and both run around the clock.

The main difference is the terminal and the handover. APH Meet & Greet North Terminal serves North Terminal only. You phone APH about 30 minutes ahead, keep to the left-hand lane as you enter North Terminal, take a ticket at the Short Stay car park barrier and meet your driver in the area signed Approved Operators. You’re given a return ticket, and it’s a 1 to 2-minute walk to the terminal, under cover all the way. Airparks Park & Ride serves both terminals, with a shuttle every 10 to 15 minutes.

Two things to get right with APH Meet & Greet North Terminal. Don’t stop in the Passenger Drop-Off area outside the Premier Inn: it isn’t part of the service and charges £7 per 10 minutes. And its height limit is 1.8 metres, so a taller vehicle can’t be accepted, whereas Airparks Park & Ride takes vehicles up to 2.4 metres.

Verdict: Driving something over 1.8 metres, or flying from South Terminal? Airparks Park & Ride is probably the one. Otherwise, where APH Meet & Greet North Terminal is cheaper for your dates, it’s probably an easy call, and where it costs more, you’re weighing the price difference against a short covered walk instead of the shuttle.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows APH Meet & Greet North Terminal was £84.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So APH Meet & Greet North Terminal is £29.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.

These two are very different ways to park at Gatwick, but the basics overlap: with both, you hand over your keys and someone else parks the car, and both cover North Terminal and South Terminal.

The main difference is the level of service. I Love Meet & Greet With Valet is run by I Love Meet & Greet, the same company as its standard meet and greet, and sold by APH. A uniformed driver meets you in the Approved Operator bay or lane at the far end of the Passenger Drop Off, it’s about a 2-minute walk to the terminal, and any cleaning is done by I Love Meet & Greet itself while the car is in its care. With Airparks Park & Ride, you park up at the car park, check in at reception and take the shuttle.

Worried about your keys? I Love Meet & Greet says it keeps them in locked, alarmed key cupboards at its car park, and leaves any extra keys on your ring securely in the car.

The upside to Airparks Park & Ride is that it’s a straightforward park and ride, which usually costs less than a meet and greet with a valet.

Verdict: If a forecourt handover and the valet service feel worth the price difference, I Love Meet & Greet With Valet is the comfortable choice. If you just need the car looked after while you’re away, Airparks Park & Ride probably does the job, and if I Love Meet & Greet With Valet is ever the cheaper of the two for your dates, it’s probably an easy call.

Our current price snapshot (a 7-day stay, from 9th Nov to 16th Nov 2026) shows I Love Meet & Greet With Valet was £89.00 whilst Airparks Park & Ride was £54.92. So I Love Meet & Greet With Valet is £34.08 more expensive than Airparks Park & Ride.