Check the height restriction and vehicle length limit before you book — multi-storey car parks typically have height barriers, and some operators cap vehicle size or refuse vans entirely.
This is one of the few airport parking problems that cannot be solved at the barrier. If the vehicle does not fit, it does not fit.
What is the usual height restriction?
Multi-storey car parks commonly restrict to around two metres. That is enough for most cars but not for a roof box on a tall estate, a van, or many people carriers.
Open-air long stay and off-airport sites generally have no height restriction, which is why they are the practical answer for anything unusually tall.
Does a roof box actually matter?
Yes, and it is the most common version of this problem. A roof box adds enough height to take an ordinary family car past a two-metre barrier.
Two options: book an open-air car park, or remove the box before you travel. If you are flying out with the box empty, leaving it at home is the simpler answer.
Nobody measures their car before booking parking. It is worth doing once, with the box on, and writing the number down.
What about vans and larger vehicles?
Policies vary and some operators refuse vans outright. Others accept them at a surcharge, and a few charge for two bays.
Ring rather than assuming. A booking made online for a "car" that arrives as a Transit is a conversation you do not want at five in the morning.
What should I check before booking?
Height restriction, measured with a roof box or bars fitted
Length and width limits, which matter for long-wheelbase vehicles
Whether a surcharge applies for larger vehicles
Whether meet and greet accepts the vehicle — some operators cap what their drivers will move
Whether towing a trailer or caravan is permitted, which is usually a separate policy
Which car parks suit large vehicles?
Open-air long stay and off-airport sites, in most cases. They have no height barriers and generally more room to manoeuvre.
Compare what is available at Manchester, East Midlands, Luton or your own airport, and confirm the vehicle policy with the operator before paying.
Does meet and greet work with a large car?
Often, but check first. The driver has to be comfortable moving the vehicle, and some operators restrict what they will accept — particularly vans, high-value cars and anything with a non-standard gearbox.
Mention the vehicle at the point of booking rather than on arrival.
Practical points on the day
Allow extra time — larger vehicles take longer to place in a standard bay
Park considerately, since a wide vehicle across a line causes problems for the car beside it
Photograph the roof box and its fixings along with the rest of the car
Check the box is locked, and take the key with you
