Car parks are busiest between about four and seven in the morning, and again on summer Saturday mornings. Outside those windows, allow the standard twenty-five minutes; inside them, add ten.
The car park rush is not the same as the terminal rush, and knowing the difference is worth ten minutes of sleep.
Why do car parks have their own peak?
Because everyone parking for the same wave of departures arrives within the same ninety minutes. The terminal spreads that load across check-in desks and security lanes; the car park does not.
A shuttle every fifteen minutes is ample at eleven in the morning. At half past four it can arrive already full, and you wait for the next.
The bus timetable does not change at five in the morning. The number of people waiting for it does.
Which times are worst?
4am to 7am — the heaviest window at almost every UK airport
Summer Saturday mornings — package holiday changeover day
Friday evenings — city break departures
The first weekend of the school holidays — the sharpest single spike of the year
Which times are easiest?
Mid-morning to early afternoon on a weekday. Spaces are plentiful, shuttles run near empty, and the whole process takes the advertised time.
If your dates are flexible, a midweek midday departure is easier in every respect — and usually cheaper too, since demand and price move together.
How much extra should I allow?
Off-peak — 25 minutes from parking to terminal for long stay
Early morning peak — 35 minutes
Summer Saturday — 35 minutes
With young children — add 10 more, whatever the hour
Off-airport site — add 10 more again
Does arriving early help?
At a self-park car park, generally yes — your space is booked and nothing stops you using it.
Two caveats. Some operators charge if you arrive well before your booked slot, and a few will not admit you at all. And with meet and greet, a driver is scheduled around your stated time, so arriving two hours early means waiting.
Ring ahead if you are running significantly early.
What about the return?
Late evenings are the awkward direction. Shuttle frequency drops after about ten at night, just as you are least inclined to wait.
If your flight lands late, that is a real argument for a shorter transfer even if the departure did not need one. Check both legs when you compare options rather than only the outbound.
