Bournemouth Airport drop-off charge: £8 for 30 minutes in 2026
Dropping off or collecting at Bournemouth Airport costs £8 for up to 30 minutes in Car Park 1, then £15 to an hour. No free kerbside; Blue Badge holders get 4 hours.
Facts checked against official sources on 11 October 2026. How we research
Drop-off and pick-up charges
The Express Drop-off/Pick-up area uses the same tariff as drive-up parking in Car Park 2, but you can only stay up to 4 hours (Bournemouth Airport car parking). These are the bands that apply to it.
| Time in the drop-off area | Charge | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 minutes | £8.00 | Take a ticket at the Car Park 1 barrier on the way in | Airport tariff |
| 30 to 60 minutes | £15.00 | Applies once you pass 30 minutes | Airport tariff |
| 1 to 4 hours | £20.00 | 4 hours is the maximum stay | Airport tariff |
| Blue Badge holder, up to 4 hours | £8.00 | Park in a Blue Badge bay, then use the touch-screen intercom so staff adjust the charge | Airport tariff |
- Charge
- £8.00
- Notes
- Take a ticket at the Car Park 1 barrier on the way in
- Source
- Airport tariff
- Charge
- £15.00
- Notes
- Applies once you pass 30 minutes
- Source
- Airport tariff
- Charge
- £20.00
- Notes
- 4 hours is the maximum stay
- Source
- Airport tariff
- Charge
- £8.00
- Notes
- Park in a Blue Badge bay, then use the touch-screen intercom so staff adjust the charge
- Source
- Airport tariff
The airport's page says prices are displayed at the car park entrances and may change. Older figures of £3, £5 and £6 still appear on other websites: the Holiday Extras parking FAQ, for example, still said £3 on 11 October 2026 (Holiday Extras). The airport's own tariff is the one that applies.
How the drop-off area works
- Follow the main entrance road to the Departures building and enter Car Park 1, directly opposite the terminal by the zebra crossing.
- Use the left-hand lanes, take a ticket at the barrier, and the Express Drop-off/Pick-up spaces are on your left.
- Pay before you leave, with your ticket, at one of three places: the pay station in the Arrivals terminal (card only), the pay stations by the drop-off spaces (cash or card), or the exit barrier (card or phone only).
The ticket is issued at the barrier on the way in, so the 30 minutes covers parking up and walking a passenger to the door as well.
Picking someone up
Thirty minutes is tight for a pick-up, because the time runs from when you enter, not from when the plane lands. Passengers clear passport control and collect bags before they come out, and a late arrival can push you into the £15 band. Check the arrivals board on the airport website before setting off rather than waiting in the car park.
A pick-up of over an hour costs £20 in the drop-off area. For anything longer than 4 hours you would need Car Park 2's drive-up rate, which is £30 for 4 to 12 hours. The airport parking page compares that with pre-booked prices.
Do taxis pay the drop-off charge?
The airport's tariff gives no exemption for taxis or private hire cars, and cars cannot stop outside the terminal, so a taxi dropping you at the door goes through the same area. Whether the £8 is added to your fare is up to the taxi firm, so ask when you book. The airport's official taxi operator, PRC Streamline, has desks in Arrivals and quotes fares in advance; the airport to town page has its numbers.
Ways to avoid the drop-off charge
There is no free drop-off point at Bournemouth Airport. The options that avoid the £8 are ways of not being driven to the door:
- The bus. Two morebus routes stop outside the terminal building: the 737 from Bournemouth and the YX1 from Poole. Both run on weekdays only, with very few journeys; times are on the airport to town page.
- Park for the trip. If you are driving yourself, pre-booked parking replaces the drop-off fee altogether. A short break in Car Park 3 was £67.50 for 20 to 23 November 2026 on the airport booking site.
- Parley Lane's shuttle. The off-site car park on Merritown Lane takes its own customers to the terminal by pre-booked shuttle between 04:00 and midnight (Parley Lane). It is for people parking there, not a drop-off service.
- Cycling. There is free bike parking in a shelter outside Departures in Car Park 2, and Beryl bikes and e-scooters can be hired at the airport (airport transport page).
The airport does not offer meet and greet: all its car parks are self-park, and you keep your keys.
Frequently asked questions
Can I wait outside the terminal for free?
No. The airport says that because of increased security measures, vehicles can no longer park at the front of the terminal building. All drop-offs and pick-ups go through the paid area in Car Park 1.
Does the 100ml liquids rule apply at Bournemouth Airport?
Not on the way out. Bournemouth Airport has new security scanners, so passengers can leave liquids and laptops in their cabin bags, without a clear plastic bag, in containers of up to 2,000ml. Many other airports have not made the change, so check the rules at the airport you fly home from: you may still need to put liquids in a clear plastic bag there.
Where are the disabled drop-off spaces?
Blue Badge spaces are inside the Express Drop-off/Pick-up area in Car Park 1, and there is a help point there for anyone who needs wheelchair assistance or help with luggage. Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge, subject to availability.