Quick Summary
You cannot pick anyone up on a Heathrow terminal forecourt — the £7 drop-off zones are for drop-offs only. At Terminals 2, 3 and 5, collect from the Terminal Parking car park, a 2-minute walk from arrivals: £8 for up to 29 minutes. At Terminal 4, use the new Priority Pick-Up area (£7 for 10 minutes) or the free Park & Ride Zone A. The free option at every terminal is Park & Ride, free for the first 29 minutes.
Heathrow is stricter about pick-ups than any other London airport. There is no pick-up lane at all: waiting on the forecourt is banned, and cars left there are removed by the police. Instead, Heathrow directs drivers to its car parks, and since 23 June 2026 Terminal 4 works differently from the other three terminals. This guide sets out what picking someone up costs at each terminal in 2026, how to pay, and the free alternatives.
Heathrow Pick-Up Charges by Terminal 2026
All prices are Heathrow’s own published tariffs:
| Terminal | Quickest pick-up | Free option |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 2 | Terminal Parking: £8 up to 29 minutes | Park & Ride, free for 29 minutes |
| Terminal 3 | Terminal Parking: £8 up to 29 minutes | Park & Ride, free for 29 minutes |
| Terminal 4 | Priority Pick-Up: £7 up to 10 minutes | Park & Ride Zone A, free for 2 hours |
| Terminal 5 | Terminal Parking: £8 up to 29 minutes | Park & Ride, free for 29 minutes |
Terminals 2, 3 and 5: Terminal Parking
At Terminals 2, 3 and 5 the pick-up point for drivers is the Terminal Parking car park, about a 2-minute walk from the terminal doors. You park, walk in and meet your passenger in arrivals. Heathrow’s pay-on-foot prices are:
| Time parked | Terminal Parking (T2, T3, T5) | Park & Ride |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 29 minutes | £8.00 | Free |
| 30–44 minutes | £12.50 | £9.40 |
| 45–59 minutes | £15.50 | £9.40 |
| 1–2 hours | £20.00 | £9.40 (up to 1 hr 59) |
Pay at the machines before you return to the car. The jump from £8 to £12.50 at 30 minutes is the one to watch: on a long-haul arrival, immigration and baggage reclaim can easily take longer than half an hour, so arrive once the flight has landed, not when it is due.
Picking someone up from Terminal 5? Our Heathrow Terminal 5 pickup guide covers the T5 car park, the meeting point and the black cab rank in detail.
Terminal 4: Priority Pick-Up and Free Zone A
On 23 June 2026 the Terminal 4 multi-storey car park closed for redevelopment, so T4 no longer has a Terminal Parking car park. Instead there are two ways to collect someone.
T4 Priority Pick-Up area
The Priority Pick-Up area lets you collect right outside the terminal. It is reached via Salisbury Road: from the Terminal 4 roundabout, stay in the two right-hand lanes.
| Time in the area | T4 Priority Pick-Up charge |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 minutes | £7.00 |
| 11–29 minutes | £14.00 |
| 30–60 minutes | £25.00, then £25 per extra hour |
- How to pay: by card only — online, through Heathrow’s automated phone line, or with AutoPay. There are no machines in the pick-up area.
- Deadline: midnight on the day after your visit.
- If you do not pay: an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
- Blue Badge: no discount or exemption applies in the Priority Pick-Up area.
T4 Park & Ride Zone A (free for 2 hours)
Passenger parking for T4 has moved to Zone A of the Terminal 4 Park & Ride, which is free for up to 2 hours for pick-ups (£9.40 for 2–4 hours). The shuttle to the terminal takes about six minutes, so it is the best T4 option whenever the flight might be late.
Why You Cannot Pick Up on the Forecourt
Heathrow’s terminal forecourts are drop-off zones only. Dropping off costs £7 per visit (raised from £6 on 1 January 2025), payable by midnight the next day, with the same £80 charge if you forget. Heathrow states that pick-ups and waiting are not permitted there, and that unattended cars are removed by the police. Our Heathrow drop-off charge guide explains that charge in full.
Blue Badge Holders
Heathrow says Blue Badge holders are entitled to 2 hours free when picking up from its car parks. The exception is the T4 Priority Pick-Up area, where no Blue Badge discount applies. Blue Badge holders can also get a 100% discount on the forecourt drop-off charge, but must register in advance.
Which Heathrow Pick-Up Option Is Cheapest?
| Your situation | Best option | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger has landed and is in baggage reclaim | Terminal Parking (T2, T3, T5) | £8–£12.50 |
| T4 passenger already outside | T4 Priority Pick-Up | £7 |
| Flight delayed, any terminal | Park & Ride (T4: Zone A) | Free (29 min; 2 hours at T4) |
| Blue Badge holder | Heathrow car parks | Free for 2 hours |
| Nobody can drive | Pre-booked taxi pick-up | From £48 (Windsor), £56 (central London) |
Tips for Collecting Someone at Heathrow
- Check the terminal first. T4 has no Terminal Parking car park since June 2026, and T5 is a separate road from T2 and T3.
- Track the flight, not the timetable. Leave home based on the actual landing time.
- Wait free, then move. Sit in Park & Ride until your passenger messages that they have their bags.
- Never stop on the forecourt to wait. It is a drop-off zone, and the £7 charge applies to every entry.
- Pay the same day. The T4 Priority Pick-Up and the forecourt are both camera-enforced, with an £80 charge for late payment.
Or Book a Pick-Up Instead
A pre-booked LondonAirport-Taxi.com driver tracks the flight and meets your passenger inside the arrivals hall at T2, T3, T4 or T5 with a name board, with 60 minutes of free waiting timed from when the flight actually lands. Heathrow parking is included in the fixed fare, so there is nothing to pay at the airport. See our Heathrow airport pickup service for how it works at each terminal.
| From Heathrow to | Saloon (up to 3) | MPV (up to 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Windsor | £48 | £70 |
| Wembley | £52 | £74 |
| Central London | £56 | £78 |
| Watford | £79 | £115 |
| Reading | £85 | £124 |
| Oxford | £117 | £167 |
All-in fixed fares at the time of writing; the exact fare for your postcode is shown before you book. See every route on our Heathrow taxi prices page, or read about the service on our Heathrow airport taxi page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to pick someone up at Heathrow?
£8 for up to 29 minutes in Terminal Parking at T2, T3 and T5, or £7 for 10 minutes in the T4 Priority Pick-Up area.
It is free for the first 29 minutes in a Park & Ride car park, and free for up to 2 hours in T4 Park & Ride Zone A. Picking up on the terminal forecourts is not allowed.
Can you pick up passengers at the Heathrow drop-off zone?
No. The terminal forecourts are for drop-offs only.
Heathrow does not permit pick-ups or waiting in the drop-off areas, and cars left unattended are removed by the police. Use Terminal Parking, Park & Ride or, at Terminal 4, the Priority Pick-Up area.
What are the pick-up charges at Heathrow Terminal 3?
Terminal Parking 3 costs £8 for up to 29 minutes, £12.50 up to 44 minutes, £15.50 up to 59 minutes and £20 for 1–2 hours.
The car park is about a 2-minute walk from the terminal doors. Park & Ride is free for the first 29 minutes, with a shuttle every 15 minutes.
How do I pay for the Terminal 4 Priority Pick-Up?
By card, online, by phone or with AutoPay, by midnight the day after your visit.
You cannot pay at a machine or in the pick-up area. Missing the deadline brings an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Is there free pick-up at Heathrow?
Yes. Park & Ride is free for the first 29 minutes at every terminal, and T4 Park & Ride Zone A is free for up to 2 hours.
Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes from the terminal doors. Blue Badge holders get 2 hours free in Heathrow’s car parks.
Do Blue Badge holders pay to pick up at Heathrow?
Heathrow gives Blue Badge holders 2 hours free in its car parks.
The exception is the Terminal 4 Priority Pick-Up area, where no Blue Badge discount or exemption applies.
How much is a taxi pick-up from Heathrow?
From £48 to Windsor and £56 to central London for a saloon, all charges included.
A LondonAirport-Taxi.com driver meets your passenger inside arrivals with a name board, tracks the flight and waits 60 minutes free from landing, so there is no parking to pay.
Related Heathrow Guides
- Heathrow Terminal 5 pickup guide — T5 car park and meeting point
- Heathrow drop-off charge 2026 — the £7 forecourt charge
- Heathrow airport pickup service — meet and greet at every terminal
- Heathrow flight tracker — live arrivals
- UK airport drop-off charges compared
Final Thoughts
Picking someone up at Heathrow costs £8 for 29 minutes at T2, T3 and T5, or £7 for 10 minutes at the new T4 Priority Pick-Up — and nothing at all if you wait in Park & Ride. Just never wait on the forecourt. If you would rather not drive into Heathrow at all, get a fixed-price quote and a driver will be waiting in arrivals instead.
