Is it cheaper to park at the airport or take a taxi? We compare official 7-day parking prices at eight European airports with a return taxi to the city centre, plus UK drop-off charges.
Is it cheaper to park at the airport or get a taxi? For a one-week trip, a return taxi into town is cheaper than the official airport car park’s turn-up rate at most of the eight airports we checked – Paris CDG, Vienna, Dublin and London Heathrow among them – but booking parking online often reverses that. Parking wins most clearly at Athens (€50 for 4–7 days in the long-term car park against €100 for two daytime taxis) and Munich (€107 for seven days, or from €59.99 online, against two €96 fixed taxi fares). For a solo traveller, the train or bus is cheaper than both almost everywhere.
Below we compare official 7-day parking prices with the cost of two one-way taxi rides between the airport and the city centre, using fares from our airport guides. If you decide not to drive, compare pre-booked cars on our hub pages, such as Athens Airport transfers or Dublin Airport transfers.
Airport parking vs taxi for a week: 8 airports compared
Parking prices are the official airport operator’s rates, checked on 29 October 2026. “Turn-up” means the price at the barrier without a booking; online prices vary with dates and demand. The return taxi is two one-way fares to the city centre for one car (up to four people).
| Airport | Official parking, about 7 days | Return taxi to the centre (2 × one way) | Return by public transport, per person | Cheaper for a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | €50 for 4–7 days (Long Term, turn-up) | €100 by day (2 × €50), up to €130 at night | €16 metro return (€9 single) | Parking |
| Munich | €107 standard (P41, P43, P44, P50); online from €59.99 | €192 (2 × €96 fixed, booked) | €30.20 S-Bahn (2 × €15.10) | Parking |
| Prague | From CZK 1,090 (≈ €44) for 8 days online (PD Holiday) | Around CZK 1,600 (≈ €64), 2 × around CZK 800 | CZK 92–110 (≈ €4–4.50) | Parking, if booked online |
| Zurich | CHF 195 (≈ €208) turn-up in P6; online from CHF 94 (≈ €100) a week | Around CHF 100–140 (≈ €107–150) | CHF 14.40 (≈ €15) | Taxi, unless you book parking online |
| Vienna | €145.80 for 1 week (8 days) at the lower standard tariff | From around €84 (2 × flat fares from around €42) | €11 (2 × €5.50) | Taxi |
| Dublin | €140 (Holiday Blue, €20 a day, turn-up) | Around €60–90 (2 × around €30–45) | €4 bus with Leap (2 × €2) | Taxi |
| Paris CDG | €270 (P3, turn-up, 7 days); ECO car parks €175 for 6 days, €255 for 10 days | €112 Right Bank / €130 Left Bank (2 × €56 / €65) | €28 RER B (2 × €14) | Taxi |
| London Heathrow | £271.20 (≈ €320) Long Stay T5, turn-up | About £122–228 (≈ €144–270) by black cab | £11.80 (≈ €14) Piccadilly line | Taxi, unless you book parking online |
The comparison assumes you live in or near the city centre. If you live further out, the taxi costs more and parking looks better; fuel, tolls and the time to drive and park also count – see the factors below.
Verdict by airport
Athens Airport parking price for a week
The Long Term car park charges €13 for one day, but a flat €50 from four to seven days, then €5 for each extra day. Two daytime taxis at the €50 flat fare cost €100, so for a week parking is half the price. Alone, the metro (€9 each way) is cheaper still. Taxis: Athens Airport transfers.
Munich Airport parking for 7 days
The standard 7-day tariff in the economy car parks is €107 (rates effective April 2026), and the airport advertises 7 days from €59.99 when booked online. With the taxi at €96 each way, parking is far cheaper for drivers. For a family without a car, the S-Bahn group day ticket (€32.60 for up to five adults) beats both. See Munich Airport transfers.
Prague Airport parking
Prague’s official car parks are sold through the airport’s AeroParking site, with online discounts of up to 50% on the standard price list. PD Holiday is advertised from CZK 1,090 for 8 days online, against around CZK 1,600 for two taxis. Public transport costs under €5 return. See Prague Airport transfers.
Zurich Airport parking price for a week
Turn-up parking in P6 costs CHF 195 for seven days (CHF 247 in P1–P4), while the airport advertises online parking from CHF 94 a week. Two taxis at around CHF 50–70 each cost CHF 100–140. With trains every few minutes for CHF 7.20, the train is the cheapest option for one or two people. See Zurich Airport transfers.
Vienna Airport parking
Vienna’s price list (January 2026) shows €145.80 and €213.60 for one week, counted as 8 days, depending on the car park. Taxi firms offer flat airport fares from around €42 per car, so two rides cost around €84 – cheaper than parking for a week. See Vienna Airport transfers.
Dublin Airport parking price for a week
Turn-up rates are €20 a day in Holiday Blue and €25 a day in Express Red, so a week costs €140–175. A taxi at around €30–45 each way works out cheaper, and the airport says pre-booking parking online is usually cheaper than turning up. See Dublin Airport transfers.
Paris CDG parking for a week
Turn-up parking in P3 and other nearby car parks costs €270 for 7 days; the ECO car parks cost €175 for 6 days and €255 for 10 days. Two taxis at the fixed €56 or €65 fare cost €112–130, so the taxi is cheaper unless you find a large online discount (the operator advertises savings of up to 50%). See Paris CDG Airport transfers.
Heathrow parking vs taxi
Long Stay at Terminal 5 costs £46.80 for the first day and £37.40 for each further day if you turn up, about £271 for a week. A black cab is about £61–114 each way on the meter, so two cabs usually cost less than turn-up parking; online parking prices are lower but vary by date. See Heathrow Airport transfers.
What decides it: trip length, group size and costs you forget
- Trip length. The taxi cost is the same for a weekend or a fortnight; parking grows with every day. Short trips favour parking, long trips favour the taxi – Athens’ €50 cap for 4–7 days is an exception that makes a week cheap.
- Group size. A taxi or pre-booked transfer is priced per car, so four people share one fare. Public transport is per person, so it is the cheapest choice for one or two.
- Where you live. Our taxi figures are to the city centre. From the suburbs or another town, compare a pre-booked transfer quote for your address.
- Fuel and tolls. Driving to the airport costs fuel (and tolls on some motorways) in both directions; add them to the parking price.
- Time of day. Night tariffs raise some taxi fares (Athens €65 from midnight to 05:00), and early-morning flights may have no public transport.
- Book ahead. Official airports in this comparison sell parking online, often well below the turn-up rate, and some products are online-only.
Off-airport parking and park & ride
Private car parks near many airports offer lower prices with a shuttle bus to the terminal. Check where the car is kept, how often the shuttle runs, whether the price includes the return shuttle and what happens if your flight is late. Some airports also run their own remote car parks with a bus – Heathrow’s Park & Ride car parks, for example, are where its Long Stay prices apply.
Drop-off charges: the cost of being driven to the airport
If a friend drives you instead, check the drop-off fee. UK airports in particular charge for using the terminal forecourt:
| Airport | Terminal drop-off charge (2026) | Free alternative |
|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow | £7 every time a vehicle enters the drop-off zone | Park & Ride car parks, free bus to the terminal |
| London Gatwick | £10 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 per minute (from January 2026) | Long Stay car parks (reported 2 hours free) |
| London Stansted | £7 (reported, 15 minutes) | Mid Stay car park (reported) |
| London Luton | £7 (reported, 10 minutes) | Long Stay car park (reported) |
| Manchester | £5.50 for 5 minutes (reported July 2026) | JetParks (reported) |
Pay online or by phone by midnight the next day, or expect a penalty charge. Two drop-offs plus two pick-ups can add £30 or more to a “free” lift, which narrows the gap with a pre-booked transfer. Gatwick’s own Long Stay rates are £38 for the first day and £32 for each further day if you turn up – about £230 for a week. Companies: Gatwick Airport transfers, Stansted Airport transfers, Manchester Airport transfers.
How we compared
Parking prices come from the official airport or airport-operator websites and price lists (Athens, Munich, Prague, Vienna, Dublin, Paris CDG, Heathrow), checked on 29 October 2026; Zurich’s turn-up rates come from Zurich’s official tourism site and the online price from the airport. We left out airports where we could not read an official weekly price (including Sofia, Lisbon, Budapest and Bucharest). Taxi fares are from our airport guides: official fixed fares where they exist, otherwise typical reported fares (“around”). Euro conversions are approximate.
Tips
- Price both ways for your dates: online parking prices change with demand, while fixed taxi fares do not.
- For groups, get a transfer quote: a minivan for six can cost less than two taxis and avoids parking altogether – see private transfer vs taxi vs bus.
- Late return flight? Check public transport hours in our late-night arrivals guide.
- Taxi fares by airport are listed in airport taxi prices in Europe; the cheapest public options are in cheapest way from the airport to the city.
- Use official ranks when you come back, and ignore touts in arrivals.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to park at the airport or get a taxi?
For a week it depends on the airport. At Athens (€50 for 4–7 days) and Munich (€107, or from €59.99 online) parking is cheaper than two taxis; at Paris CDG, Vienna and Dublin a return taxi to the centre costs less than turn-up parking.
How much is parking at Athens Airport for a week?
The Long Term car park charges €50 for 4–7 days at the turn-up rate, then €5 for each extra day.
How much is Heathrow parking for a week?
Turn-up Long Stay parking at Terminal 5 costs £46.80 for the first day and £37.40 for each further day, about £271 for seven days. Pre-booked prices are usually lower.
How much does it cost to drop off at Gatwick Airport?
Since January 2026 the forecourt drop-off charge at Gatwick is £10 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 per extra minute. Heathrow charges £7 every time a vehicle enters a drop-off zone.
How much is parking at Paris CDG for a week?
Turn-up parking in P3 and other nearby car parks costs €270 for 7 days; the ECO car parks cost €175 for 6 days. Two taxis at the fixed €56 or €65 fare cost €112–130.
Is airport parking cheaper if you book online?
Usually. Munich advertises 7 days from €59.99 online against a €107 standard rate, Zurich from CHF 94 a week online against CHF 195 at the barrier, and Prague offers online discounts of up to 50%.
