Don't overpay for Belfast International Airport parking. Compare prices from 8 leading sites plus independent operators in one search to find the best deal.
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- Compare parking options like Meet & Greet, Park & Ride and Short Stay
- See who is cheapest for your ideal space. Yes, different sites have different prices for the exact same space!
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* This is the lowest weekly booking price calculated over the past 7 days for a 7-day booking. ** The price per day refers to the same product and period as the weekly booking price, divided by 7.
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Belfast International Airport Parking Guide
Belfast International offers a range of parking options both on and off-site, although there are no Meet and Greet services. Optional extras such as valet service are available and you can also opt whether to self-park or use a car park that does the parking for you. All car parks are close to the airport. Booking ahead with us can see you save up to 60% of the drive-up price.
How to choose the cheapest Belfast International Airport Parking?
Used to just rocking up to the official Belfast International parking on the day and paying as you enter? Perfectly understandable as you just want to relax and enjoy your holiday; however, by using Airport Parking Shop and a tiny bit of planning, you can save money and perhaps find an option better suited to you.
A comparison: Turning up at the Main Car Park is £35.00 for 12–24 hours, £75 for 3 days and £20 for each additional day — that’s £155 for a 7-day stay. Our lowest price last week was £ for a 7-day stay.
Tempted? Then, whether it is the nearest car park or the cheapest, we give you the answers below in just five bite-sized chunks.
1 – Understand Your Parking Type Options (and what's usually cheapest)
Quick Insights
Park & Ride is usually the cheapest (you park further away and take a bus), while Short/Main Stay, right by the terminal, is the most expensive.
A Deeper Dive
(but don’t worry you will be back to the surface in no time)
The main types of parking are Short Stay, Main Stay, Long Stay and Park & Ride:
- Short Stay — usually very near to the terminal and just a few minutes’ walk to departures.
- Main Car Park — directly in front of the terminal; ideal for short breaks.
- Long Stay — on the airport estate and a short walk from the terminal.
- Park & Ride — off-airport with a quick shuttle back to the terminal (at Belfast International this is the official Park & Fly).
If you’re travelling with the family, close-in walkable options are convenient; if you’re not carrying huge amounts of luggage then a cheaper Park & Ride may be the best option for you.
Belfast International Car Park Specifics
Belfast International (BFS) has a lot of official options, limited third-party and no meet & greet.
Walkable (official)
- Premium Car Park — is the closest to the terminal with a walk of 1–2 minutes — pre-book only.
- Main Car Park — 2–3 minutes walk.
- Short Stay — at a 1–2 min walk, it seems to be competing with the Premium Car Park.
- Long Stay — Not exactly a hike at 6 min walk.
Park & Ride (official)
- Park & Fly — off-airport but only 2 minutes by free shuttle; pre-book online only.
Park & Ride (Third-party)
- McCausland Airport Car Park — approx 1-minute shuttle to the terminal.
- Hyde Air Park — about 600m from the terminal; it has a courtesy coach and takes 2 minutes.
Which parking type is cheapest?
Expect to pay more for convenience. Short/Main Stay is usually the most expensive since you’re closest to the terminal and you keep your keys. Where Park & Ride is available, it’s typically the best value. At BFS, Park & Fly is the official Park & Ride with quick shuttles.
Using Airport Parking Shop
Tip: By default, Airport Parking Shop lists prices from low to high irrespective of the parking type, which you can see in the blue box. If you are sure what kind of parking type you want, simply hit the Filter Results option above the results and then select just what you want under Parking Options on the left.
2 – Plan to Book in Advance
Quick Insight
Start looking at least two weeks in advance.
The Quick Dive-Down Part
The most expensive way to park is to turn up on the day and pay as you enter. Not only will it cost more but they might not have spaces, leaving you with a lot more stress than having to remember to book!
Turning up at the Main Car Park is £35.00 for 12–24 hours, £75 for 3 days and £20 for each additional day — that’s £155.00 for a week. The Long Stay is £30.00 for 12–24 hours, £50 for 3 days and £10 for each additional day — that’s £90.00 for a week. Our lowest price last week was £ for a 7-day stay.
You can save substantially by booking in advance, with the amount you save depending on how far in advance you book: aim for at least two weeks ahead.
Tip: Prices go up due to availability (or lack of) so at busier times of the year, like school and national holidays, you may want to start looking at prices even earlier.
3 – Don’t Rely Just on Official Car Parks
BFS has excellent official choices (Short, Main, Long, Premium) plus an official Park & Ride (Park & Fly). There are also third-party off-airport operators. Comparing like-for-like can save you money.
A Deeper Dive
(It is only snorkelling)
Comparing like-for-like (e.g., park & ride vs park & ride; walkable vs walkable), official is more often than not pricier than third party — but not always. At Belfast, Park & Fly is very close and often keenly priced.
Tip: Check both official and third-party options and compare features, not just the headline price.
4 – Compare Parking Features to Find the Best Value
Once you’ve decided on a parking type, compare what they offer to get the right balance of price and convenience:
- Transfer time & frequency: walk minutes or shuttle interval
- Distance from terminal: handy if walking is preferred
- Keys: keep vs leave
- Booking flexibility: fully flexible vs pay-now/non-refundable
- Opening hours: look for 24/7 if you have late/early flights
- Security & reviews: Park Mark, recent ratings
- Total price, not headline: watch any airport forecourt or drop-off fees
Compare Parking Options
| Car park | Transfer | Shuttle frequency | Keep keys? | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkable (Official) | ||||
| Premium Car Park | Walk 1–2 minutes | — | Yes | Closest bays; pre-book only. |
| Main Car Park | Walk 2–3 minutes | — | Yes | Barrier/ANPR; staffed 24/7. |
| Short Stay | Walk 1–2 minutes | — | Yes | Convenient for pick-ups/short visits. |
| Long Stay | Walk ~6 minutes | — | Yes | On-airport with signed footpaths. |
| Park & Ride (Official & Third-party) | ||||
| Park & Fly (Official) | Bus ~2 minutes | Frequent / on-demand | Yes | Pre-book online only. |
| McCausland Airport Car Park | Bus ~1 minute | Frequent (typical) | Varies | Valet-style options on some listings. |
| Hyde Air Park | Bus ~2 minutes | Courtesy coach | Varies | ~600m from terminal. |
Using Airport Parking Shop
Tip: After doing a search the features above will be displayed in the tabs, or by hitting the More Info button.
5 – Compare Sites to Find the Cheapest and Save More
Quick insight
Not every site sells every car park, and the same space can be a different price elsewhere. Check more than one site — or save time by using Airport Parking Shop.
The Detail
(I ran out of deep dive riffs)
So, you are ready to save money – you’ve even planned out how many more drinks you can get at the pool bar. But then you google for Belfast International Airport parking, you see so many sites to choose from, and your head starts to hurt. Which one is best?
The world of airport parking is made up of lots of businesses:
- The official airport car parks run by the airport.
- National third-party brands who resell official spaces or operate park & ride.
- Small regional operators.
Use a comparison site to cut through the noise
This definitely helps but not every car park works with every comparison site and sometimes, different sites charge different prices for the same space. Ever been searching for car insurance and found a provider available on one comparison site and not another, or at a different price? Airport parking is no different with the added complication that some comparison sites are selling their own spaces too.
Search more than one
The key therefore in finding the cheapest price is to check as many different sites as possible. As with anything else, there is a cost-benefit ratio so you might set yourself a target of the top 3 or 4. Or you might just give up!
All the comparison sites have a lowest price guarantee – isn’t that great?
Checking multiple sites for lowest prices is a time-consuming exercise so why not just rely on the cheapest price guarantee of the first one? Cheapest price guarantees are fantastic, but it is down to you to go find a lower price elsewhere, often within 24 hours, and then contact the original provider, send them the link, and wait for their refund. Something most of us don’t have time for.
How Airport Parking Shop Can Help
That is why Airport Parking Shop is here. We compare the car parks for you, and we even compare the comparison sites. We are independent, we don’t have any car parks of our own. Check the logos for our partners above and then look down the search results for airport parking and you can see we work with almost everyone (find one we don’t, let us know and we’ll get on it).
How we save time and money:
- See more options: both third-party car parks and comparison sites.
- Compare providers: see prices for the same space, all next to each other in one search.
- See like-for-like: compare Park & Ride with Park & Ride, walkable with walkable.
- Quickly narrow down: filter by parking type, customer reviews, providers and even distance to the terminal.
- Switch dates in a click to see the cheapest.
- Understand feature differences: check summary cards or tap through for full details.
About Belfast International Airport
Introduction to Belfast International
Belfast International Airport has one main terminal over two floors, handling around 6–7 million passengers a year, making it the busiest airport in Northern Ireland and one of the main gateways on the island. The airport generally recommends you arrive at least two hours before departure, and if you’re travelling at busy times or on international flights, it’s wise to allow a bit more. Once you’re inside the terminal, most people are through security and at their gate within about 20–45 minutes, but queues can build quickly at peak morning and evening times, so aim to be through security at least an hour before your gate closes.
1. How to get to Belfast International Airport?
You’ve basically got four main ways to reach Belfast International Airport:
Bus & coach
- Airport Express 300 – a frequent bus service between the airport and Belfast city centre, calling at the main bus/coach hub. It runs seven days a week, with services as often as every 15 minutes at busy weekday times and a typical journey time of around 30–40 minutes depending on traffic.
- Local buses – Ulsterbus services such as the 109A and 109D link the airport with Lisburn, Antrim and other towns, and connect with rail services at Lisburn and Antrim for onward travel across Northern Ireland.
- Longer-distance coaches – express coach services run from other parts of Northern Ireland and from Dublin city / Dublin Airport to Belfast International, either directly or via Belfast city centre, where you can connect to the Airport Express 300 for the final leg.
Train + bus
- There’s no train station at the airport. The nearest rail station is Antrim, about 5 miles away. From there you can take a bus (for example, Ulsterbus 109 services) or a taxi to the airport. Rail passengers from other parts of Northern Ireland often connect via Belfast city centre, then transfer onto the Airport Express 300.
Car
- The airport is about 18 miles north-west of Belfast and is reached via the main motorway and A-road network (typically using the M2 and A57, or the M1 and A26). There’s a choice of on-airport car parks (short stay, main stay, long stay, premium) as well as a separate off-airport Park & Fly option with a short shuttle ride to the terminal.
Taxi / private hire
- Local taxi and private-hire firms offer fixed fares from Belfast and surrounding areas, and there’s an official on-site taxi provider based at the terminal. For shorter journeys or groups of 3–4 people, a taxi can sometimes be comparable to a week’s parking; for longer distances, driving and parking is often cheaper overall.
2. Choosing the right transport for you?
Whether you choose public transport, to drive, or to take a taxi will come down to a mix of cost, convenience and how you feel about risk and faff. Only you can balance those, and it may change every time you fly – but it’s worth thinking about a few things:
Do a price comparison
You might assume driving and parking is always the most expensive option – but that’s not always true. There are lots of secure, trusted third-party car parks around Belfast International that can be very competitive if you book in advance. Do your due diligence and check train, bus and taxi prices, but then run a quick search above – it takes less than a minute and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Delays
Think about what happens if your flight is delayed.
- With parking, you may pay an extra hour or day if you overstay.
- With buses and coaches, if you miss your booked departure and don’t have a flexible ticket, you’re often buying a completely new ticket at walk-up prices – and there might not be another service for a while – or it is sold out.
Your car, on the other hand, is always “parked and waiting” when you land.
- How close is your flight to the time of your last bus? If a one-hour delay means you miss the last bus and end up paying for an expensive taxi home, would driving and parking have been cheaper and less stressful overall?
Total costs
- There may be a cheap coach fare, but how much are you spending on taxis to and from the bus stop or station, especially if you’re travelling at awkward times or with luggage/kids?
- How much longer does it take on public transport? If you have to take extra time off work just to make it work, then add that to the bill.
Stress & peace of mind
Are you going to stay awake all night worrying whether you 4am taxi will arrive? Similarly, if you will make all your connections on time?
If so, driving yourself might be the more relaxed option.
Safety
If you’ve got a long drive after a long flight – or you’d like a couple of drinks on board – public transport or an overnight hotel with parking might be the safer choice.
Convenience & luggage
How much lugging is involved? With public transport you may be wrestling multiple cases through stations, onto buses and up and down stairs. With parking, you load the car once and unload once at the terminal or shuttle stop. For families, groups or anyone with mobility issues, that simplicity can be worth paying for.
Total time
At Airport Parking Shop, we like a bargain as much as the next person – that’s why we started the site – but time matters too. Will public transport add an extra hour or two to your journey and how is that going to make you feel?
Where will you be dropped off?
For this one public transport and taxis will likely win as they can drop you off near the terminal. If driving you can get the same if you pay for Short Stay parking or Meet & Greet but if you are going for Park & Ride, then expect to factor in a short bus trip.
Which kind of parking is right for me?
So, you’ve decided to park at or near Belfast International Airport – or at least want to understand the options before you commit. Good news: we’ve all the answers in the tab to left, Parking Options.
Here’s what you’ll find there – and how it helps you decide:
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Park & Ride, Short Stay and Meet & Greet
- Rough price differences and when to choose each one.
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How far in advance to book to get the lowest prices
- Typical patterns for Belfast International – how prices tend to move if you book a day before vs a week or a month before departure.
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Official vs third-party car parks
- What they both mean and which one is usually cheaper.
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Key features behind the headline price
- Shuttle frequency and transfer time.
- Whether you keep your keys or hand them in.
- Height limits, EV charging, Blue Badge bays and security features that can make a “cheap” price either a bargain or a false economy.
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Personalised feature comparison tables
- For Belfast International, we show the main car parks side by side, with all their key features, so you can see what you’re actually getting for your money.
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More pricing detail
- Average price comparisons for short stays vs Park & Ride.
- How costs change if you book 1 day, 1 week or 1 month in advance.
- Official vs third-party averages, so you can spot when an “official” car park is good value and when an independent option wins.
More Belfast International Airport info
If you want to go beyond transport and parking, our sister site Belfast International Airport Guide has more detail on:
- terminal facilities and airport layout
- shopping, bars and restaurants
- live departures and arrivals
- taxis and car hire
- nearby airport hotels
It’s a handy place to plan the rest of your journey once you’ve sorted how you’re getting to the airport – and where you’re going to park.
Where can I park at Belfast International Airport?
You have the option of a few locations to park at Belfast International Airport. Long Stay is a 6 minute walk from the terminal and best for those going on a trip for more than a couple of days. Short Stay is the closest option being only a minute or so from the terminal and is best for those that like the convenience of being right outside the building! You also have the Main Stay car park, favoured by business travellers and their off-site Cosmo car park with a shuttle service to and from the airport.
How much is it to park at Belfast International Airport?
Prices can vary for different car parks! For Long Stay, the prices for a day start at £26. £30 is charged for their Main Stay car park and £35 for the Short Stay car park. These prices are based on booking online, in advance.
What if I need to cancel my Belfast International Airport parking?
You'll need to check your booking terms and conditions. If you booked a 'Flexible' car park, speak to your parking provider about their cancellation policy. If you booked and paid through us, head to the Manage your Booking section to start the cancellation process.
How much is drop off at Belfast International Airport?
£1 for the first 10 minutes, then it's £3 for 20 minutes, going up to £5 for an hour.
Is there free parking at Belfast International Airport?
Yes, there is free parking available! It is located in their long stay car park and you’ll get the first 15 minutes free.
Why book with Airport Parking Shop
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Completely Independent
Quickly and easily run a quote to see all car parks available at the airport, no matter what the price or type of parking. Airport Parking Shop is an independent company that is not affiliated with any one provider, and so we can show you all the offers available
Hundreds of Car Parks
We offer all types of parking, whether it's short stay, long stay, meet and greet or park and ride, so you can pick the type of parking to suit you. Check out the car park instructions and reviews before you book!
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