Heathrow POD Parking

Heathrow Pod Parking is an official Terminal 5 self-parking option with driverless electric Pods carrying passengers to the terminal in around six minutes. Park the car yourself, keep your keys and request a Pod using the touchscreen at the station. Each vehicle accommodates up to four passengers with their luggage.

Pod Parking combines the control of self-parking with a quicker and more private transfer than a conventional shuttle bus. It is only suitable for Terminal 5 and still requires a transfer, so it is not as close as Terminal Parking.

Why choose Heathrow Pod Parking?

• Six-minute transfer: travel directly between the car park and Terminal 5.
• On-demand Pods: request a vehicle when you reach the station rather than waiting for a scheduled bus.
• Keep your keys: the car remains where you parked it.
• Private transfer: each Pod carries no more than four passengers and their luggage.
• Official Heathrow parking: protected by controlled entry and regular security patrols.

How does Pod Parking compare with Terminal 5 Park & Ride?

Both are official self-parking options where you keep your keys. Standard Park & Ride uses a shared shuttle bus and takes around 15 minutes, while Pod Parking provides a private, on-demand journey of approximately six minutes.

Park & Ride is Heathrow’s budget official option and will normally be the one to check first when price matters most. Choose Pod Parking when the shorter, on-demand transfer justifies the difference in price.

How does Pod Parking compare with Priority Park & Ride?

Priority Park & Ride, previously called Business Parking, uses frequent business-class shuttle buses and takes around 10 minutes. Pod Parking is also located on the airport perimeter but uses smaller driverless vehicles and takes approximately six minutes.

Both allow you to keep your keys. Choose Pod Parking for the faster private transfer, or Priority Park & Ride when its price or bus arrangement works better for your journey.

How does Pod Parking compare with Terminal Parking?

Terminal Parking, previously Short Stay, is connected to Terminal 5 by covered walkways and takes approximately 2–5 minutes on foot. Both products are official self-parking options where the car remains in the space you selected.

Choose Terminal Parking if you want to avoid transfers completely. Pod Parking retains much of that convenience while placing the car farther from the terminal, so compare the total price for your dates.

Important things to know

Pod Parking is only available for Terminal 5. The Pods operate daily from 04:00 until 00:30; a replacement shuttle bus runs outside those hours and may also be used during engineering work. Enter the correct registration when booking so the ANPR barrier can recognise the vehicle and retain the ticket issued on entry. Accessible Pods are available, with Blue Badge bays beside Pod Station A. Heathrow does not currently provide electric-vehicle charging in this car park.

Directions

From M4 at Junction 4: Leave the motorway heading towards Heathrow Airport. Take M4 (Spur road) towards Heathrow Airport junction 4a. Follow overhead signs for POD Parking & Long Stay, keep in the left hand lane. Pass Heathrow Welcome Island and go under bridge, stay in the left hand lane. At Junction 4a, the motorway ends, turn left onto slip road 'East Ramp' following signs towards POD Parking. Pass Police Station onto Nene roundabout, take third exit signed POD Parking (previously Business Parking). At traffic signals turn right onto Northern Perimeter road (dual carriageway), signposted POD Parking. Follow the dual carriageway through a traffic light junction, drive past the fire station on your right hand side and follow the road through a T-junction, two mini-roundabouts to a traffic light junction. Please ensure you are in the right hand lane of the junction and the entrance to POD Parking is through the junction on your right hand side.

From M25 at Junction 14: Follow signs for Terminal 5 and Long Stay parking. At the Terminal 5 roundabout, take the first exit (left into Wrightway), follow the road through a traffic light junction to the next mini roundabout. The entrance to POD Parking is off the mini roundabout to your left.

Arrival procedure

The car park has an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system, so please make sure you enter your vehicle registration number correctly when you make your booking.

At the entry barrier, the machine will read and recognise your registration number; then a ticket will be printed showing your registration number and booking reference and the barrier will open.

Press the call button for help if you experience any difficulties.

Return procedure

You'll need to catch the transfer bus from the terminal back to the car park.

Once you get to the car park, if your ticket says 'cashier' on it, you'll have to take it to the customer services office opposite bus stop 6 by the exit so that they can validate it for you. Please leave your car where it is as there are no spaces outside the office. Collect your car, insert your ticket at the exit barrier and it will lift automatically. To leave the airport, turn right out of the car park.

Security

The car park is manned 24 hours a day, with security fencing, lighting, CCTV and frequent security patrols. This car park has been awarded the Park Mark for safer parking.

Insurance

Parking is at owner's own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of the car park.

Disabled facilities

Buses with disabled access are available at the car park.

Additional information

No minibuses but MPVs are allowed.

Please phone POD Parking to check regarding trucks and trailers.