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Dropping off at Heathrow Terminal 5 costs £7 per vehicle, and picking up from the forecourt isn't allowed. To collect someone, use Terminal Parking at Terminal 5 (from £8) or the Terminal 5 Park & Ride, where the first 29 minutes are free. This guide covers drop-off, pick-up, arrivals, departures and the quickest ways between Terminal 5 and central London.
Heathrow Terminal 5: the quick answer
- Drop-off: £7 every time a vehicle enters the drop-off area. Pay by midnight the next day.
- Pick-up: Terminal Parking (about a 2-minute walk, from £8) or Park & Ride (first 29 minutes free).
- Airlines: mainly British Airways and Iberia.
- Fastest train to London: Heathrow Express to Paddington, about 21 minutes.
- Postcode: TW6 2GA.
Heathrow Terminal 5 Drop-Off: The £7 Charge
Heathrow charges £7 every time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. There are no barriers: cameras record your number plate, and each entry is charged separately, so driving round and coming back in costs another £7.
At Terminal 5, follow Wayfarer Road. At the top of the ramp it splits into two drop-off lanes. The drop-off area is for dropping off only, so there's no waiting and no picking up.
How to pay the Terminal 5 drop-off charge
- Online or by phone: pay on Heathrow's drop-off website or on 0330 008 5600, by card, by midnight the day after your visit.
- Autopay: set up a free Heathrow drop-off account and the charge is taken automatically.
- Not at the airport: you can't pay at the airport's ticket machines or in the drop-off zone.
If you don't pay in time, Heathrow issues an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Who doesn't pay
- Blue Badge holders can get a 100% discount, including as a passenger in someone else's car or a taxi. You need a Heathrow Blue Badge account, set up at least 7 days before you travel (14 days if you apply by phone).
- Emergency and military vehicles, motorbikes, buses and coaches are exempt or fully discounted. Electric cars still pay.
Taxis and private hire vehicles pay the charge too. Being dropped off in a pre-booked car? Check your booking confirmation to see what your fare includes. For every London airport's charges, see our London airport drop-off charges guide.
Want to avoid the £7?
- Drop off at the Terminal 5 Park & Ride instead. Heathrow offers free drop-offs at its Park & Ride car parks, with a shuttle bus to the terminal every 15 minutes.
- Allow extra time for the shuttle bus to reach the terminal.
Heathrow Terminal 5 Pick-Up: Where to Wait
Picking up passengers from the Terminal 5 forecourt isn't allowed, and unattended cars are removed. You have two options:
| Option | Where it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal Parking (short stay) | About a 2-minute walk to the terminal | £8 up to 29 min; £12.50 up to 44 min; £15.50 up to 59 min; £20 up to 2 hours |
| Park & Ride | Shuttle bus to the terminal every 15 minutes | Free for the first 29 min; £9.40 from 30 min to 1 hr 59 min |
Charges as published on Heathrow's passenger pick-up page. You can't pre-book short visits: take a ticket on the way in and pay at a machine before you leave. At Park & Ride, use a marked pick-up space.
Tips for a smooth Terminal 5 pick-up
- Wait until they have their bags. Long-haul arrivals can take a while to clear passport control and baggage reclaim, so parking too early costs more.
- Use Park & Ride if you're early. The first 29 minutes are free.
- Skip the parking altogether with a pre-booked transfer and Meet & Greet: the driver meets your passenger inside arrivals. See how pre-booked airport pickups work.
Heathrow Terminal 5 Arrivals: What to Expect
For live flight times, check Heathrow's website or your airline's app. Once you land, the route to the arrivals hall is:
From the plane to the arrivals hall
- Transit train (some flights): if you land at a satellite building (Terminal 5B or 5C), a free transit train takes you to the main building.
- Passport control: follow the signs for arrivals.
- Baggage reclaim: check the screens for your flight's belt number.
- Customs: choose the green or red channel, depending on what you're bringing in.
- Arrivals hall: where friends, family and pre-booked drivers meet passengers. If you've booked a transfer, go to the meeting point in your booking instructions.
Switch your phone on as soon as you land. A quick "got my bags" message tells whoever is collecting you when to head in.
Heathrow Terminal 5 Departures
Terminal 5 is home to British Airways and Iberia, so it's busy at peak times. Airlines can change terminals, so always check your booking.
- When to arrive: Heathrow advises two hours before UK and European flights and three hours before long-haul flights. Your airline's check-in and bag-drop times come first.
- Gates in a satellite: Terminal 5 has a main building (Terminal 5A) and two satellite buildings (Terminal 5B and 5C), linked by a free transit train. Allow extra time if your gate is in one.
- Being dropped off: the drop-off lanes are at the top of the Wayfarer Road ramp. Remember the £7 charge.
Getting Between Terminal 5 and Central London
| Option | Typical time | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Express to Paddington | About 21 minutes | Speed, if Paddington suits you |
| Elizabeth line | Direct to central London, fewer trains than from Terminals 2 & 3 | A comfortable ride across London |
| Piccadilly line | Slower, with stops into west and central London | The lowest fare |
| Pre-booked transfer | Depends on traffic and your address | Luggage, families, late arrivals |
Heading somewhere specific? See our guides to Euston to Heathrow, King's Cross to Heathrow, Heathrow to Windsor, Heathrow to Oxford and Heathrow to Gatwick.
Book a Heathrow Terminal 5 transfer
Banana Cars runs pre-booked transfers to and from Terminal 5, 24/7, with TfL-licensed drivers and flight monitoring when you add your flight number. See our Heathrow Terminal 5 taxi page, or get an instant fare quote.
Using another terminal? Read our Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 guides, or see all Heathrow airport transfers.
Heathrow Terminal 5 FAQs
£7 every time a vehicle enters the drop-off area, including taxis and private hire vehicles. Pay online or by phone by midnight the day after your visit.
Heathrow issues an £80 Parking Charge, reduced to £40 if you pay within 14 days. Setting up autopay on a free Heathrow drop-off account means you won't forget.
In the Terminal Parking car park at Terminal 5, about a 2-minute walk from the terminal (from £8 for up to 29 minutes), or at the Terminal 5 Park & Ride, which has a shuttle bus. Picking up from the forecourt isn't allowed.
Yes, if you're quick: the first 29 minutes at the Terminal 5 Park & Ride are free. After that it's £9.40 up to 1 hour 59 minutes. Terminal Parking is closer but starts at £8.
Heathrow calls its short stay car park Terminal Parking. At Terminal 5 it's about a 2-minute walk from the terminal doors. Take a ticket on entry and pay at a machine before you leave.
TW6 2GA. For drop-off, follow signs for Terminal 5 and Wayfarer Road to the drop-off lanes at the top of the ramp.
Mainly British Airways, along with Iberia. Terminal allocations can change, so always check your booking.
About 21 minutes to Paddington on the Heathrow Express. By road it depends on traffic and your exact address; Heathrow is about 14 miles west of central London.
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