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Even though I live in London, which obviously has an excellent public transport system, I still like to have a car. People are often quite surprised when I tell them I drive in London, but living in Westminster means I get 90% off the congestion charge and I can park my car on the street outside my home. The car is great for day trips, for supermarket errands and for getting from A to B in comfort without having to sweat it out on the tube. It also works out cheaper for me than taking the underground, which can get quite expensive at up to £12 per day.
That was until Pink Elephant Parking got in touch to see if I’d test out their airport parking services on my next trip. I was flying from London to Tokyo on ANA from Heathrow Terminal 2, so had the chance to try out Purple Parking Meet & Greet, which was booked via the Pink Elephant Parking comparison site.
The Service
Once the Meet & Greet was booked I received a confirmation email providing details of how to drop off my car:
Terminal 2 – ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS (Postcode for GPS to Terminal 2: TW6 1EW)
- Follow signs to the Short Stay Car Park 2
- Drive up the ramp, fork right and drive under the yellow height restriction arm
- Keep to your left and stay in the lane for level 1, 2 & 3 (the car park entrance on your far left) (PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE CAR PARK ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND BARRIERS)
- At the entrance barrier, take a ticket (there will be nothing to pay)
- Drive down the ramp following the P – Off Airport signs and exit at level 2.
- Follow the P – Off Airport signs all way round until you reach Rows A and B at the far end of the car park.
- You will see our blue Off Airport Meet & Greet parking bays in Row A (Bays 1 to 6) & Row B (Bays 1 – 14)
- Park your car in one of these bays (PLEASE do not park in Disabled, Brown Badge or Unpaid ticket bays, asPurple Parking will not be held responsible for tickets issued by Heathrow Airport)
- Lock your car and give the keys and parking ticket to the Handover Captain, who will be waiting for you at his grey desk in the lift area near the payment machine.
Now when I looked at these directions they seemed rather complicated at first. I entered the postcode in to my sat nav but airports can be confusing, particularly with so many terminals, lanes and roundabouts! I did follow the signs as directed and didn’t get lost, but it could be easy to end up in the wrong lane when approaching the airport, so stay alert…
I found the designated parking area OK but all of the bays (Row A 1 to 6 and Row B 1 to 14) were full, which was a bit confusing. After driving around the same level a couple of times, I decided to pull over and ask the handover captain what I should do with my car. He told me to park it in any available bay in the car park (except obviously the disabled and brown badge bays) then write the aisle/bay number on the back of the ticket. Luckily I found one on the same level (Level 2), so I didn’t have to walk too far.
Afterwards I handed over my keys and ticket to the handover captain, who gave me a receipt to keep till my return. I’m quite a forgetful person and often lose things, so I made sure to put it safely in the inside pocket of my backpack straight away. This isn’t completely ‘Meet & Greet’ like I’ve experienced in Manchester before, where someone actually meets you curbside and you just hop out of your car. You actually have to park it yourself then hand over the keys.
However, the short stay car park itself is located right next to the terminal building, so once you’ve dropped off your keys all you have to do is hop in the lift and then walk across a walkway. Within minutes I was checking in my bags at the ANA check-in desk, so it was a lot more speedy than using a park and ride service.
I’ve used the off-site ‘park and ride’ car parks many a time and by the time you’ve waited for the shuttle bus, you almost feel like you could have taken a train or bus to the airport. Meet & Greet really takes the stress out of your journey, since you don’t have to worry about finding a space or allowing extra time to get to the airport. You simply rock up, drop your keys and you’re on your way. It may be a little more expensive but it’s really worth it for the convenience.
When I returned from Japan and exited Terminal 2 arrivals, I simply crossed the bridge again, hopped in the lift to the car park, then handed over my receipt to the handover captain. My car was ready and waiting in one of the allocated bays right next to the stand, so all I had to do was put my suitcases in the boot and before I knew it I was en route to central London.
My Verdict
I really like the convenience of driving to and from the airport. Psychologically there’s something nice about knowing that as soon as I’ve landed I can just hop in my car, put the music on and go straight home. No waiting for trains, no walking around with my heavy suitcases, and no sitting on the tube for an hour. If you’re coming from somewhere else outside of London, that’s even more reason to park at the airport.
I’d definitely use Meet & Greet at Heathrow again and Pink Elephant Parking Heathrow allows you to easily compare the options. They only recommend car parks with high levels of security and they have over 20 years of experience in airport parking, so you can be fairly sure your car will be in safe hands. Better still, you can save up to 60% on airport car parking services across the UK, including long or short stay options, Park & Ride and Meet and Greet services.
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Source: pommietravels.com