Short Stay Airport Parking

£69.99 a day to avoid the bus and just walk

Short Stay Airport Parking at Stansted is the pay-more, walk-in option: roughly a 10–12 minute walk to the terminal instead of waiting 5–15 minutes for a shuttle. Think business trips, early flights, or tight returns where that extra 20–30 minutes of faff matters more than the £69.99 daily rate.

This is official on-airport short stay, split into zones: Red (closest to security), Orange (closest to arrivals), Green and Green multistorey near arrivals, and Blue, which regulars call a “tediously long walk from arrivals” but still walkable. All are post-barrier, no bus required, and FlyerTalk users peg the walk at around 10 minutes if you park sensibly within your zone.

Headline issue is price: drive-up short stay can run to £69.99 per day and is repeatedly called “relatively expensive” in forums. Frequent flyers say pre‑booking online can drop that cost sharply, even for a single overnight, and some report savings of tens of pounds versus the same stay on gate pricing.

Zones behave differently. Red short stay is nearest to security and favoured by time‑poor regulars on employer-paid trips. Orange sits nearest to arrivals for quicker returns through the doors. Green multistorey and Blue are the “cheapest option without a bus,” with one user saying they routinely drive up to Green multistorey as it’s “not that far from arrivals” and still an easy walk.

Tech detail: ANPR occasionally misses a plate on entry, so one Purple Parking review mentions having to take a paper ticket. The same review says the system still recognised the pre‑booked stay on exit, so no overcharge, but it’s worth keeping your confirmation email handy in case you need help at the barrier.

Tip: Book short stay directly in advance, pick Red for quickest security access or Green/Blue to trim the bill, and allow a full 10 minutes’ walk back to your car when planning your arrival time at the terminal doors.