Airport drop off and pick up

[Gone Fishing]

The most recent thread on this subject is from a couple of years ago and Tamara's answer was based on info. from four years previous to that, so just wondering what our best options are for drop off and pick up at the airport?

Will need to drop off our daughter who is staying with us for her return flight and then the following week pick up our son and his partner who are coming out for a week's stay.

I was wondering if we could use the hire car spaces, opposite arrivals / departures, as we have a hire car from Payless for the duration of our stay.

Any info. or suggestions will be a great help
Thanks in advance.
GF

[Cotillo_Tom]

There is a drop-off/pick-up lane, that is free to use, at the airport. As you drive towards the terminal, be in the central lane (left lane is for the pay to park area, right lane is for coaches and taxis to drop off). Sometimes you will be lucky and find a space, sometimes not. I will circuit three times before I give up and go into the paying car park. It depends on the time of day/number of flights arriving and departing.

I think that is a 20 minute wait limit but I've never seen it being enforced. Many drivers "double park", blocking the lane just to deliver a passenger.

Second choice is to take the left lane, take a ticket at the barrier and park in the paying area. It is very cheap, I don't think I've paid more that 1e, but it depends how long you are there. When you drop off, is it get the luggage out quickly and say bye, or are you walking over to the terminal, escorting to the check in and then having a coffee?

Third choice, as you have a hire car, pull into the hire car area, park up, collect or deliver loved ones and then depart. I have done that before when hiring a Cicar car, but now I own my own car, it is not an option for me.

Tom.

[Gone Fishing]

Hi Tom
Many thanks for your comprehensive and very helpful reply.

I think your first suggestion would work for the drop off and goodbyes and I'll use the rental car park for the pick up part of the equation.

Thanks again

GF

[Johnrgby]

I agree with tom I have been using that lane 5 or 6 times a year for 8/9 years, for drop offs and pick ups, although there are signs that say you will be towed, it has never happened to me or any one else while I have been there.

[Gone Fishing]

The drop off lane, as per Tom & John's suggestions, worked perfectly - approx 50% spaces available outside the departures entrance doors at 9:00 am on Wednesday morning.

Thanks again for the tip

GF

[Gone Fishing]

Well, using the rental car spaces was a bit of a faff, mainly because you need a ticket to exit and the ANPR system recognises a hire car and let's it in, but does not issue an exit ticket on arrival.

To obtain an exit ticket you have to go to a manned kiosk within the car park, ask for an exit ticket, provide the car registration details, which are then cross-checked to determine time of entry, then an exit ticket is printed out and the payment calculated. In our case it was 70c for approx. 30 minutes.