October Half Term 2026: Book Your Airport Parking Before the 26–30 October Rush

October half term is the last school-holiday getaway window before Christmas, and for most English local authorities it falls on Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 (a handful of councils and academy trusts run a different week, so it's worth checking your own school's calendar). For UK airports, that means a week-long surge in departures — and a corresponding squeeze on parking availability.

Why this one catches people out

Half term feels further away than a bank holiday weekend, so it's easy to leave booking parking until you're sorting out the rest of the trip. But because it's a full week rather than a long weekend, popular lots at the busier terminals — valet and meet-and-greet in particular, since they're the smallest-capacity options — tend to sell through their cheaper availability earlier relative to the date than they would for a single weekend.

• Meet-and-greet and valet bays are the first to go at popular terminals — book these earliest if that's the transfer type you want.
• Park & ride and long-stay compounds usually hold cheaper availability for longer, and are worth comparing even if you'd normally book valet.
• If you're driving from further afield, factor in that half term traffic around the airport itself tends to build earlier in the day than a normal weekday.

It's still six-plus weeks out from today, which is exactly the point — search your airport now, lock in a rate, and free cancellation on most listings means you're not losing anything if your plans shift before the 26th.