Despite the Easter holidays getting off to a bad start amid airport strikes and flight price hikes due to the war in Iran, many Europeans are still expected to hit the road.
Airlines like easyJet have announced this will be their busiest Easter ever, with nearly 30,000 flights throughout Europe.
Last year, the biggest increase in EU air passenger traffic was registered between March and April, with a rise of 18.9%, according to Eurostat data.
But while factoring in flights and accommodation to your holiday budget is par for the course, it’s easy to ignore the cost of airport parking.
The UK and the Netherlands are the European countries with the most expensive parking in the 30 busiest airports in Europe, according to a new study from the e-vignette motorway toll site VignetteSwitzerland.com.
London Stansted Airport emerges as Europe’s most expensive for 24-hour parking, charging around €66 (£57.99).
However, not all airports in the city charge the same prices.
For instance, a traveller parking at London Stansted will pay nearly double what they would at London Heathrow — Europe’s busiest airport.
Manchester Airport is the second most expensive place to park at around €58 per day, followed by Amsterdam Schiphol, which charges €55.
The difference in parking prices across Europe is also striking.
London Stansted’s 24-hour rate is nearly 50% more expensive than Copenhagen Airport, at around €35.75 (DKK 267), and substantially higher than Oslo Gardermoen Airport, at around €34.88 (NOK 412).
Waiting to embark might be longer than expected
The differences don’t stop at parking prices: both Manchester and London Stansted airports are among the top three worst airports in the UK for Easter flight delays.
At both airports, almost a third of flights were delayed over the Easter period, with delays lasting more than 15 minutes, according to UK Civil Aviation Authority data.
In the European Union, Athens and Lisbon airports recorded the most delays in April 2025 due to aerodrome capacity restrictions, according to Eurocontrol, the bloc’s air traffic agency.