Cruise Ports: Driving & Parking

Whether it’s because the port is close to you or you’re just not keen on starting your hols with airport stress, driving to a UK port can be a convenient – and cost-effective – way of kicking off your adventure.

Planning on making the drive to your nearest port? Great! This guide is for you. Over the course of this handy resource, we’ll guide you through what to expect when parking at your cruise port, how to make the journey there as smooth and stress-free as possible, and how parking differs at different cruise ports across the UK.

Is there parking at cruise ports?

It varies but for the most part, UK ports will have places to park your car. Your chosen cruise line will more than likely have connections with dedicated parking providers which will allow you to park your vehicle as safely and conveniently as possible.

There are other options available too. For instance, there may be off-site cruise car parks in the area that have their own free shuttles, or secure car parks nearby that require you to hop in a taxi to reach the main terminal.

Another option is valet parking or 'meet and greet' parking. Here, you'll leave your car by the ship and hand over your keys to a parking attendant, who'll then move it to a secure car park for you. However, this does come with some risks; there's often no way to know where they'll park your car, so the location could well be insecure and unsafe. For peace of mind, it's always worth going with trusted cruise parking providers.

How much to park at cruise ports?

The amount you’ll have to pay at cruise ports across the UK will, of course, differ by both location and proximity to the port itself. Generally, the further you park your car from the cruise terminal, the cheaper your parking will be.

Let’s take a look at what you can expect to pay across a variety of locations found in or around the UK’s various cruise ports.

How much to park at cruise ports?

The cost of parking at Southampton cruise port

Where?	How much for 7 nights?	Transfer to ship
Cruise terminal	Starts from £69	Walking distance
Off-site cruise parking	Starts from £42	Free shuttle
Hotel with parking	Starts from £150	Free shuttle or taxi
Alternative parking	Starts from £25	Taxi

The cost of parking at Liverpool cruise port

Where?	How much for 7 nights?	Transfer to ship
Cruise Terminal	Around £44	Walking distance
M&S Bank Arena	£65	Walking distance
Kind Park	£25	Taxi or uber

How much to park at cruise ports?

The cost of parking at Dover cruise port

Where?	How much for 7 nights?	Transfer to ship
Cruise terminal	Around £84.70	Shuttle bus
Off-site cruise parking	Around £40.25	Shuttle bus
Alternative parking	Around £14	Bus or taxi

The cost of parking at Newcastle cruise port

Where?	How much for 7 nights?	Transfer to ship
Cruise terminal	£84	Walking distance
Newcastle Airport	£43	Taxi or metro
Alternative parking	Around £10.50	Bus or taxi
Hotel with parking	Starts from £34	Shuttle or bus

How to make driving to cruises easier

Plan breaks

Whether you’re on your own, in a couple, with your pals or travelling as a family, when nature calls, it really calls. If you find you’re on a stretch of road and someone needs the loo, then prepare yourself for complaints and belly aches aplenty. Keep backseat gripers at bay by planning your pit stops before you set off; consult a map ahead of time and make a note of any services along the way.

And if the drive is especially long, then be sure to plan breaks so that big and small legs can have a stretch.

Drive at night

No one wants to be stuck in gridlock at the start of their holidays. If you want to keep those stress levels low, then it might be worth setting off in the early hours. Not only will you skip the traffic, but you’ll also have the added benefit of peace and quiet too – everyone else in the car will be too sleepy to speak!

Pack with a strategy in mind

If you’re staying in a hotel ahead of your cruise, then you might be concerned about hoofing everyone’s luggage packhorse-style to and from the hotel. With a bit of strategic thinking, though, there’s no need to take on this mammoth task. Instead, try packing a separate bag with only the items you need for the night. You’ll have all your essentials with you, and you won’t need to go rummaging through that big bag of luggage to find something as small as a pack of dental floss.

The majority of hotels offer a luggage drop service, so you can leave your main bag with reception overnight. That means minimal heavy lifting – because nobody needs to be putting their back out before they’ve even stepped on the ship.

Bring along entertainment options

Of all the words to hear on a road trip, “are we there yet?” is what any driver dreads the most. If the drive is more than a few hours long, then you’re bound to hear them more than once too.

To keep those not-so-magic words from being uttered by your little ones, make sure you’ve brought plenty of entertainment options with you.

A tablet with their favourite movies on it should keep them distracted, but if you don’t fancy them having too much screen time, then audiobooks or child-friendly podcasts are a good idea too. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the classics either. I Spy is a car ride favourite for a reason.

Be ready for emergencies

From rumbling stomachs to car sickness, there are plenty of unforeseen occurrences that can happen on a road trip. Luckily, you can cover all the bases by properly preparing for certain situations.

Be sure to pack snacks, extra clothes for any spills or accidents, a first-aid kit, and anything that might help with carsickness. A plastic bag or a bucket can also come in handy if any passengers get queasy too.

As for the car, make sure you have a kit with jump cables, a high-vis jacket, and a tyre repair kit or spare wheel. Of course, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with all of these before you set off on the journey.