How to Prepare Your Car for Meet and Greet Parking

Separate the car key or fob from your house keys, work keys and unrelated access tags. Check the booking instructions for what you must hand over, including any alarm fob or device needed to start the vehicle.

Test that the key unlocks and starts the car without relying on your phone being nearby. If a key-battery warning appears, deal with it before travelling, following the vehicle manufacturer’s guidance.

Write down any essential operating instructions: an unusual start sequence, an immobiliser procedure or how to release the parking brake. Ask the operator how to share sensitive access information rather than leaving it visibly inside the car. Do not share your main vehicle-app password.

Before loading the car, put passports, travel documents, medication, wallets, phones and anything needed during the flight in bags that will leave the vehicle with you. Check door pockets, the centre console, glovebox, seat pockets and the space beneath seats.

Remove valuables and unnecessary personal paperwork. Check the operator’s terms before leaving other possessions: do not assume items left inside are covered against loss or damage.

Keep essential medicines accessible rather than buried in the boot. Our [guide to taking medication through airport security](/guides/taking-medication-through-airport-security) covers what to prepare for the next stage of your journey.

If you are removing a child seat or pushchair at handover, pack so you can reach it without unloading everything into a vehicle lane.

The driver will need to move your car, so leave enough fuel or battery charge for that movement and your onward journey after collection. Check the product instructions for any requirements; do not assume refuelling or charging is included.

Before departure: - Check tyres, lights and fluid levels as you would before any airport journey. - Investigate warning lights, starting problems or known faults rather than leaving them for handover. - Tell the operator about any issue that could affect safe driving or parking, and confirm whether the vehicle can be accepted. - Declare vehicle dimensions or modifications if requested, including roof boxes or bike racks.

For an electric vehicle, review manufacturer guidance on leaving it parked. Consider whether optional monitoring or climate features could drain the battery while you are away.

Read the arrival instructions before you drive. Confirm your registration, travel dates, departure and return terminals, meeting point and contact number. Save the details somewhere you can access without mobile data.

Use the meeting point in your booking instructions, not a generic terminal postcode or an assumption that any drop-off lane is suitable. Check whether airport access charges apply and whether they are included in your booking.

Follow any instructions about calling ahead, but only make calls when safely parked or through a passenger. If you are delayed or cannot find the meeting point, contact the operator before stopping somewhere unsuitable.

Before releasing the keys, confirm that the person receiving the car is the expected representative using your booking details and the operator’s verification procedure.

Allow time to unload, check the cabin and complete the handover record before heading into the terminal. Once the car is safely parked, take clear photographs of the exterior, wheels and any existing marks. Record the dashboard mileage and fuel or charge level too.

Where a joint inspection is provided, walk around the car with the representative. Read the condition record and ask for missing marks or incorrect details to be corrected before you sign. If the handover is digital or no joint inspection is offered, ask how existing damage is recorded.

Keep your own photographs alongside the receipt or confirmation; they do not replace the operator’s handover process. Before leaving, check that every passenger has their bags and that you have the collection instructions and contact details.

Follow the collection instructions rather than assuming the car will be waiting as soon as your flight lands. If you need help planning the steps between landing and collection, see our [guide to UK airport arrivals](/guides/uk-airport-arrivals-passport-control-baggage-customs).

When the car is returned, inspect it in a safe place before driving away. Compare its condition with your handover record, check for warning lights and review the mileage and fuel or charge level. Some mileage change is expected because the vehicle has been driven to and from its parking location.

Raise any concern promptly with the representative and use the operator’s reporting procedure. Photograph the issue, retain the paperwork and note who you spoke to. Before moving off, adjust the seat and mirrors and check that any child seats are correctly fitted.