At a glance
- Free
- First 10 minutes in the outdoor car park; free 10-minute pick-up bays in the red outdoor car park
- Outdoor
- $8.70 for 2 to 3 hours; $32.50 for 7 hours to 1 day; $166.00 for 7 days
- Indoor
- $14.20 for 2 to 3 hours; $44.50 for 7 hours to 24 hours; $199.00 for 7 days
- Express
- $3.50 for 0 to 20 minutes; $52.50 for 5 to 24 hours
- Hours
- Open from 4:00am; close 30 minutes after the last flight arrives
- Height limit
- 2.3m in the multi-level indoor car parks
- How to pay
- Tap or insert a credit card at entry and exit, or take a ticket; cash at pay machines only
- Help
- Customer service (02) 6275 2226
Canberra Airport has four public car parks plus an Express car park, and the cheapest is outdoor parking, which is free for the first 10 minutes and costs $32.50 for a stay of 7 hours up to a day, as of 1 July 2026. Indoor parking at the terminal costs $44.50 for the same period, and the Express car park starts at $3.50 for up to 20 minutes.
This guide collects the rates, hours, payment rules and pick-up options from the Canberra Airport parking page and the airport’s rates pages, all read on Thursday 22 October 2026. The airport states that its rates are correct as of 1 July 2026.
How much does parking cost at Canberra Airport?
The airport publishes separate rate tables for outdoor, indoor and Express parking. Here are the hourly and daily rates for each. The 2 to 3 hour row is a handy comparison: outdoor is $8.70, indoor is $14.20 and Express is $15.00.
Outdoor parking rates
| Time | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 minutes | Free |
| 11 to 20 minutes | $2.10 |
| 20 to 40 minutes | $3.10 |
| 41 to 60 minutes | $4.10 |
| 1 to 1.5 hours | $5.10 |
| 1.5 to 2 hours | $6.50 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $8.70 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $13.80 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $17.00 |
| 5 to 6 hours | $20.50 |
| 6 to 7 hours | $23.50 |
| 7 hours to 1 day | $32.50 |
| 2 days | $64.50 |
| 3 days | $96.00 |
| 4 days | $126.00 |
| 5 days | $144.00 |
| 6 days | $156.00 |
| 7 days | $166.00 |
| 8 days | $174.00 |
| 9 days | $184.00 |
| 10 days | $194.00 |
| Each additional day | $5.00 per day |
Indoor parking rates
| Time | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 minutes | $3.10 |
| 21 to 40 minutes | $4.20 |
| 41 to 60 minutes | $5.30 |
| 1 to 1.5 hours | $8.50 |
| 1.5 to 2 hours | $10.80 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $14.20 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $18.50 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $25.50 |
| 5 to 6 hours | $30.50 |
| 6 to 7 hours | $38.00 |
| 7 hours to 24 hours | $44.50 |
| 2 days | $82.00 |
| 3 days | $118.50 |
| 4 days | $155.00 |
| 5 days | $175.00 |
| 6 days | $187.00 |
| 7 days | $199.00 |
| 8 days | $212.00 |
| 9 days | $228.00 |
| 10 days | $244.00 |
| Each additional day | $10.00 per day |
Express parking rates
| Time | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 minutes | $3.50 |
| 21 to 40 minutes | $4.00 |
| 41 to 60 minutes | $5.00 |
| 1 to 1.5 hours | $7.00 |
| 1.5 to 2 hours | $10.00 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $15.00 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $20.00 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $30.50 |
| 5 to 24 hours | $52.50 |
| Two days | $100.00 |
| Three days | $147.00 |
| Four days | $195.00 |
| Each additional day | $17.00 per day |
The Express table stops at four days, then adds $17.00 for each additional day. The airport’s rate pages do not list a weekly Express rate.
Which car park is which?
The airport colour-codes its car parks:
- Indoor: two multi-level car parks at the terminal, coloured BLUE and GREEN, with direct access to the arrivals and departures levels. Each has 1,000 spaces, and the height restriction is 2.3m.
- Outdoor: two car parks near the terminal, coloured RED and YELLOW, with 450 spaces each.
- Express: on the ground floor of an indoor car park, a covered walk of about 20 metres from the arrivals hall, with a waiting lounge.
The airport says the indoor car parks are the closest to the terminal, and that all public car parks are within walking distance of it. A parking guidance system shows the number of free spaces on each level of the indoor car parks, and red and green ceiling lights show which bays are free.
The airport’s own pages disagree about the Express car park colour
The main parking page says Express parking is on the ground floor of the PURPLE indoor car park. The dropping-off and picking-up page says the Express Pick-Up Lounge is on the ground floor of the GREEN Indoor Car Park. The pages describe the same 20-metre covered walk from the arrivals hall, so follow the signs to the Express Pick-Up Lounge and check the signs on arrival rather than relying on the colour.
Is there free parking for picking someone up?
Yes, for 10 minutes. The airport’s Free 10-Minute Passenger Pick-Up area is in the red outdoor car park, a two-minute walk from the arrivals hall. Vehicles can park in the dedicated bays for up to 10 minutes at no charge, and vehicles that stay longer pay normal parking rates.
To use it you need to enter the car park either with a credit card or by taking a ticket. If you took a ticket, insert it at the exit within 10 minutes to leave free of charge. A stay over 10 minutes needs payment at the pay machines before you exit.
Drop-off and the Express pick-up lounge
Passengers can be dropped off along the upper roadway, a short walk from the upper-level Departures Hall and the airline check-in points. For pick-ups, the Express Pick-Up Lounge is the paid option: you take an entry ticket and pay your nominated fee at the pay machines, or use your credit card at the entry and exit boom gates. The airport says you can meet your collector in the baggage hall or in the car park, or wait in the lounge if they have not arrived.
What hours are the car parks open?
The car parks open at 4:00am each day. The main parking page says they close 30 minutes after the last flight’s arrival. The rates page gives a slightly different wording: they close 30 minutes after the last flight arrives or 30 minutes after all international passengers have been processed, whichever is the latest. If you are collecting someone from a late flight, the later of the two is the safer figure.
How do I pay?
The airport offers ticketless parking: tap or insert your credit card at the entry boom gate instead of taking a ticket, then tap or insert the same card at the exit boom gate, which gives a receipt and opens. Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Diners Club are accepted. If you expect the fee to be more than $100, or you are using Amex or Diners Club, the airport asks you to insert the card rather than tap it.
Ticketed parking is still available. Take a ticket at entry and pay at a pay machine before you leave. According to the airport, the pay machines accept all coins except 5 cent coins and all notes except $100 notes, give change and issue receipts. If you want to pay by credit card at the pay machines or the exit gate, take a ticket on entry. Cash cannot be used at the exit gates, where payment is by credit card only.
Can I prebook?
Yes. Online bookings are available through the airport’s prebooking site. The airport’s FAQ lists these conditions:
- You do not get an allocated space. You park in any available space in the car park named on your booking.
- Prebooking accepts all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and debit cards. Cash is not accepted for online bookings.
- You can change a booking up to 24 hours before the scheduled entry time, by logging in and choosing My Reservations.
- Cancelling less than 24 hours before the booking time incurs a fee.
- If you stay longer than your booking, for example after a flight delay, you pay an additional rate when exiting.
- If the booking QR code is not recognised at entry, take a ticket, keep your booking number ready and press the help button at the exit gate, which the airport says is staffed 24 hours a day.
- The airport recommends using the vehicle registered on the booking. The QR code in the booking confirmation can be used if you bring a different vehicle.
Other things to know
- Accessible spaces: there are designated accessible spaces in the indoor and outdoor car parks. They cannot be pre-booked and are first come, first served, in designated areas near lift lobbies or pedestrian access points.
- Motorcycles: motorcycles can park, and standard parking rates apply.
- Oversized vehicles: vehicles towing trailers or oversized vehicles can use the outdoor car parks, and the airport asks you to contact customer service in advance.
- Breakdowns: press the help button at any pay station or boom gate, or call (02) 6275 2226.
- Lost ticket: go to the customer service booth near the car park exits, where you may need to give your vehicle registration details.
- Bicycles: there is a bicycle rack on the ground floor of the covered blue car park, next to the rental car park entrance. Bicycles left outside the rack area are removed.
- Annual business pass: the specials page offers fixed-price weekday parking from 5am to 11pm; the airport gives a contact link for enquiries.
- Long weekend offer: the airport’s October 2026 long weekend special covered entry and exit between 2 and 5 October, so it has ended.
Is the bus cheaper?
Rapid 3 runs between the airport and the City seven days a week, and an adult weekday trip costs $3.41 at peak and $2.70 off-peak. See our Canberra Airport to City Rapid 3 guide for times and the fares guide for how MyWay+ pays work.
Sources
- Canberra Airport — Parking (checked 22 October 2026)
- Canberra Airport — Outdoor parking rates (rates correct as of 1 July 2026)
- Canberra Airport — Indoor parking rates (rates correct as of 1 July 2026)
- Canberra Airport — Express parking rates (rates correct as of 1 July 2026)
- Canberra Airport — Parking rates
- Canberra Airport — Parking specials
- Canberra Airport — Dropping-off and picking-up
- Canberra Airport — Bicycle parking
- Transport Canberra — Fares
Featured image: Canberra Airport terminal seen from the airside (photo: Bidgee / CC BY-SA 3.0 au) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Canberra Airport or Transport Canberra. Parking rates and conditions can change; check the signs at the car park and the official pages above.