How Melbourne Airport Parking Rates Actually Work

You’ve booked your flight, checked your terminal and worked out what time to leave home. But then comes the parking cost. How much you end up paying for airport parking depends on more than the car park name. Your travel dates, entry time, exit time, how far in advance you book and length of stay all shape the rate.

A short business trip out of Victoria will usually come with different parking needs than a week away overseas. While some travellers want the lowest parking rate, others are willing to pay more for the shortest walk to the terminal. At Melbourne Airport, we have onsite parking options built around those different needs, but what changes the actual cost?

Melbourne Airport’s parking rates are calculated on a 24-hour basis from the time you enter the car park. At the Terminal Car Parks, Premium Car Parks, and Melbourne Airport Valet, short-term rates apply if your stay is under 6 hours. For longer stays, the daily rate structure takes over, and your total builds from there.

That means if you park from 10 AM to 3 PM (5 hours), you're on the short-term rate. Park from 10 AM to 7 PM (9 hours), and you're into the daily rate, which counts as one full 24-hour period from when you drove in.

The Value North and Value South Car Parks carry the lowest daily rate. Unlike other options, they don't have tiered short-term rates. You pay the same flat daily rate whether you're parked for an hour or the full 24 hours.

For drive-up customers, the one exception to the 24-hour structure is Qantas Valet. Unlike every other onsite car park, Qantas Valet is calculated on a calendar-day basis. That means each new calendar day counts as a full day, regardless of what time you arrived.

Drop your car off at 9 PM on a Monday, for example, and Monday is already one day. Tuesday is the next, no matter what time you leave. But if you booked online, the pricing is calculated per 24 hours. So that same 9 PM drop-off gives you until 9 PM Tuesday before a second day begins.

The car park you choose shapes what you pay. Melbourne Airport's onsite parking options are each priced differently depending on where they sit in the precinct, with some closer to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and others positioned near Terminal 4. The closer you park to the terminal, the more the rate reflects that convenience.

Yes. Booking Melbourne Airport parking online gives you the best rate and is often a better rate than paying at the gate. Depending on how far in advance you book, online rates are often lower than drive-up rates, and if you lock it in early, the rate can get even better still.

Here's what you get with an online booking:

• Access to better online rates. No promo code required or limited window to catch. Those savings are there every time you book ahead of travel day.
• The earlier you book, the better the rate. Book parking weeks or months ahead of your trip, and you'll pay a lower rate.
• No booking fees or credit card fees. That means what you see at checkout is what you pay. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay are all accepted.
• Choose your car park way ahead of your trip. Drive up on the day, and popular options can fill up, especially during school holidays or long weekends. With an online booking, your airport parking is sorted before you leave home.
• Every online booking includes a grace period. For stays under 4 hours, you get a 1-hour buffer on either side of your booked window. For stays over 4 hours, that buffer extends to 2 hours on both ends. That grace period applies automatically, so if the drive in takes longer than expected or your return flight runs late, you won't be charged extra within that window.
• The Overstay Guarantee is also available as an optional add-on at the time of booking, covering overstay charges if your return is delayed.

You can pre-book parking online up to 12 months before your trip. You'll then receive a QR code in your email, which you'll scan at the boom gate on the way in and again on the way out. No card to tap or ticket to grab.

If you stay beyond your booked exit time, the grace period built into your booking gives you a window before any extra charges apply. That’s 1 hour if your booked time is less than 4 hours and 2 hours for longer stays. Once that window passes, overstay charges kick in at drive-up rates. If you know you need more time before your booked exit, you can extend your stay online via the My Bookings page at any time while you're still parked.

For trips where the return leg is genuinely out of your hands, the Overstay Guarantee, which you can add during booking, gives you extra peace of mind. For a small upfront fee, it covers overstay charges if your return is delayed by a flight cancellation where no replacement was offered, a government-mandated border closure or a physical illness or incapacity that prevents you from flying home.

To claim, visit the Melbourne Airport Parking Refunds page, submit your booking reference and upload supporting documentation from your airline or medical provider. Approved refunds are processed within 14 working days.

Choosing which Melbourne Airport parking option matches your trip depends on three things: how much to spend, how close you want to be to your terminal and how much of the parking process you want to handle yourself. Those three shape a different parking experience for a quick business trip than they do for a longer getaway.

• Value Car Parks: Melbourne Airport's most affordable onsite option and the natural choice for long-term parking. Both are open-air car parks serving different parts of the precinct. The Value North Car Park is accessible from Airport Drive or Mercer Drive, with its free bus stopping near Terminal 1 (for Qantas domestic or a short walk to Terminal 2 for international flights) and near Terminal 4 (for Jetstar, Rex and Link Airways or a short walk to Terminal 3 for Virgin Australia). The Value South Car Park is better suited to travellers flying from Terminal 3 (Virgin Australia) or Terminal 4, with its free bus service running directly to the T4 Transport Hub. Both shuttle services run every 15 minutes, 24/7.
• Terminal Car Parks: Two locations, each close to the terminals they serve. The T123 Terminal Car Park connects to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 via a covered link bridge, giving you easy access to check-in, whether you're flying Qantas from T1, heading off internationally from T2 or catching a Virgin Australia flight from T3. The T4 Terminal Car Park is just 100 metres from Terminal 4, a few minutes' walk from the terminal entrance, and suits travellers flying with Jetstar, Rex, Link Airways or some Virgin Australia flights. Both have a mix of open-air and undercover parking bays.
• Premium Car Parks: Located on Level 1 of both the T123 and T4 Car Parks, the fully undercover parking spaces here are the closest self-parking bays to the terminal entry points. Just drive up, park your car, keep your keys, and you'll be a short walk from your terminal.
• Melbourne Airport Valet: Available 24/7 from Level 1 of the T123 Car Park, closest to Terminal 3. Drive in, hand your keys to the valet team and head straight to your terminal. If you'd rather not think about parking from the moment you arrive, this is the one. It’s open to all travellers, with optional car cleaning available while you're away.
• Qantas Valet: Also on Level 1 of the T123 Car Park, positioned closest to the Terminal 1 entrance for Qantas. Just drive in, leave your keys with the staff and head to your terminal. It’s closest to Qantas check-in, but it’s also open to all travellers. Optional car cleaning is also available here.

Got mobility needs? Melbourne Airport has Accessible Parking bays across all our car parks. A valid Accessible Parking Permit must be displayed. Need help getting from the car park to check-in? Pre-book special assistance from our Melbourne Airport Assist team.

Not parking today? If you're here to pick up someone, the Free Wait Zone on Mercer Drive, just off the Tullamarine Freeway, gives you up to 60 minutes of free parking while you wait.

A lot of the uncertainty around Melbourne Airport parking rates comes down to not knowing what shapes them, from how the daily rate is calculated to which car park suits your trip and your budget. Before you drive in, visit the Melbourne Airport Parking & Transport page to compare current rates, check availability and choose the option that fits your trip.

Still have questions about your booking, payment or entry details? Our Parking FAQs page has quick answers to the most commonly asked questions. You can also subscribe to our Parking Deals newsletter for special parking offers, tips and updates or follow Melbourne Airport on social media.