Parking at Heathrow has always been expensive, and when it comes to convenience, there have previously been few options aside from the official airport parking. Short term parking is fairly reasonable, and of course convenient. However long term parking has always been prohibitively expensive. Recently with the increasing use of Web 2.0 sites and mobile phone SMS communication, a new alternative has arisen for cheap parking at Heathrow, which wasn’t possible just a few years ago.
At Heathrow airport there are a number of people living very close that will let you park on their drive for as little as £3 per day. Rather than leave their driveways empty, they offer them to airport travelers for long term cheap parking at Heathrow. This is certainly the cheapest parking at Heathrow airport, and is flexible too. In addition these local residents provide a shuttle service direct to the terminal building which is only a 5-minute drive away. They also pick you up upon your return. You can SMS text them when you are waiting for your bags and when you walk out someone will be waiting for you.
It is a win-win situation as both residents and travelers benefit. There is a website which provides a meeting place for driveway owners and people that need cheap parking at Heathrow. Using Google Maps (which can be found at http://maps.google.co.uk/), the system lets travelers view exactly where they are going to be parked. It includes a rating system for users to rate their service, so you know what to expect. This really is an excellent way to save money when parking. The service is also available at other major airports in the UK.