Additional Information
Some additional information about parking in central london, to cater to all your parking needs
On-street parking
On-street parking is unsurprisingly expensive in Central London, especially when compared to other areas of Greater London. Central London generally refers to the the City of London, The City of Westminster and parts of nearby surrounding boroughs, so parking does not come under the jurisdiction of just one borough council.
Each Borough Council will charge a different rate for on-street pay-and-display spaces, but you can expect to pay as much as £4.90 per hour in areas such as Soho or Hyde Park.
You can use the JustPark parking map to find information on available on-street parking spaces in Central London.
Location Operator Price Max Stay Little Newport Street Westminster City Council £4.90 / hour 4 hours Frith Street Westminster City Council £4.90 / hour 4 hours West Street Westminster City Council £4.90 / hour 4 hours Dean Street Westminster City Council £4.90 / hour 4 hours St Martin's Lane Westminster City Council £4.90 / hour 4 hours Off-street parking
Off-street car parks will charge a very high rate per hour or per day, with this increasing the closer you get to the central areas of London – with some starting at as much as £50 per day.
The City of London has 7 council-run off-street car parks within its borough, all starting at the same competitive hourly rate – with the exception of Billingsgate Market car park which operates a maximum stay of 2 hours.
NCP runs over 100 off-street car parks throughout London with many operating 24 hours a day, providing a cheap and convenient option when it comes to short-term parking within and near the city centre.
JustPark offers a range of reservable off-street spaces across Central London. You can browse these options and book a guaranteed space via our website or app.
Location Operator Price Max Stay China Town Westminster City Council £7.00 / hour Leicester Square Q-Park £7.00 / hour Brewer Street Westminster City Council £15.00 / hour Trafalgar Q-Park £7.00 / hour Soho Westminster City Council £7.00 / hour Public transport
Transport links in Central London can get very busy on early mornings and evenings, but are still very efficient regardless – providing a fantastic integrated public transport system that is unrivalled nationwide. You are never too far away from a tube station in Central London, and buses are also very regular and reliable.
Disabled parking
There are many options for disabled drivers when parking in Central London, with over 200 designated disabled bays in the City of London borough alone. However, in the City the Blue Badge scheme does not apply – so bear that in mind. (The Blue Badge scheme affords disabled drivers a number of benefits often including free parking and the option to park in permit-restricted spaces).
However, in the City of Westminster, the council provide a full list of conditions and fares for Blue Badge holders and disabled parking across their borough on The City of Westminster website.
Most off-street car parks in Central London do also provide disabled spaces but always check the facilities of each car park before you travel.
You can also filter when searching on JustPark to show all our parking spaces with disabled access in Central London (select this option by clicking ‘Filters’ on the search results page).
Parking restrictions & event days
It is not possible to park on-street in much of Central London, primarily to ease congestion. This is usually indicated by the presence of on-street red lines which signals that parking or stopping is prohibited.
Single red lines mean that parking and unloading is prohibited during specified times, whereas drivers are not allowed to stop on double red lines at any time on any day.
On-street pay-and-display spaces that are available usually operate from 8.30am-6.30pm, Monday-Saturday. Due to the limited number of spaces, many are reserved solely for residents and permit holders – so do check signs to ensure you do not receive an unexpected fine.
On the JustPark map, we’ll only show you spaces which you’re allowed to park in at the times you search for.
Overnight, weekends & bank holidays
Many off-street car parks in Central London offer overnight parking at an affordable rate due to the diverse demands of drivers in the capital city – with many operating 24 hours a day.
Overnight fares can be costly in some places but parking at any of NCP’s 24 hour car parks, or any of the City of London council’s car parks, can prove an affordable venture. Smithfield car park (West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9DS) is one such option that offers a very reasonable parking rate of £3 for any time over 3 hours between 9pm and 10am the following day.
Parking in on-street pay-and-display spaces on Bank Holidays and on Sundays is generally free of charge, such as in all of the City of Westminster bays – but some borough councils do still charge a fee, so always check on-street signs or online at the relevant council website.
Enter your dates and times on our search results page to see what’s available overnight.
Nearby attractions
Central London is one of the most densely populated and most visited areas in the world. Whether commuting daily into work or visiting for the day, Central London can be enjoyed by all as the vibrant heart of a thriving metropolis. London’s integrated transport system is an attraction in itself making seeing sights such as Big Ben, London Eye or Buckingham Palace incredibly easy.