Parking in Britain can be very complicated. There are lots of different regulations to follow, and sometimes it can be hard knowing where you can park. Restricted parking areas are heavily monitored and fines can be very expensive.
Red & yellow lines
Single and double yellow and red lines along the edge of the road are used to show where you can and can't park.
- Single yellow lines: there are restrictions on parking at certain times. You can pull over on a single yellow line to let a passenger in or out of the car, but the driver mustn't get out. Check the signs on the road to find out parking restriction times.
- Double yellow lines: You can't park at any time.
- Single red lines: You can't park or STOP at certain times.
- Double red lines: You can't park or STOP at any time.
To find out what other road markings mean, visit our road signs page.
Car parks
Car parks are a great (often secure) alternative to on-street parking and there are thousands across Britain. Some are free, but you'll usually have to pay. Fares vary depending on location and time.
Car parks can be found at railway stations, airports, and large supermarkets, or simply in an area where extra parking is needed. For car park servicing a particular company, you usually have to be a customer to use them. For most car parks there's a time restraint on how long you can stay.
In most car parks, there is a tariff board on display at the entrance which tells you how much it costs to park. The cost usually rises with every hour of your stay, and you pay on the way out.
If you're parking in an unknown area, it's best to find a car park with security, and make sure you never leave any valuables on display in your car.
To find a car park in Britain, visit National Car Parks (www.ncp.co.uk/multimapform.aspx) and Carparks4u (www.carparks4u.com).
Pay & display
Pay and display is a parking system where you buy a ticket for a certain amount of parking time. Pay and display is used for on-street parking, car parks, and wherever you see the pay and display sign.
Pay and display prices depend on location and time. The machine will tell you cost-per-minute for parking. As you insert money into the machine, a clock display will show ticket expiry time. Simply keep inserting money until the display shows the time you want to leave the car park.
There is usually a button to press which prints your ticket. You must clearly display the ticket on the dashboard, windscreen, or passenger window. You must remove your car or pay for more time before your allocated time on your ticket runs out (the time is printed clearly on your ticket).