Parking

Details of coach parking facilities, London theatres, places of interest and public toilets are available on our interactive coach parking map.

Different visitor attractions in London have different parking rules so drivers should familiarise themselves with arrangements for parking at popular sites and places of interest.

Key sites and places of interest

A number of places - including Madame Tussauds, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum and some hotels on Cromwell Road - have 20 minute set down and pick up bays outside or nearby.

Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard
City of London
Congestion Charge zone
London airports
London Eye
Royal parks
Shaftesbury Avenue
St Pancras International
Theatres
Tower of London
Victoria coach ban
Victoria Coach Station
Westminster Abbey
Whitehall and Parliament Square

Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard

This area can get very busy with coaches so please only stop along Buckingham Gate (south side) to set down and pick up your passengers.

North side

No stopping

South side

09:30 to 16:30 is set down and pick up only
08:30 to 09:30 and 16:30 to 19:30 there is no stopping (alternative parking at Tothill Street and Park Lane)

By moving on once you have set down or picked up you will allow other coaches to do the same, thereby ensuring a constant flow of traffic.

Coach parking bays are located nearby in Park Lane, Tothill Street, Horseferry Road and Victoria Embankment.

You can also park your coach on the Mall, North Horse Ride during the Guard Change. The cost is £18.55 and you can get permits from the address below:

Royal Parks Office
The Storeyard
Horseguards Road
St James's Park
London SW1A 2BJ
Tel: 020 7930 1793
Fax: 020 7747 4708
Website: Royal parks

City of London

No waiting between 18:30 and 08:00 except in the on-street coach parking spaces. Access to the City of London is via police controlled points, where you may be stopped for a short period of time.

Congestion Charge zone

Vehicles with nine or more seats that are registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) as either tax class 'Buses' or 'Reduced Pollution Buses' are fully exempt from the Congestion Charge.

Vehicles with nine or more seats that are not registered with the DVLA in one of the above tax classes must register with TfL to qualify for the 100 per cent discount. This includes internationally registered coaches.

London airports

For up to date information on coach and group travel parking at Heathrow visit the Heathrow Airport website.

For up to date information on coach and group travel parking at Stansted visit the Stansted Airport website.

London Eye

A free coach permit system works here. There are coach bays in Belvedere Road and permits are issued by Madame Tussauds. Tel: 0870 990 8886.

Royal parks drive-through permits

You must display a valid permit in your coach windscreen to use the following routes:

St James's Park and Green Park via the Mall Monday - Saturday only
Enter via Admiralty Arch at Trafalgar Square
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
Between Victoria Gate and Alexandra Gate only

Permits cost £13.93 and you can get them from:

Royal Parks Office
The Storeyard
Horseguards Road
St James's Park
London SW1A 2BJ
Tel: 020 7930 1793
Fax: 020 7747 4708
Web: Royal parks

Shaftesbury Avenue

Parking attendants will grant some leeway between Piccadilly and Charing Cross Road, if you observe the following informal arrangements:

Set down on the north (eastbound)
Pick up on the south (westbound) towards Piccadilly with the group ready to board

St Pancras International

You can access Coach Road from Pancras Road. Space is not always available so we recommend you pre-book by contacting station reception on 020 7843 4250.

You can only use the bays if setting down and picking up passengers using the station.

Theatres

Do not arrive to pick up until at least 10 minutes after the show has finished. If you arrive too early you could stop other drivers from picking their passengers up.

Use the interactive coach map to see where you can park near theatres.

Tower of London

There are 15 minute set down and pick up bays in the coach park in Lower Thames Street. Limited paid parking during the day is available with more spaces overnight.

Victoria coach ban

If you're coming into Elizabeth Street from Buckingham Palace Road you can't drive south beyond the access point to the Bulleid Way Green Line terminal.

Alternative routes are eastbound along Buckingham Palace Road, Ebury Bridge Road then Chelsea Bridge Road.

Exemptions:

National Express services that have booked stops at Pimlico Tube station
Buses and coaches have access to some buildings in the ban zone, eg schools and hotels
TfL bus routes are unaffected by this ban
The ban is enforced by Westminster City Council using CCTV cameras

Download a map of the ban area (PDF 471KB)

Victoria Coach Station

Victoria Coach Station (VCS) offers convenient short-term and overnight parking, toilet drop and maintenance facilities in the heart of London.

Read more about VCS or call 020 7824 0015 to make an enquiry.

Westminster Abbey

You can set down on the Abbey forecourt (The Sanctuary) for a small fee. You will be given a pick up permit for an agreed time on the forecourt.

Nearby coach meter parking bays are available in Marsham Street and Tothill Street.

Whitehall and Parliament Square

No setting down or picking up is allowed. This is a security area and is controlled by the police.