I have arranged to meet someone on one of the car parks on SATURDAY at 7.30am. I  shall be coming from Telford via m6 to NEC. Which do you reckon is the best carpark for me to meet them on. Thanks in anticipation.
Sue

I always use the West Car Park.

I agree with JG - the West car park is definately best.  Much closer to the venue than the others and it saves getting the bus!

It all depends on what hall you want to go in by.  If you want hall 5, for instance, then the north car park is closer.

Debs

It also depends on whether you can find the West car park.  I always seem to find myself in the South with no directions to the West.

The West Car park is well signposted from Junction 6 - from the Motorway head towards the City centre; come off at the first slip road and turn right at the roundabout, and you're there. :)

I think I usually come off one earlier (come from the south), will try that, thanks.

I usually use Junction 5 because it's even quicker (fewer queues and quieter)! :) From J5 head towards Solihull, turn right at the first set of traffic lights (Hampton Lane) towards Catherine de Barnes, turn left at the next roundabout then go straight on. Go straight across the next roundabout and you're there.

Writing it on my Crufts envelope now ;) Thanks

If you want to find the West car park follow signs for the railway station (it's next to it).  Then just after the turn off for the Station itself you'll see a sign for the West car park.

DON'T use the North Car Park as there is no access to the halls - according to the Crufts info I have received with my passes.

You should be able to see a plan of the car parks if you go to the Crufts web site or NEC I would imagine.

Also be warned that there is not just going to be Crufts traffic at the NEC - on the 1st 3 days of Crufts the education show is also going (no where near as big as the show which caused the problems a couple years ago) so I expect that there visitors are going to be mainly using the North Carparks - how do we know - My father is working at the show (makes it cheaper for me as he will get carpark/petrol paid for and we can all go in the same car!), although I expect that the bulk of people for that wont be getting there quite as early as crufts exibitors!

Were slightly different that many people in that when getting of the M6 (for the M54 direction) we get off an junct 4 and then head towards Basall Common and take a road in which is really only used by people coming from the local area so fairly quiet - this usually puts us into the East carparks

Isnt the west car park for exhibitors only?

Thanks everyone. I am exhibiting anyway. I have used West before but seem to think I always had trouble getting to it. So coming from shropshire on M6 which is definitely best junction to leave  at for west. :)

Coming from the north on the M6 I'd leave at J6 - that's the nearest junction, but the queues to leave the motorway can be long. Looking at the A-Z there seems to be a simple route from J7, but I've never used it so don't know how confusing the signs are! Coming from the south I'd leave at J5.

This thread has been very helpful for me, as a first time exhibitor with premature panic. I now know I want North car park, thank you.
On a slightly different note,,,, what time do you all get there when you are exhibiting? My group starts judging at 8.30

I usually aim to get into the carpark by 7-7.30am.  Allow a good half an hour to walk from the carpark and find your bench. 

You DONT want the North Car Park.  Read the literature with your passes - there is no access to the halls from this one.