Travel Tips: The Dos and Don'ts of Airport Parking

collaborative post

Sometimes, you have to drive to the airport because it’s by far and away the most convenient option at your disposal. Trains or buses simply aren’t worth considering because they either don’t run to the airport you’re going to, the nearest stops are too far away from you, or you’re travelling as a big group, so it’s just too messy. 

There are pros and cons to driving to the airport, but you always encounter one big problem: airport parking. 

How much should airport parking cost? Where do you park your car? All sorts of questions spring to mind, so here are some airport parking tips to ensure you a) don’t get ripped off, and b) manage to arrive on time for your flight. 

Do: Book As Early As Possible

Like everything relating to holiday planning, the longer you leave booking airport parking, the more expensive it will get. All airport parking options start at a price, but that price will increase as people book spaces and the demand increases. So, if you’re trying to book a week before your trip, you’ll end up either: 

1. Not finding any free spaces for your desired dates, or

2. Paying two, three or even four times as much as you should

It pays to be prepared, so look into airport parking the moment you book your holiday. 

Don’t: Automatically Book Directly Through The Airport

Did you know that there are so many different options for airport parking at every airport in the world? What tends to happen is that the airport itself has designated parking areas for customers. They’re sometimes called “zones”, and each one is situated somewhere within the airport. You’ll often find parking options right next to the departure terminals, and they look so convenient. 

However, you should avoid automatically visiting the airport’s website and booking the first spot you find. There will almost always be cheaper options for you from different providers - and sometimes you’ll even be able to find the same airport parking for less. Look for comparison sites like Parking Up that help you find all the different airport parking options for your chosen dates. Sites like this often have discount codes so you can save money, and they also introduce you to options from third-party parking providers. 

For instance, you could find airport parking from a company that’s not part of the actual airport, and it’ll be close to half the price. These options are usually situated off-site, but they provide airport transfer, which usually takes between 5 and 30 minutes, depending on how far away the parking is. Take the time to compare your options, and you could save so much money. 

Do: Allow Plenty Of Time Between Parking & Getting On Your Flight

The most frequent mistake people make when booking airport parking is assuming that they can turn up at the same time as they would without parking at the airport. Let’s say you turn up 2 hours before your flight by getting the bus or train. You aim to arrive at the airport for as close to 2 hours before as you can, and then you go straight to departures, check in any luggage, head through security, etc. 

When you drive to the airport and book parking, you can’t aim to arrive 2 hours before anymore. What a lot of people don’t understand is that it takes time to: 

1. Find your designated parking area

2. Possibly check into airport parking and hand over your keys (this depends on where you’ve parked)

3. Make your way to the airport terminal - as mentioned before, this alone can take up to 30 minutes at times

Before you know it, well over 30 minutes have passed since you arrived and you’re only just making it to the terminal. This puts you at risk of missing your flight if there are security issues or long lines at the bag-drop desks. You must factor this into your arrival time and aim to get to your airport parking area at least 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight - possibly even longer if you’ve parked off-site with an independent company. 

Don’t: Leave Anything Valuable In Your Car

Airports try to be as secure as possible, but there’s no guarantee that your car will be kept 100% safe the entire time. Look, you could park at an airport every year for the rest of your life and never face a security issue, but all it takes is one incident to cause problems. Pretty much every single parking provider knows this, which is why they usually have a clause when you book parking that states they don’t accept liability for any damage to your car or stolen belongings. 

Now, your car insurance might cover theft of belongings as well as damage, so that could protect you if something goes wrong. Nevertheless, you should always avoid leaving valuables in your car, especially if they’re on display. Your car is way more likely to attract thieves if you leave your work phone on the dashboard right next to a nice pair of sunglasses. 

Do: Consider What Matters More To You When Booking

Cost, convenience and security; those are the three things you need to consider when booking airport parking, and one may be more important to you than others. For a lot of travellers, it’s all about saving money, quickly followed by convenience, while security comes in last. In this instance, you want to prioritise the more affordable airport parking options that are fairly close to the airport.  

For others, say, people with expensive cars or those who are going away for a long time, security is the number one priority. In this case, you’re willing to sacrifice on cost or convenience in order to book the most secure airport parking you can find, ensuring that your car is well-protected. This may include airport parking solutions where you park up and then someone drives your car to a private, covered facility. 

On that note, you should now be in a place where you can confidently book airport parking without making some of the glaring mistakes or booking the wrong options. Once you get to grips with how airport parking works and the different choices out there, it’s not that hard to deal with.