The summer holidays are underway but as you head off to the airport, have you remembered to budget for parking?
Airport parking fees have increased again this summer in what is now a “common annual ritual”, said the RAC.
Analysis by the breakdown service found 16 of the UK’s 20 busiest airports have increased the charges drivers face for dropping off passengers, with the average cost increasing by a third since last summer to £7.
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In Edinburgh and Bristol, the price is £8.50 for 10 minutes, followed by Leeds, London City and Bournemouth, each £8 for 10, five and 30 minutes respectively.
At Stansted Airport, some passengers used a nearby unauthorised car park, now ordered to close, only to return from holiday to find “overcrowded transport, along with damaged and dirty cars and long waits for collection”, said BBC News.
However, there are ways to make savings on airport parking if you plan ahead.
Book early
“The most expensive course of action is to arrive at the airport and pay the car park’s gate price,” said HolidayExtras.
The cost of not booking in advance is “staggering”, said Which?. For example, Heathrow’s short-stay car parks cost £686 per week at the turn-up price but that is reduced to £169 if you book a month before.
The long-stay car park costs £271 on the day and £145 if you book in advance.
Official short stay vs. long stay
Using an airport’s official car parks is one of the more expensive options. But as the Big Family Little Adventures blog points out, “it will leave your car in the trustworthy hands of the airport provider”. These car parks are “typically supervised by police patrols and/or security cameras”.
Choosing the wrong type of car park is “one of the easiest ways to overpay”, said A2Z Airport Parking. Using short stay for a week-long holiday is the “most expensive parking error” and while long-stay car parks are further out and usually require a shuttle bus, they are “almost always the right choice” as they offer the lowest daily rate.
Another option is “meet and greet” parking where you leave your keys with a valet and they park your car. This is useful if you have a lot of luggage or mobility issues, said Money.co.uk “but it does come at a cost”.
Park and Ride
Another “helpful way” to avoid drop-off costs, said Otto Car, is to get someone to drive you to the airport’s park and ride. For example, at Heathrow cars can stay at the Park and Ride for up to 29 minutes without being charged. Passengers can then catch a free bus transfer to the terminal.
Park off-site
Off-site car parks are run by private, third-party companies that lay on regular transport to the terminal building. “The best of these are just as quick and convenient as on-site parking,” said MoneySavingExpert
Using a car park that’s further away from the airport can often work out cheaper, added HolidayExtras. This can be a good option if you “don’t mind catching a quick transfer”.
Just remember to factor in the extra time for getting to the terminal itself.
You can compare prices for on-site and off-site parking on comparison websites such as Holiday Extras, Looking4Parking and SkyParkSecure as well as Parkos.
Find a private parking place
Another option is parking in someone’s drive or garage. Websites such as justpark.co.uk or parklet.co.uk let you search for available spaces from homeowners who live close to an airport renting out their driveway or parking place.
This option is unlikely to be considerably cheaper than traditional airport parking, “and there are no security guarantees”, said Which?.
Hotels
Staying in a nearby airport hotel may be good if you have an early flight.
But be aware that not all parking is actually at the hotel you book with. “Often you’ll have to drive yourself from there to the local off-site car park – making time a consideration”, said Which?
Do you need to drive?
“Even done right, airport parking can be pricey,” said MoneySavingExpert. “The longer you’re away the more it costs, so quickly weigh up alternatives” such as a taxi, train or coach.
You could even try persuading a relative to drop you off “with promises of duty-free goodies”.
