 |
Brief Guide to Airport Parking |
| Airport Parking |
|
Airport parking in Britain can be furiously expensive. That applies to airport parking of any kind, short-term or long-term, but this article is focused on long-term airport parking - the kind where you drive your car to the airport and leave it in a car park while you are away, ready to pick it up again on your return.
With long-term parking, you can find that renting a few square metres of tarmac in the middle of nowhere is more expensive than your return flight to Paris, or Amsterdam, or Cyprus, or Ibiza. But it needn't be. This Briefguide tells you the things you need to think about to make airport parking work for you. |
| Book ahead |
|
The most expensive way to do airport parking is just to turn up on the day of your flight and hope for the best. You will have to pay the 'gate price', which may amount to £10 a day or more.
By pre-booking, you could have a slot for up to 30% less (sometimes more than 60% less), i.e. around £4-£7 a day. Usually, the earlier you book ahead of departure, the cheaper the price will be. (But note: some long-term airport car parks demand a minimum charge - for instance, the equivalent of five days' parking.) By pre-booking, you also have the reassurance that your space is reserved, and you don't run the risk of turning up in your car and finding all spaces are taken - which can happen at peak travelling periods, and at times of crisis (such as a public transport strike). The way to pre-book is via the Internet, which has revolutionised airport parking over the last decade. Not only can you get an immediate quote and secure a booking, but you can find out all the details you require to get the airport parking that best suits your needs. A good site with a selection of airport parking services is www.parkingshop.co.uk. |
| The three types |
| Airport parking is divided into three categories, of varying cost. |
| 1. OFF-AIRPORT PARKING |
This is usually the cheapest option. The car parks are sited a mile or so, or several miles, from the airport. Normally the further away they are from the airport, the cheaper they are. Reputable companies offering off-airport parking will supply a free shuttle-bus service to the airport terminals, at regular intervals. The main things to check when booking are:
|
| 2. ON-AIRPORT PARKING |
| This is usually more expensive, but not necessarily so (the differentials vary greatly from airport to airport). As the name suggests, these car parks are located close to the runways - often in multi-storey blocks. On-airport car parks are usually within easy walking-distance of the terminals, but some long-term on-airport parking does require transfer by shuttle bus. |
| 3. MEET-AND-GREET PARKING |
| This is the Rolls Royce of airport parking. You drive to the terminal, where a representative of the car park company will meet you and drive your car to the parking location for you. When you return, the car will be at the terminal, and a representative there to greet you, key in hand. You may even be able to have the car valeted while you are away. You are advised to take a mobile phone with you, so you can be sure of contacting the representative when arriving at the airport for the pick-up. Expect to pay 75% to 125% more for this service than the cheapest off-airport parking rate. |
| Security |
| Good airport parking should provide all the reassurances you need that you car will safe from theft or damage while you are away. This means: high fencing; good entry-barrier controls; 24-hour guards and patrols; CCTV; floodlighting. All reputable car-parking companies (such as APC, APH, BCP, FHR, and NCP) are conscientious about supplying appropriate security for each site. Many of the best car parks advertise the awards that they have won for meeting the highest industry standards, such as the ACPO Secured Car Park Award administered by the British Parking Association and ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers). |
| When a week is eight days |
| Note that most car parks charge by calendar day, and every part therefore. So you might go for a week's holiday, leaving on a Saturday and returning on a Saturday, but you will have to pay for both Saturdays. Two weeks may likewise be counted as 15 days. |
| Airport parking, or public transport? |
Public transport to an airport can often be far cheaper than airport parking. Consider the options, and weigh up the total costs. Airport parking will start to look attractive
|
| Comments, copyright and linking |
|
Comments on this brief guide would be welcome. Also, please let us know if you do put in a link to this guide from your website and we will try to reciprocate with a link from us to your site.
Copyright: these pages are protected by copyright and reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited. Copyright belongs to Giant Games Limited, owner of the briefguides.co.uk and onlineshopping.co.uk websites. © 1997-2006 Giant Games Limited, but you are welcome to have a link to this webpage. |