Getting to book a holiday is super fun and exciting, sorting out the airport parking – less so. Most people will leave it till the last minute to get their parking sorted, causing all sorts of headaches. Choosing the right parking and getting it sorted early can make the difference between an easy start to your holiday or a stressful nightmare. Picking the wrong option can mean higher costs, hidden fees and hideously long shuttle waits. To make your trip go smoothly, here are some of the things you need to consider when booking airport parking.
Distance To The Airport
When deciding where to park, at most airports you’ll be faced with two options: on-site parking and off-site parking. With on-site airport parking, it’s located right outside or next to the terminal, most often within walking distance – great when hauling lots of baggage. Off-site tends to be a bit further away, sometimes even 10-20 mins and requires a bus or shuttle transfer to get to the correct terminal.
Even though the off-site is almost always cheaper, it’s worth considering how that might affect you. If you’ve got a lot of luggage or if you usually run a bit late, then on-site might be worth the extra costs for reducing the potential stressful start to your trip.
Where Your Car Is Parked – Booking Airport Parking FAQs
Lots of people, when sorting out their booking, don’t even think about where their car is actually parked whilst they’re away. If you’re only going away for a few days or a week, then it’s not really going to matter, and you can book anyway. However, if you’re going away for some time, you may want to consider whether the place you’re planning to park is covered or not.
Even though uncovered will be cheaper, it can leave your car exposed to sun, rain, snow and hail, so depending on when you go, you could come back to a potentially damaged (or extremely hot) car. Think about this when you are booking airport parking.
Flexibility & Cancellation
Even when you’re desperate to get away and are almost certain you’ll be going, accidents happen. Your travel plans might have to change unexpectedly, resulting in delaying or fully cancelling your holiday. Before you even consider booking airport parking, check the parking company’s cancellation policy and see how flexible they can be. They may offer a free cancellation window, so by a certain time you can cancel free of charge, or you might even be able to change the dates.
Also check the company’s refund policy. Some might be significantly better than others, and if you know you will get your money back when the worst happens, it might make you choose to spend more for that extra bit of certainty. You can then compare different options and make sure you book the place that’s going to give you the best options for your trip.
Any Extra Services
Whilst you’re away, it would be nice not to worry about the state your car is going to be in when it gets home. Even better is having the option for it to be looked after and looking its best when you come back. Some airport parking companies might even offer additional services. Some may offer car wash and detailing services, which can be a nice treat to come back to after your holidays.
If you’ve got an electric car and you’ve been gone a while, it can be a little stressful to know how much charge is going to be left once you’re back. It’s worth checking when booking airport parking, if the facilities you’re thinking of booking have EV charging stations so that you don’t have to deal with the stress of having a flat battery after a rough day of travelling home.
Overall Reputation
It can be tricky to know if the place you want to book is too good to be true. A lot of people worry about how safe and secure their car is going to be when travelling. The best thing to do before booking airport parking is check the reviews for every site you look at. Have a look at different review sites like Google reviews or ratings on different travel platforms.
Note any consistent complaints people have, like long shuttle times or if cars are consistently experiencing damage. Don’t just look for one or two raving reviews; consistently good reviews demonstrate that a company has a good reputation, and your car will be in safe hands.
It really doesn’t have to be a complicated process choosing and booking airport parking. By booking early, considering location and weighing up flexibility against the costs, you’ll avoid any last-minute stress and be able to switch off on holiday without worrying. Main Image – Photo by Kelly : https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-view-of-parking-lot-2402235/