With the school holidays firmly upon us, many will be jetting off abroad – and leaving their cars parked at the airport. But why is the process often so expensive – and sometimes stressful?
So, you’ve booked the flights, hotels and car hire months in advance – but have you forgotten something important for your fast-approaching holiday?
if you forget to book your airport parking in advance, our new research shows that you could face a hefty premium. Not the best start to your relaxing trip abroad.
At one airport, we found turning up on the day and parking would cost you a shocking 367% more than pre-booking.
We also found that, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s generally cheaper to park off-site than at the airport. But then you’ll could face a bit a slog to get back to the airport.
However a solution may be at hand: some airports are now offering ‘budget’ on-site options to counter off-site competition.
For a full breakdown of the best parking options at every major UK airport, check out our latest research here.
Parking problems
We’ve all heard airport parking horror stories… Eg.
Gatwick valet service dumped cars in muddy fields instead of parking them securely https://t.co/V0DCBGpd6j
— Metro (@MetroUK) July 28, 2018
Not to forget this…
Problems with Stansted Airport’s meet and greet parking system saw passengers wait more than a day to get cars back https://t.co/ujSUuKTJFg pic.twitter.com/rhRWRAvZlU
— BBC News England (@BBCEngland) August 9, 2017
And…
Just returned from a week on holiday. Paid £170 for valet parking including £29.99 for a car clean. Picked it up. Car hadn’t been cleaned and they had totally kerbed my left side alloy. Was supposed to be an expensive treat. Now going to be a very expensive hassle. Cab next time.
— Echochamber (@MyEchochamber) July 28, 2018
Has your car ever been damaged by another driver or, worse still, broken into while parked at the airport?
Here are some tips to avoid it happening again: first off, check that your car insurance policy covers you for airport parking. This is especially important if it’s ‘meet and greet’-style parking where you’ll leave your keys as well as your car.
Next, only leave your car in a car park with the Park Mark logo. These are sites that have passed a police-accredited assessment for having appropriate lighting, surveillance and access.
Finally, take photos of your car before you leave it and if your car is damaged when you return, report it straight away and demand a written receipt of it from the car park.
So what’s been your worst airport parking experience? Extortionate costs? Finding your car broken into or damaged on return? And it doesn’t have to be all bad – have you had a good experience? Let us know what happened.
How do you normally get to the airport?
Taxi (27%, 97 Votes)
Drive – and park onsite (22%, 80 Votes)
Train (17%, 61 Votes)
Get a lift from family/friends (16%, 59 Votes)
Drive – and park offsite (14%, 50 Votes)
Coach (5%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 366
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