5 Options for booking airport parking

by

P. G.

When youve finally sorted out this years holiday, spare a thought for your airport parking. Check all the options available and think about convenience and your budget before you book. The following tips should help you decide which type to pick and help save you money.

1.Off-airport parking The cheapest option is probably to book off-airport parking and use the shuttle bus provided by your chosen company to take you to the airport. While this is probably the cheapest option, it isnt necessarily the most convenient. After all, if you have children, are travelling with elderly relatives or have heavy luggage or sports equipment, you may struggle to get on and off the shuttle bus. Theres also the concern that your sports equipment is too large and wont be accepted on the bus check before booking as not all parking companies can accept skis, snowboards, bikes etc. 2.On-airport parking Another option is to consider parking on-airport. This type of parking has the benefits of being closer to the terminal, often within a short walking distance, but check before booking as not all on-airport parking is this close and you may find you still need to hop on a shuttle bus. The journey will be shorter, but you could still have the inconvenience of hauling your luggage, and children, on and off the bus. 3.Short-stay parking The short-stay car parks will get you closer to the terminal, usually situated a couple of minutes walk away, however, these car parks are designed to accommodate vehicles for short stays and the pricing is geared accordingly it works out very expensive to park for more than a few hours. These car parks are best left for cars picking up and dropping off passengers. If you are planning to fly outside of school holidays in a quieter time, check for discounted prices and special offers, but you will need to book in advance, dont just turn up and expect to pay the price advertised on the internet. 4.Valet Parking Valet parking, or meet and greet as it is most commonly called, offers all the benefits of short-stay parking, but without the need to park your own car and can sometimes work out cheaper. An added bonus of booking meet and greet parking is that you drive straight to the airport terminal, unload your luggage and give your keys to your parking representative who will drive your car to their car park and park your car for you. There are no worries about herding children onto a shuttle bus, or struggling with heavy baggage or sports gear, as you can place it straight onto a trolley and wheel it into the terminal. On your return, your car is brought back to the terminal, so you just walk out of arrivals, load your luggage and drive off. 5.Park and stay packages. If the drive to the airport is some distance from your house, or your departure is very early in the morning, you may wish to consider booking an airport hotel. Many airport hotels, on-site and off-site, offer parking as part of their package some will offer parking at their hotel and either recommend a taxi company, or can arrange to transport you themselves using their own shuttle service. Others have recommended parking providers and will book a park and stay package for you. You can even book meet and greet parking as part of your park and stay package with an on-airport hotel you can arrange to have your car picked up on your arrival at the hotel and not worry about parking your car the next day. Booking your airport parking as part of a park and stay package can offer you a great discount when compared with booking your hotel accommodation and parking separately.

Paula Garrett is a frequent traveller and contributor to

Help-Me-Park.co.uk

, the

Gatwick meet and greet parking

company offering

valet parking at Gatwick

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com