Airport Parking: what are the options?

Parking at the airport shouldn’t be a stressful experience whether you’ve done it before or not. Most of us choose to drive to the airport rather than relying on public transport, which can be hit and miss with the added issue of early flights out and late returns!

Although we have plenty of choice regarding location and cost, it can be a bit of a minefield making this decision with so many options to choose from. So, what are the different kinds of airport parking? Maybe when we understand this it will make the choice slightly easier.

On-Airport Car Parks

On-airport parking means it’s a car park located within the airport grounds which is owned by the airport. The advantage here is that nobody else will be driving your car and you’ll know exactly where it will be left. Take note of where you parked though, as you will need to find your car on return!

Short and Mid Stay on-airport car parks

Both of these options will be within a short walking distance of the terminal building. Short Stay, mostly used by passengers with lots of luggage or those going on shorter trips, is the closest and therefore the most expensive, so you would not necessarily wish to park here for your two-week holiday!

Mid Stay will be a little further away and a little cheaper, although it will still be more expensive than Long Stay.

Long Stay on-Airport Car Parks

This will be the cheapest on-airport option, still on airport grounds, but has a short 5 to 10-minute bus transfer to the terminal. Here you will park your own car in a designated area and take your keys with you. Then you walk to the nearest bus stop to get your free transfer to the terminal.

Off Airport Car Parks

For those on more of a budget, off-airport car parks are even cheaper. They will generally be within 10-15 minutes transfer time of the airport but can be as close as some of the airport’s own Long Stay car parks. Whilst you are making a saving, the service is still great. Here, on arrival, you park by reception and go into the office to check-in and leave your keys. You then jump on board their free transfer bus to the terminal, whilst their insured drivers move your car into their secured compound for the duration of your trip. You will need to allow a little extra time for this option, but the transfer buses run regularly and its lower cost leaves you more money for holiday treats.

Park and Deliver

This is a new type of parking at some airports, coming in at a slightly lower price than the full meet and greet. With this option you drive to the car park, taking the free personal transfer to the airport. On return the chauffeur will return your car to the same place at the airport, where you were dropped off. This is especially great if you have a late return flight as you can then drive straight home in your ready warmed up car.

Meet and Greet Airport Parking

Meet and Greet Airport Parking is the best of both worlds and can often be as cheap as Long Stay parking. It has the convenience of taking your car just about as close as you can to the terminal and then a fully insured chauffeur collecting it from you to park in their secured compound. This is the best kind of parking if you want complete convenience, no space to find, no bus and no traipsing across car parks in bad weather. On your return, the chauffeur will return your car to the same place at the airport where you dropped it off. As easy as that!

When making your choice, factor in the time required to park and transfer to your departure terminal, bearing in mind that at peak times the transfers may take longer. If your flight is early morning and/or you have a young family, or lots of luggage, you may consider spending extra to save valuable time and hassle. If, however, you can afford to give yourself that extra time arriving at the airport, there are some fantastic savings to be made when parking off-airport!

Airport Car Park Security

This is a matter close to all our hearts. We want to know that when we park our car, we are leaving it in the best hands and will return to find it in the same condition as we left it. Car park security Is high on our list of priorities, so make sure you do your homework before you book and check out the previous customer reviews.

Here at FHR we have done the homework for you.  Car park security is at the top of our agenda and every one of our customers is important to us. Car Parks that have a Park Mark award from the British Parking Association, show the car park has been vetted by the police and assessed to ensure that they are properly managed and maintained and have taken steps to ensure that they’re secured and safe from crime.