When you are getting ready to travel, if you will be flying, then you certainly have a great deal of planning to do. Between choosing your flight, trying to find the best deals of airfare, and determining your transportation once you arrive at your destination, there may be one thing that you forget. Have you considered how you will actually get to the airport? Unless you have a friend who owes you a favor and can give you a ride or a family member who can take time off of work, you will have to drive to the airport yourself or use a taxi service. If you are looking to save money, a taxi may be out of budget.
If you choose to drive to the airport, the next thing you will have to determine is where you will park your vehicle. If you will be gone for several days, parking can be quite pricey. When choosing from your
parking options, you will have a couple of choices. Depending on what is available in your city and which you feel most comfortable with, you can save money.
Airport Long Term Parking
Airports offer a number of different
parking options to make it easier for travelers. These options usually include
valet parking,
self park short term, and self park long term.
Valet parking will, of course, be the most expensive and you will have to tip the valet.
Self parking has several advantages since it will save you money and you will know just where your vehicle is parked.
Short term parking is generally more expensive per day than long term, and you should only use it if you will only be gone for a couple of days. Be sure to make certain the fees you are viewing are by the night and not by the hour though, or you could face a surprisingly expensive cost once you return.
If you will be gone for a week or more, then long term parking is the better option since the daily fees are lower, and often you can choose a weekly parking pass to save even more money.
Off Site Park and Ride
In many cities, you can choose
offsite parking lots that are designed specifically for airport travelers. These off site lots will allow you to pay a fee to park and then ride a shuttle to the airport itself. The positive aspect of these locations is that they can save you a great deal of money in fees per night. The downside is that you will want to make sure that the offsite location has enough security to make sure your vehicle is safe for the duration of your travel.
When you will be travelling by plane, you will have to determine just what to do with your vehicle during your trip. While airport parking may be the most convenient, it will also be the most expensive.
Offsite parking can offer much lower fees but will require some travel time by shuttle and they may not offer the security that you would prefer.
