How to make a big difference both to cost and the convenience of leaving your car at the airport. Here are six key things to consider to Find cheap airport car parking and make sure are leaving your car in the safest hands at the best possible price:
1. Book in advance
If you arrive at Heathrow´s long stay carpark (Terminals 1, 2 and 3) without booking, a week´s stay in August could cost you £195.10 (£29.90 for the first day and £23.60 for each subsequent 24 hour period). By booking ahead, you can reduce that bill to under £82. At Gatwick the long-stay drive-up price (North Terminal) is £125 compared to the pre-booked price of £75. But make sure you book far enough in advance. Depending on the airport you need book at least 24 or 48 hours in advance or you´ll end up paying the drive-up rate.
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2. Look at both the airport and price-comparison websites
Most UK airports now allow you to book parking through their websites. Not only will this will give you a benchmark price but it may turn out to be the most competitive deal. I found parking rates quoted on gatwickparking.com matched or undercut the rates quoted by online agents such as Holiday Extras (holidayextras.co.uk) and BCP (parkbcp.co.uk). Price comparison sites including Parking4less.com, Gosimply.com and Travelsupermarket.com and offer a fast route to tracking down the cheapest deals.
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3. Book a hotel and parking deal
Combining a stay at an airport hotel with parking for eight- or 15-day periods usually works out cheaper than booking each component separately. I was quoted £107 for an overnight stay and eight days parking for an August week through APH (aph.com) at the Holiday Inn near Gatwick (compared to £148 for the same hotel and parking if booked separately). Also try Holiday Extras, BCP, Stayandfly.co.uk and Superbreak (superbreak.com). Bear in mind that rates for these packages can exclude breakfast and you may also have to pay extra for the “hotel hoppa†(typically £5 one-way, £9 return). Look at how regularly it runs and the time they take to do the journey - some will stop at several hotels on route to the airport terminal.
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4. Check short stay car park deals
Your best chance of a finding a good deal for leaving your car in a short stay car park or with valet parking is within two or three weeks of departure. It will be no cheaper than long stay, but for a small extra cost you´ll be within convenient walking distance of the terminal. At peak times however, such deals are hard to come by.
5. Check car park standards
If you are booking car park or valet parking deal which isn´t based at one of the airports official car parks, do double check where your car will be parked. A “Park Mark†award scheme (parkmark.co.uk) is a useful indication of proper security and quality standards.
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6. Look for price guarantees and booking incentives
Holiday Extras (see contact above) allows you to claim your money back and park free if you find it cheaper elsewhere, subject to conditions. Also, some agents including BCP (see contact above) will send you discount e-coupons by email if you register for offers.
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Find cheap airport car parking.