Being able to find airport parking can be a hassle for any traveller whether it's a family holiday or constant business trips. There are many options for you to take but which is the best one for you. Here we give you our experiences of airport parking.

Short Stay Car Parks

Short stay car parks are a good idea to use if you aren't planning to stay for over a day. Short stay car parks are quite expensive and are best used if you are dropping loved ones or friends off for their holiday. You could also be seeing them off and would like to go for a drink or something to eat before they go through to the departure lounge.
Short stay car park charges do differ from airport to airport, as long as you aren't staying over 24 hours they can be quite cheep. Some short stay car parks do allow up to 15 minutes free for you to find a space or to drop people off which is handy if you can't find a space or are saying a quick goodbye. If you know you will be staying longer than a day or two then we recommend finding a different car park as prices do increase heavily.

Long Stay Car Parks

Long stay car parks are great for when you are going on holiday and plan to drive to the airport yourself. You can stay in them for as long as you need to. Many of these types of car parks charge per day and it doesn't usually cost that much per day. Obviously this cost will increase each day but staying in a long stay car park works out cheaper per day than staying in a short stay car park. Long stay car parks aren't a wise choice if you are only staying for a day or less as they are more expensive the less you park in them.

Airport Valet Parking

Many airports offer valet parking services where you take your car to them and they park it for you. These are handy if you are in a hurry, do not want to drive aimlessly up and down a car park for hours trying to find a space or if you want to come back to a nice clean car (many valet companies offer a cleaning service for a little extra cost). Some airport valet companies are quite cheap and taking from experience; can be cheaper than some long stay car parks.

Private Park & Ride Services

Personally we find this the best service on offer and you can sometimes find a real bargain. Usually you have to pre-book/pay for this service with the company of choice and let them know when you are coming and when you will be picking your car up again. Prices vary as they are privately owned businesses and not part of the airport itself, you may need to shop around a bit first but these are definitely cheaper than airport car parks.
These companies will park your car for you in their secure car park (similar to an airport valet) and take you (usually on a mini bus) to the airport terminal where you are due to depart.
On your return they will come and pick you up from arrivals and have your car ready for you to get in and go.