Beat the airport car park cowboys and shave £400 off a week’s holiday

Holidaymakers jetting off abroad this summer should reserve their airport car park space right now — as booking ahead can save hundreds of pounds.

Just turning up at an official short or long-term airport car park before a flight can cost even more than the plane tickets. 

Airports such as Heathrow charge as much as £83 a day, meaning a week’s parking in short stay costs about £580.

But book a month ahead and you pay far less. Seven days in an official Heathrow short-stay car park can set you back almost third of this amount, at £198.

You can pay less by booking into the airport’s official long-stay car park though these are further away from the terminal building.

Risk: Airport car parking is an unregulated market and attracts cowboy operators so always research the firm before you book

And to hit a total saving of around £500, use a third-party parking service near the airport. 

Booking a one-week stay from July 3 at Heathrow, for example, could cost £56 with a Purple Parking park and ride, or either £119 or £106 with Maple Parking and MBW Parking meet-and-greet services respectively.

Pick a reliable firm

Don’t just choose the cheapest option without basic checks. Airport car parking is an unregulated market and attracts cowboy operators.

Comparison websites such as Airport Parking and Hotels, SkyPark Secure and Airport Parking Shop are good places to start. 

They do much of the legwork for you, finding reputable operators with a good track record. They should also include customer reviews.

Also check if the car park operator is a member of the police-approved Safer Parking Scheme with a Park Mark blue tick. 

This shows standards of security, like lighting and surveillance cameras.

Weigh up your options

There tend to be several parking options at an airport.

So-called ‘meet and greet’ is where you drop off your car at the airport, hand the keys to a representative from the car park operator, who drives it to a secure compound a few miles away. You then walk straight to the departure terminal.

On return, you contact the firm after picking up your luggage, and the vehicle, plus keys, are returned to the same drop-off point.

The main alternative is a so-called ‘drop-and-go’ service — where you leave your car at a car park a ten or 20-minute drive away from the airport and get taken to the terminal via a bus service or pre-arranged vehicle pick-up deal.

Consumer champion Martyn James says if you are unsure about which provider to pick, contact the airport for a list of approved car park operators. 

He says: ‘Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous outfits out there that take your money — and possibly take your car for a ride while you are away.

‘In some instances, holidaymakers have returned not just to find their vehicle has been used but has also been damaged — with the occasional bump or scratch.

‘You should never simply book through a website you have just found — but phone the airport you are flying from and check the outfit is approved.

‘If you are concerned about where the car may be parked also ask if you can visit the compound before you go.

‘You do not actually have to make the visit — just the request should flush out the rogues as they will not want to show you.’

Martyn adds that problems can even arise with reputable car parking firms, for example someone could accidentally damage your car. 

‘Take a photo of all four corners of your vehicle before you jet off,’ he says. ‘That way you have evidence of the state you left your car in, in case of a dispute later.’

Consider hotel parking

If you have an early flight, you may find that a hotel deal incorporating an overnight stay with airport parking works out cheaper than booking each separately.

Chains such as Holiday Inn, Travelodge, Ibis and Hilton are among those that often offer accommodation — with limited car park spaces to pre-book from about £15 a day.

The Holiday Inn Heathrow Bath Road charges guests £16 a day for overnight parking, for example. 

If you pay £182 for a standard double for July 2 you might be able to stretch this deal for long-stay parking for the week commencing July 3 so that eight days’ parking costs £128. The total cost is £310.

Rory Boland, editor of consumer group Which? Travel, adds: ‘You might also consider less traditional options like renting someone’s driveway or garage — though security may be an issue.’

Websites such as Park On My Drive and JustPark provide details of people who live close to airports where you can be charged from as little as £50 a week to park on their drive. Some even offer to drop you at the local airport for a small additional fee.

Sometimes, it can work out cheaper or more convenient to book a taxi to the airport — and for the trip home — or catch a bus or train.

Whatever you decide, in summer it is worth allowing at least half an hour extra for your estimated journey time — factoring in any potential traffic problems, car park location, transport to the terminal, check-in, security and passport control.

Also find out if strike action is planned.

Peace of mind: The police-approved Safer Parking Scheme blue tick shows a firm has adequate standards of security that includes lighting and surveillance cameras

Track from abroad

Note your car’s mileage before leaving it at a car park. That way, you’ll know if it was driven without permission in your absence. 

As a further security measure, keep tabs on your car while away by deploying a tracking tool.

Apple’s £30 AirTag, a Bluetooth transmitter the size of a £2 coin, can act as a tracking device if hidden in your car — but you must own an iPhone for it to work.

The ‘Find My’ app will show where the gadget goes. 

You will have to disable the safety alert feature on phone settings to ensure it does not ‘beep’ in the car while away.

The AirTag can also keep tabs on luggage. 

If a suitcase does not arrive on the baggage carousel you can find where it is, if a tag is put inside, thanks to radio-wave communication between the phone and the tab. A map on the phone shows its location.

A global positioning system (GPS) is an alternative. These tiny gadgets allow you to see, on a phone map, where your vehicle is. They cost from about £55 from companies such as Streetwize and iTrack.

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