Hotel and Airport Parking – Get More for Your Money

When you’re jetting off on holiday or on business, there is always the added logistic of getting to the airport to consider. Of course if you live within a close proximity of an airport then you may not have as many logistics to consider.

However, for those traveling a little further and in some cases earlier, the nightmare of arranging the easiest, cheapest and most effective means of getting to the airport can be a challenge.

However, there are so many options out there these days when it comes to booking your transport to the airport that there really needn’t be too much stress involved. This is particularly true if you opt for airport parking, which will take you door to door (with a bus transfer from the parking facility to departures in most cases), at a time that suits you and a reasonable price in comparison to other modes of transport such as taxis or public transport.

Cheaper Than You Think

However, you can take even more stress out of pre-flight travel if you add a hotel stay to your airport parking planning. This may sound a little extravagant, but with competitively priced rooms and airport parking available, you can bag yourself a real bargain, whilst adding extra comfort and convenience to your holiday from start to finish, especially if you’re catching an early morning flight.

Just look at a blog post we did about BLOC hotel at Gatwick airport to see just how fantastic some of the hotels are at UK airports.

You Can’t Beat a Good Night’s Sleep

You only have to imagine how tired and groggy you would feel if you were travelling from Nottingham to Heathrow to catch an early morning flight. It’s over 120 miles, so it’s likely to take at least 2 hours to drive, meaning you’d need to leave in the middle of the night to make sure you had enough time to get there, park and check-in.

But wouldn’t you much prefer to travel at your own leisure the day before, get up at a more reasonable time on the day your travel and simply take a short journey to the airport from your hotel or parking facility? Surely the answer to this question is yes, or certainly it should be.

Travelling is tiring and stressful enough as it is, without adding unnecessary sleep deprivation and a long drive to your travelling experience. What you really need is a good night’s sleep before you fly to help manage the fatigue and stress levels; and you can have this if you buy an airport parking with a hotel deal. The price difference between parking on its own and adding a hotel is nominal in some cases and paying for that added bit of comfort, time and relaxation is always justifiable.

To prove this point, you can get a week’s airport parking at Heathrow airport during peak holiday season (15th – 21st August 2016) with a hotel room and parking at the hotel for as little as £88 at the easyHotel.

However, if you were to book the same dates, just with airport parking you’ll pay between £58.45 up to £173.15, depending on the company and add-ons you choose. This surely makes for a very compelling argument that in some cases you can actually pay less for added convenience and security of your vehicle whilst you’re away.

The ‘no-frills’ easyHotel is very convenient for getting to Heathrow Airport but you will need to budget in paying for a taxi to the airport (cost from £7 - £16.50 depending on the size vehicle you require) or you can get either the Heathrow Hoppa or London 140 bus, which takes you to Terminal 2 and 3 at a cost of approximately £5.00 and £2.40 respectively for a single fare.

However, if you want more home comforts and can afford to stretch your budget there are more luxurious options available like the Hilton Terminal 5 that offers style and sophistication with on-site parking during your holiday, all at a very reasonable price of £133. This is especially good value when you consider its location to Terminal 5 and the fabulous facilities on offer, which include two quality restaurants, spa facilities and plush rooms to boot.

On or Offsite Hotel Parking?

Whilst the two examples for Heathrow both include onsite parking facilities, there are plenty of other options that offer off-site parking. These can offer you more convenience on your return trip, added security and usually a free transfer bus from the parking site, so they can in some cases be more expensive.

Although at Cardiff Airport, it’s the other way round with the Express by Holiday Inn that offers the option of paying less for airport parking at the Long Stay 2 car park, or keeping it at the hotel whilst you’re away.

The former costs £85 including a night’s stay and the latter with onsite hotel parking costs £100, whereas to just pay for airport parking you’re looking at prices from £45 for a week in August (15th – 21st 2016).

Either way, these prices prove that booking a night in a hotel can be very worthwhile, particularly if you’re travelling from a long distance or hopping on an early flight, as effectively your room will cost you just £40 and you can get a good night’s rest.

Keeping Stress Levels Low and Convenience High

Naturally the prices vary from airport to airport, as well as the time of year you’re travelling, but looking in the peak holiday time, there are still a number of great value deals to be had on hotels with airport parking, whether they’re on or off-site parking facilities. What you really need to weigh up is the time you travel, the amount of luggage and the price you’re willing to pay for more convenience.

If you want your travel to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, then opting for an overnight stay with parking bundled in just makes perfect sense. There’s no pre-holiday rush or stress as you can set off from your home at a time that suits you, whether it’s lunchtime or after work, allowing you to arrive at the hotel, relax, enjoy a meal and a good night’s sleep with extra time in bed due to being just minutes away from the airport.

If you’re planning a romantic trip for two in the summer flying from Manchester airport, why not add even more romance and excitement to your trip by starting the holiday early with an extra night in a hotel before you fly. It’s the ideal way to get your trip off to a fantastic start and you can relax knowing you’re not far away from all three terminals.

Plus you can have peace of mind that your car will be kept safe and secure during your vacation and is ready for you to get straight on the road when you land.

It really is that simple and all this convenience and peace of mind won’t cost you much more than if you’re paying for airport parking anyway. You can get a week’s parking in high season (15th – 21st August 2016) for £24, but for just £58 you can have a night’s stay at the Britannia Ashley hotel with parking. They offer secure onsite car parking at their sister hotel the Britannia Country House less than 20 minutes’ drive away with transfers to the airport and if you book through UK Airport Car Parks the price of the transfer is included.

Making the Decision and Booking Easy

As with any purchase you make, you want to shop around and we highly recommend you do this when you’re looking for airport parking. This will make sure you get the right price and services to suit your exact needs to set you up for the perfect holiday.

In our bid to help you easily find the hotel and/or parking that’s right for you, our search services are set up to tailor results to your needs. If you’re checking in for airport parking 6am or before, our system will automatically alert you to the Early Morning flight icon showing you the best deals for parking with a hotel.

This could make your travel experience so much more enjoyable and relaxing; and knowing a bottom line price will help you decide if you can stretch your budget a little further for added comfort and convenience. If you do like the sound of a hotel stay with your parking, you can switch between just parking and hotel with parking results easily, making viewing specific results much more efficient.

Naturally when you are viewing hotels, you don’t just go on the price, you can click on the ‘More Info’ button on all the hotels listed on our site to find out exactly what type of facilities the hotel offers, along with the type of parking. Some like the Hilton Terminal 5 at Heathrow offer onsite parking for guests during their trip, whereas other hotels have contracts with airport parking facilities elsewhere.

Either way you can find out all you need to know about the parking facilities, details on airport transfers and prices, as well as everything else that’s included in your package deal in one convenient place.

With UK Airport Car Parks we only provide pricing for reputable Park Mark facilities, so wherever you decide to leave your car, you can have peace of mind that it’s in a safe place whilst you’re away.  

Have a Great Trip.
UKACP