On or Off Airport Parking?
Posted on : 19-11-2016 1:56
Off Vs On Site Airport Parking
If you’re planning a trip away, whether it’s for business or pleasure, there is inevitably plenty of factors to consider, from booking your flights, to arranging for a pet sitter and how you’re going to get to the airport.
With regards to the last one, a great choice for many travellers is airport parking and in the UK there are hundreds, if not thousands of facilities at your disposal.
Driving to the airport and leaving your car during your vacation, not only offers the quickest and most convenient way of getting to the airport, but in many cases it can also be the most economical choice too.
Are you paying over the odds?
However, so many people are paying over the odds on airport parking when they really don’t need to. Most UK airports offer both on and off-site parking, but the former is by far the most expensive option.
Naturally with on site airport parking you are paying a premium for being directly at the airport and usually within walking distance of the terminal building. For many travellers this is a price they are willing to pay for such close proximity to the airport. But there are plenty of off-site parking alternatives that are considerably cheaper and in fact don’t add a lot of time or hassle to your journey either- especially if you choose a premium “meet and greet” airport parking service.
Many of the options for off-site parking can mean that you could be making considerable savings on airport parking, leaving you with more holiday spending money or a little extra cash to splash in the Duty Free shops.
With the cost of travel continuing to go up, surely we are all looking to bag a bargain and save money where we can, right? Well, this is exactly why at UK Airport Car Parks, we want to dispel the myth that off-site parking is inconvenient and not a viable option to many. We want to show you in real terms, with real comparisons, exactly how much money you could be saving for very little extra effort.
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow is one of the world’s largest and busiest airports, processing millions of travellers each year through multiple terminals. This means that it also boasts a wide assortment of airport parking options, which includes on site parking, as well as an abundance of off site car parks too.
However, the sheer size of the airport means that even with on site parking close to the terminals there is often a transfer time involved, but you’ll be paying through the nose for being within the airport boundaries.
However, what you may not know is that there are a number of off site facilities, such as Click Park that is just a 5 minute transfer from terminal 4 that are considerably cheaper and within in just as easy reach as the on-site parking facilities. If you don’t mind a slightly longer transfer, then the Purple Long Stay Car Park, located just 4 miles from the airport is just 15 minutes from the airport, with transfers running approximately every 10 minutes.
To further demonstrate our point, we’ve compared the prices for 1 weeks parking from 5th – 11th December 2016 for both on and off site parking, travelling from Terminal 2, to clearly show you the savings you could make both time and money.
For on site parking you could pay up to £80.55 and still have a 15-20 minute transfer that only runs every 15 minutes, in comparison to paying just £45.50 for the same 15 minute transfer running every 30 minutes. That’s a potential saving of over £35.
Yes you may have to wait longer for a transfer, but providing you allow the time to do so you could have that money to spend on getting a meal in the airport or upgrade to a “Meet and Greet” service for as little as £90, which takes away the transfer times all together.
Luton Airport
The cheapest on site destination comes in at £42.99, but as it is just under half a mile from the terminal building, it still requires a 15-minute transfer with buses running every 10-15 minutes. In comparison you can book off-site parking at Luton’s Airparks Drop and Go for just £32.99 and they provide free transfers every 20 minutes that take you to the airport within 10-15 minutes. Furthermore, you could bag yourself an exclusive “Meet and Greet” for £45, which for an extra £12 can make travelling from Luton even easier and convenient than the expensive on site option.
Liverpool Airport
Liverpool is another airport where holidaymakers can make some savings by choosing off site rather than on-site parking and it will have very little effect on the amount of time you need to allow for transfers.
Again, using the example of a week’s parking from 5th – 11th December 2016, with off-site parking you can get the same service with secure parking facilities and frequent 2 minute transfers for £29.99, in comparison to £32.49 for the same transfer time when choosing on airport parking.
Alternatively you can pay £39.99 to be within walking distance of the terminal. While the savings here aren’t as big as some, when it comes to holidays, every little saving made can help, even if it just buys you coffee in the departure lounge.
Birmingham Airport
Booking off site airport parking at Birmingham International Airport is where significant savings can be made though. For identical dates as before, the 5th – 11th December 2016, you can have an extra £19 in your pocket if you opt for off site parking.
The cheapest price for off site parking comes in at £18.00 for a week with Birmingham ICanParkAndRide. Although 7 miles from the airport, transfers take just 15 minutes and run every 10 minutes, while on-site parking at the Long Stay Car Park still incurs a 5 minute transfer that runs every 15 minutes, but is significantly more expensive at £36.99. For just £10 more, you could save yourself the hassle of waiting for a bus and book a “Meet and Greet” instead.
As with most things in life, you pay premium prices for convenience and ease, which is why the prices for on site airport car parks are generally much higher, especially if you’re booking last minute.
However, if you have the flexibility to allow a little extra time and do some more planning, off site parking can be a much more cost effective alternative and much more secure. All the airport parking facilities affiliated with UK Airport Car Parks are fully vetted by us and the large majority also come with the Park Mark Award, which demonstrates theirs and our commitment to providing safe and secure parking for our customers.
At UK Airport Car Parks, we offer a wide range of comparisons for parking, but if you’re looking to make big savings on your parking to leave you with more money to spend while you’re away, then off site airport parking is definitely the way to go.
As we demonstrated above, a lot of airports like Liverpool offer similar prices, but the on site parking doesn’t actually offer any better value for money.
