If you’re planning a vacation or perhaps a business trip that requires you to park your personal car for a period of time at an airport, you need to know the ins and outs of what to expect. With the occurrence of terrorist attacks around the world, security at airports has increased, as has the security of the parking areas surrounding the airport.
Before arriving at the airport, it is best to call ahead to find out what the situation is with airport parking. You will need to know what they require for long-term parking, if they have parking available off-site, or if there are shuttle buses for your use. Parking in the wrong place at an airport in today’s world can result in consequences such as having your car towed away, fines, and even longer searches before you board your flight.
Most airport parking will consist of drop-off parking, long-term parking, and off-site parking. The drop-off car park is precisely that, to leave passengers for a flight, it is not designed to be used for hours, but minutes. This area is closely monitored by security personnel looking for vehicles that have been released, so they suspect the contents of the car.
Long-term parking must be used by people who will be boarding a flight. Parking is usually available on airport property, but it will be far from the terminal. Airport transportation will be available to get you to the terminal with your luggage without having to walk the acres of asphalt that awaits you. Most airports require you to pay a fee to use the long-term parking that is available, but some even charge to park by the day. Be sure to inquire about these fees before parking your car.
The other option that is usually available is off-site parking. This car park is usually in the same area as the airport, with an airport shuttle bus to take you to the terminal. There is usually a parking fee with this arrangement as well, although it won’t be as high as parking on airport grounds. However, please note that off-site parking is generally not policed by airport security.
Some hotels will also offer transportation to and from the airport, this is very good when traveling from city to city. Hotels normally provide this service free of charge to their customers. Many people find it nice not to have to worry about how to get to the hotel and book a room near the airport for this reason.
Keep this information in mind the next time you find yourself heading to the airport for a vacation or business trip. It’ll be one less thing to think about if you take care of your parking arrangements before you head out for your flight.