What to check before you book airport parking
What to compare before you book a space at an airport car park, from the total price to how arriving works.
Two car parks with the same daily rate can work out very differently for your trip. One is next to the terminal, the other a bus ride away. One you can still cancel at no cost, the other you cannot. Go through these points before you book.
The total price for your dates
Compare the amount for your whole stay, not the price per day. A daily rate tells you little until you know how many days it is charged over and whether VAT is included. So enter your real dates and times.
On ParkingKong you see the total price including VAT for your stay before you book. That is the amount you pay.
What the price includes
Look at what you get for that amount: whether the shuttle is part of it, whether the space is covered and whether you can charge your car. If there is a charging point, ask whether charging is included. That differs from provider to provider.
Cancelling and changing
Travel plans change. Before you book, read until when you can cancel and what you get back. One car park lets you cancel free of charge up to a set time before arrival, another gives nothing back if you cancel.
The terms are the provider’s, and you see them before you book. Whether you can still change your times or number plate later, and what that costs, depends on those terms too.
How you get to the terminal
A car park is within walking distance, runs a shuttle or offers valet. With a shuttle it is not just the ride that counts but also the wait for the bus. Allow for that time on the way out and when you want to get back to your car after your flight. The difference between the three is explained in Shuttle, valet or walking distance.
Check how the distance is given as well. Minutes tell you more than kilometres in a straight line. ParkingKong puts the travel time to the terminal first, as a walking time or a shuttle time. A time worked out from the distance is labelled as an estimate.
Covered or open air
Covered means your car stays under a roof, in a multi-storey car park or under a canopy. That is most welcome on a long trip, in winter or if you would rather keep your car out of the sun. To see what it does to the price, put the totals for the same period side by side.
How arriving works
Make sure you know before you leave where to go and what to show. After you pay you receive a confirmation email with your booking number. Keep it to hand when you arrive. Your number plate is linked to your booking, so check it is right when you book.
The provider runs the car park and sets the price and availability. ParkingKong compares and sells parking from connected providers and passes your booking on to the provider once you have paid.
Compare more than the price
Sort on price alone and you miss the rest. The Kong Score rates a car park on four dimensions: price, distance, facilities and reviews. You always see the four separately, so you decide what matters most for your trip.