Cardiff Airport reduces parking charges ahead of peak holiday season – but watch where you book
Cheap airport parking might not be front of mind when preparing for a holiday but, for those planning on driving to the airport, it’s vital to plan ahead to avoid getting ripped off.
According to parking comparison site, Airport Parking Shop, parking prices for the same dates, at the same airport can vary massively, and there are huge savings to be made by savvy holidaymakers who shop around.
The team at Airport Parking Shop, which is one of the UK’s leading comparison sites for airport parking prices, recently reviewed pricing across its platform for the first week of the summer holidays (29 Jul– 5 Aug), for every UK airport and found that holidaymakers could make savings of up to £268 on parking at the same airport. With those travelling from the UK’s largest airport, Gatwick, in line to be charged the most for leaving their vehicle at the airport.
Car parking management specialists, Corvus Security North Wales, said: “It’s always worth shopping around, but make sure the parking is secure. It’s important to ensure that car parks have CCTV.
The research found that airport parking prices for the first week of this year’s school summer holidays currently range from £40.99 to £336.00, depending on the airport. Airports around London are currently charging the most for parking with Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted charging in excess of £200 at the top end of their pricing and up to £80 at the bottom end. Savvy travellers could make savings of £177.40, £268 and £142 respectively by shopping around for parking at these airports. Holidaymakers in Scotland are likely to pick up the best deals with the cheapest pricing for the week ranging from £41 to £45.
Airport Parking Shop also found that there are currently some strong parking deals in the market, with dramatic price reductions of up to £225 currently available. Travellers from Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Exeter, Humberside, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton can currently pick up some great deals by booking ahead.
| AIRPORT | CHEAPEST | MOST
EXPENSIVE |
SAVING
£ |
PRICE DIFFERENCE
% |
ANY REDUCTIONS? |
| Aberdeen | £40.99 | £59.00* | £18.01 | 44% | *Reduction of £205 from £264 |
| Belfast City | £60.99 | £69.00 | £8.01 | 13% | |
| Birmingham | £56.99 | £113.00 | £56.01 | 98% | |
| Bournemouth | £58.05 | £64.90 | £6.85 | 12% | *Reduction of £110.10 from £175 |
| Bristol | £68.99 | £138.99* | £70.00 | 101% | *Reduction of £61.01 from £200 |
| Cardiff | £57.99 | £75.00* | £17.01 | 29% | *Reduction of £125 from £200 |
| Doncaster | £58.49 | £75.00* | £16.51 | 28% | |
| Dublin | £58.00 | £58.00 | £0 | 0 | |
| East Midlands | £52.99 | £79.00* | £26.01 | 49% | *Reduction of £225 from £304 |
| Edinburgh | £44.99 | £81.99 | £37.00 | 82% | |
| Exeter | £65.00 | £93.53* | £28.53 | 44% | *Reduction of £41.47 from £135 |
| Gatwick | £81.60 | £259.00 | £177.40 | 217% | |
| Glasgow | £40.99 | £97.99 | £57.00 | 139% | |
| Heathrow | £68.00 | £336.00 | £268.00 | 394% | |
| Humberside | £50.50 | £58.50* | £8.00 | 16% | *Reduction of £12.45 from £70.95 |
| Leeds | £50.50 | £115.00 | £64.50 | 128% | |
| Liverpool | £42.00 | £99.00 | £57.00 | 136% | |
| London City | £49.00 | £100.00 | £51.00 | 102% | |
| Luton | £64.95 | £181.89 | £116.94 | 180% | |
| Manchester | £59.00 | £116.99* | £57.99 | 98% | *Reduction of £203.01 from £320 |
| Newcastle | £44.99 | £78.99* | £34.00 | 76% | *Reduction of £101.01 from £180 |
| Norwich | £48.00 | £65.00 | £17.00 | 35% | |
| Prestwick | £54.00 | £81.00 | £27.00 | 50% | |
| Southampton | £66.00 | £204.00* | £138.00 | 209% | *Reduction of £156 from £360 |
| Southend | £59.99 | £119.99 | £60.00 | 100% | |
| Stansted | £65.00 | £207.00 | £142.00 | 218% | |
| Teesside | £57.95 | n/a | n/a |
So, how can you be sure you’re getting the best deal and that your car will be safe while you’re away? Here are some tips from Franki Napolitano, Marketing Manager, at Airport Parking Shop:
Book ahead
Turning up at the last minute without booking is a sure fire way to end up paying a small fortune for your parking. Even booking on the day of travel can save you money, while booking further in advance can save you up to a third.
Shop around
The best price may not appear on a company’s own website. To make sure that you don’t pay over the odds use a price comparison sites, like Airport Parking Shop, whose quote engine lists prices from the major providers at all major UK airports, allowing users to make an informed decision without spending hours comparing prices across different sites.
Think about timings
Meet and greet is economical and convenient but park and ride can be even cheaper. But be aware that it might mean dropping off a vehicle 15 minutes away from the airport and catching an official bus into the terminal. Anyone travelling a long way to the airport, or who has an early morning start, might want to consider staying at a nearby hotel that offers car parking facilities. If it is convenience over cost that matters, then ‘on airport’ parking is best.
Think security
Always make take a note of the mileage on your car when you leave it, so that you can be sure no one has taken your car for a ride in your absence. Always take the car park contact details with you. Never leave any valuables in your vehicle while you are away.
Check the cancellation policy
Check the terms and conditions to see if you can cancel and get a full refund if you have to cancel, and note if there is a cut-off date after which you can’t cancel.
Established in 2003, Airport Parking Shop works with eight major airport parking providers and over the last 16 years, it has helped hundreds of thousands of people to get the best airport parking deal and published over 75,000 car park reviews.