Driving yourself and parking at the airport feels like the default. But it is worth doing the sums properly, because the cheapest-looking option often is not.
Airport parking comes in several kinds: short stay car parks close to the terminal, long stay car parks further out with a shuttle bus, meet and greet parking where someone takes your car away and brings it back, and car parks run by other companies near the airport. Each has its own price, and prices usually go up the closer you book to the day. An airport transfer is simpler: a car collects you from home and drops you at the terminal, and another brings you back. Here is how to compare them.
1. Count the whole cost of parking
The daily rate, times the days away, plus fuel, plus the drop-off or shuttle charges. A week or two soon adds up. For a long holiday, parking can cost as much as a flight.
Parking prices at airports are usually much higher if you turn up without booking, so most people book ahead online. Even then, the price for a week or two can be large, especially in the school holidays when demand is highest. The closer the car park to the terminal, the more you pay.
Remember to add the cost of fuel for the drive there and back, and any tolls on the way. Wear and tear on your car counts too. If you have to pay a congestion or clean air charge on the way, add that.
With a transfer, the price is fixed before you book, and charges such as an airport’s parking or drop-off fee are included unless we tell you otherwise before you book. There is nothing to add on the day. You can see the whole cost before you decide.
2. Count the time
Finding the car park, waiting for the shuttle, walking to the terminal. And on the way home, finding the car in the rain. It all takes longer than you expect.
Long stay car parks can be some distance from the terminal, and the shuttle bus may run every ten or fifteen minutes. With bags and children, getting on and off the bus is a job in itself. At busy times, you may have to wait for a second bus.
On the way home, after a long flight, you may have to wait for the bus again, and then find your car in a huge car park. If you cannot remember where you left it, take a photo of the row number when you park. It happens to everyone.
With a transfer, your driver drops you at the terminal door, and on the way home they meet you at the pickup point. There is no bus and no car park. The time saved can be an hour or more on each leg.
3. Think about the drive home
After a night flight or a long haul, driving home tired is the part people regret. With a transfer, you sleep in the back. Tiredness is a real risk on the roads, and many people underestimate it.
Long flights leave you jet lagged and dehydrated, and it can be hard to concentrate. Driving on a motorway in that state is not a good idea. Many accidents are caused by tired drivers.
Flights also arrive late, sometimes very late. After a delay, you may be driving home in the middle of the night. It is not the best end to a holiday.
With a transfer, all you need to do is walk to the car and sit down. Your driver takes care of the rest, and you can close your eyes. You arrive home rested, rather than exhausted.
4. Think about who is travelling
For a group or a family, one car with a driver often costs less than the parking, and everyone arrives together. The price of a transfer is for the car, not per person. The more people share it, the better value it is.
Choose a car that fits your party and your luggage, whether it is a saloon, an estate, a people carrier or a minibus. Only the cars that fit your party and your luggage are offered when you book. Everyone travels together, with room for the bags.
For older relatives, or anyone who finds walking with luggage difficult, a transfer to the terminal door makes a big difference. There is no shuttle to climb aboard, and no long walk. It is a kinder way to start a trip.
For families with young children, add child or booster seats when you book, and they are fitted before you are collected. There is no need to carry your own car seats. It is one less thing to worry about.
5. Know the price in advance
A transfer booked ahead is priced before you confirm, with no meter running in traffic. The price does not change for traffic, a longer route or a journey that takes longer than expected. That is the price you pay.
Taxis from the airport rank are metered, so the price depends on the traffic and the route, and it can be high after a long wait in a queue. At busy times, the queue can be long. A booked car avoids both.
Booking ahead also means the car is waiting for you. There is no need to search for a taxi, or hope one is available. Your driver’s details are on your journey page before pickup.
For a return trip, book both legs at once, the journey to the airport and the journey home. Each has its own fixed price. Then the whole trip is sorted before you leave.
For a single traveller on a long trip, the sums can favour the transfer by some distance. For a short trip from next door to the airport, parking may win. Either way, compare the whole journey, not just the daily rate.
Ride with ZeroLanes. A car booked ahead, at a price fixed before you confirm, with the driver and the car on your journey page before pickup. Book an airport transfer.