Airport parking: how to book stress-free

The parking categories to choose from

At larger airports parking is generally divided into three bands: express areas (sometimes called 'Park Express' or similar) close to the terminal, designed for stays of a few hours or for those accompanying a passenger; official multi-story parking connected directly to the departures area, more expensive but just steps from check-in; and low-cost external parking, run by private operators and connected via shuttle, which remains the most economical option for stays longer than 2-3 days.

A simple precaution for your return

Anyone who chooses a large multi-story car park should photograph or note sector and parking space number as soon as they park: on return, after a long flight or a night landing, this avoids wandering aimlessly among hundreds of seemingly identical spots while dragging your luggage.

Additional services to check before booking

Some multi-story parking facilities offer extra services during your absence, such as car washing on request or tire pressure check, included in the fee or charged separately: it's worth checking before booking if interested, because they're not standard across all facilities. Verifying that the chosen parking is fenced and has video surveillance also remains the simplest safety criterion to check in a few seconds on the booking page.

Those who want a complete checklist before leaving the car, including checks to perform on the vehicle itself, can also consult what to check before leaving your car at the airport.

If you're not sure about the categories available at your hub, compare on the parking map the distance in meters from the terminal, not just the commercial name of the area: two 'express' parking areas at different airports can have very different distances from check-in.