When traveling, it can be expensive to park your car at the airport’s on-site parking lot, especially in places where space is at a premium. And if you’re on a tight travel budget, it’s essential to minimize such costs.
If you’re traveling via Sydney, Australia, you could be forking out 25, 52, or a staggering 72 AUD per day on parking fees only. This means that you could quickly owe a few hundred dollars for just a week of vacation. Luckily, there are options that cost less when it comes to where you leave your car when traveling.
Here are some ways to save money on airport parking fees while traveling:
1. Look For Competition-based Parking Offers Online
Parking fees are one of the most significant sources of revenue for airports, and these fees can sometimes be a little bit too pricey. However, ever since transportation network companies offered their services in Australia, most people don’t have to drive themselves to the airport.
There are various websites that aggregate airport parking deals, offers, and conditions to help you find a parking space that’s within your budget. These websites allow you to conveniently view and compare different rates and book parking spots online. If you have a fixed travel date, you also consider pre-booking your parking spot in advance to avail of discounted rates.
If you’re wondering where to look online, you can check out some great Sydney airport parking options here.
2. Follow Airport Parking Companies on Social Media
Sometimes, airport parking companies offer discounted fees or free parking for a certain number of cars during special holidays and announce it on their social media pages.
If you like to spend time on social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, you can simply follow their accounts to get updates on holiday extras and promotional discounts.
3. Get Long-term Parking Deals
Are you a frequent flyer? If yes, then you should check out long-term parking deals.
A lot of airport parking companies have different parking deals for clients who travel frequently. These deals are usually offered at discounted rates and are often transferable. This means that you don’t only save money, but you can also share your parking pass to family and friends.
4. Book A Parking + Hotel Package
Booking a parking + hotel package can actually give you better airport parking deals. If you are staying in a hotel, this can get you the most value for your money, as most of these deals apply discounts on both services instead of one.
If the package also has a plane ticket booking option, you can also consider it to get more discounts, rather than booking everything separately.
5. Use A Credit Card That Rewards You For Parking
There are credit card companies that offer rewards when you pay for airport parking. Since you’ll be paying for airport parking anyway, using a credit card that gives you rewards for it is always a good idea.
However, different credit card providers will have different reward systems. Some will have one point per dollar spent and some have three points per dollar spent, so it’s best to check with your card provider.
6. Airport Neighborhood Parking
If you can’t get an airport parking or you can’t afford one, you can always use parking aggregator websites to find yourself a parking lot that’s close to the airport.
Although they can be further away, it’ll be much cheaper than on-site parking. However, make sure to choose one with positive reviews and offers a shuttle bus service to the airport.
7. Use Public Transportation
When all else fails, you can always use public transportation — Taxi, bus, train, or any other car services. It’ll still allow you to safely arrive at the airport and you wouldn’t have to think about the high costs of airport parking.
However, you should also consider how long will you be gone and how far you live from the airport. These factors are essential in weighing out the cost difference between parking your car and using public transportation. Additionally, you should also check the prices of each transportation service, as one of them may offer a few more savings than the other ones.
Closing Thoughts
As more and more people use air transportation to move from one place to another, airport parking spaces also become more expensive and difficult to book.
However, with the help of parking aggregating websites, finding an inexpensive, yet safe, parking space for your beloved car has never been easier. Safe travels!