British tourists have been urged to book airport parking well in advance, as they could save a small fortune when compared to turning up unreserved. Airports like Heathrow often charge punters substantial sums to park on their premises while enjoying fun in the sun, with rates of more than £80 per day.
In terms of short stay, tourists could end up having to cough up £580 for a week's worth of parking. But if you book a month ahead for a seven-day stay, it'll set you back just £198.
Holidaymakers also pay less when booking into the airport's long-stay car park, although you'll usually have to catch a bus to get to get to your flight. And tourists can save even more when using a third-party parking service nearby, but you should remain vigilant of con artists when opting for this choice.
Read more: North East pensioners targeted in DWP £3,500 extra cash pilot
The Express reports that airport parking is an unregulated market and tourists could put their car at risk if they use an unreliable provider. Tourists can check if their car parking provider is a member of the police-approved Safer Parking Scheme with a Park Mark blue tick.
Travel experts recommend taking photos of the car before leaving it, to ensure no damage is incurred. If anything happens, tourists will be able to use the photos of evidence of the state of their car when they left.
Tourists could also check if any nearby hotels offer parking as this could be cheaper than any available at the airport. Some experts recommend using an AirTag to track the car’s location at any point from overseas.
According to new research on airport parking costs at the end of July, Heathrow is the most expensive airport to park at. Bristol, London City and Luton were also expensive choices while Edinburgh was at the bottom of the table.
