Beat the airport car park cowboys and shave £400 off a week’s holiday

Holidaymakers flying abroad this summer should now reserve their parking space at the airport, as booking ahead can save hundreds of euros.

Just show up at an official airport parking lot for short or long term before a flight can cost even more than the plane tickets.

Airports such as Heathrow charge as much as £83 per day, meaning a week’s short stay parking costs around £580.

But book a month in advance and you pay much less. Seven days in an official short-term car park at Heathrow can cost you almost a third of this amount, at £198.

You can pay less by reserving at the airport’s official long-term parking lot, although it’s further away from the terminal building.

And to make a total saving of around £500, you can use a third-party valet service near the airport.

For example, booking a week’s stay from July 3 at Heathrow could cost £56 with a Purple Parking park and ride, or £119 or £106 with Maple Parking and MBW Parking meet-and-greet services respectively.

Choose a reliable company

Don’t just choose the cheapest option without basic checks. Airport parking is an unregulated market and attracts cowboy operators.

Comparison websites such as Airport Parking and Hotels, SkyPark Secure and Airport Parking Shop are good places to start.

They do much of the legwork for you and find reputable operators with a good track record. They should also include customer reviews.

Also check whether the operator of the parking garage is affiliated with the Safer Parking program approved by the police with a blue check mark Park Mark.

This shows security standards, such as lighting and surveillance cameras.

Weigh your options

There are often several parking options at an airport.

At the so-called ‘meet and greet’ you drop off your car at the airport, hand over the keys to a representative of the parking operator, who drives it to a secure area a few kilometers away. Then walk straight ahead to the departure terminal.

On your return, after collecting your luggage, contact the company and the vehicle, including keys, will be returned to the same drop-off point.

The main alternative is a so-called ‘drop-and-go’ service – where you leave your car in a car park ten or twenty minutes’ drive from the airport and are taken to the terminal via a bus service or pre-service. arranged collection agreement for the vehicle.

Consumer champion Martyn James says if you’re not sure which provider to choose, you should contact the airport for a list of approved parking operators.

He says, “Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous outfits out there that will take your money — and possibly take your car for a spin while you’re gone.

‘In some cases, holidaymakers have returned to find not only that their vehicle has been used, but also damaged – with the occasional bump or scratch.

‘You should never just book through a website you just found – but call the airport you’re flying from and check that the outfit has been approved.

“If you’re concerned about where to park the car, also ask if you can visit the compound before you leave.”

“You don’t actually have to make the visit — just the request should wash away the villains, because they won’t want to show you.”

Martyn adds that problems can arise even with reputable parking companies, such as someone accidentally damaging your car.

“Take a picture of all four corners of your vehicle before you leave,” he says. “That way you have proof of the condition you left your car in, in case a dispute arises later.”

Consider hotel parking

If you have an early flight, a hotel deal that includes an overnight stay with airport parking may work out cheaper than booking each separately.

Chains such as Holiday Inn, Travelodge, Ibis and Hilton are among those that often offer accommodation – with a limited number of parking spaces to book in advance from around £15 per day.

For example, the Holiday Inn Heathrow Bath Road charges guests £16 per day for overnight parking.

If you pay £182 for a standard double room for July 2, you may be able to extend this deal for long-term parking for the week commencing July 3, so eight days’ parking costs £128. The total cost is £310.

Rory Boland, editor of consumer group Which? Travel adds, “You could also consider less traditional options, such as renting someone’s driveway or garage, although safety can be an issue.”

Websites such as Park On My Drive and JustPark provide information on people living near airports where you can pay from as little as £50 a week to park in their driveways. Some even offer to drop you off at the local airport for a small fee.

Sometimes it can be cheaper or more convenient to book a taxi to the airport – and for the return journey – or take a bus or train.

Whatever you decide, in the summer it’s worth adding at least half an hour to your estimated travel time — taking into account potential traffic issues, parking location, transfer to the terminal, check-in, security and passport control.

Also find out if a strike action is planned.

Follow from abroad

Write down your car’s mileage before you leave it in a parking lot. That way you know if unauthorized driving has taken place during your absence.

As an added security measure, keep an eye on your car while you’re away by deploying a tracking tool.

Apple’s £30 AirTag, a £2 coin-sized Bluetooth transmitter, can act as a tracking device if it’s hidden in your car – but you’ll need an iPhone for it to work.

The ‘Find My’ app shows where the gadget is going.

You must disable the safety alert feature in the phone settings to make sure it doesn’t ‘beep’ in the car while you’re away.

The AirTag can also keep an eye on luggage.

If a bag doesn’t arrive on the carousel, radio waves between the phone and the tab can help you locate it if it has a tag inside. A map on the phone shows the location.

A Global Positioning System (GPS) is an alternative. With these little gadgets you can see where your vehicle is on a phone map. They cost from around £55 from companies like Streetwize and iTrack.

toby.walne@dailymail.co.uk