When travelling abroad, it can be an absolute risk taking a train, or taxi to get to and from the airport, delays can cost you not just extra money, but at worst your whole holiday experience. So taking the car and parking at the airport is often the best thing to do, it’s much less stressful. The problem is that parking at airports can cost a lot, and if you just turn up on the day, the cost you’re faced with could put a real dampener on that holiday feeling. If you book the parking in advance however, it can be a lot cheaper.

Booking ahead won’t just save you money either, it will also ensure that you get a parking space, and the further in advance you book the cheaper the cost generally is. Policies at airports vary, but some will actually let you book your parking space up to two years in advance.

A good starting place for prebooking your parking is at ParkBCP where you can book parking at many UK airports including – Manchester Airport Parking in addition to London airports where you can get deals on Stanstead Parking and Heathrow Parking.

Another thing to watch out for is that different airports charge different amounts, a Which? Survey reported that many airports in the South charge more than their Northern counterparts. The survey looked at fifteen of the UK’s busiest airports and found that Heathrow was the most expensive at over £85, while Manchester was the cheapest at just under £20 (this was based on seven days of parking not booked in advance). This means, that if you have the option of flying from several different airports to reach your destination, it could be worth considering their parking costs before you book your flights.

Another option is to consider an airport hotel and parking package. This can allow you to combine a night’s stay in a hotel, and the parking of your car while you are away. By staying in a hotel close to the airport the night before you fly, you remove all the horrible worry of whether you’ll get there on time, and if you opt for a fairly basic budget hotel, you may well pay no more than you would if you paid for just the parking alone, and in some cases you might even pay less. Airports that offer this option include Manchester, Heathrow (where there are 31 different airport hotels to choose from all offering parking), Gatwick, Edinburgh, Luton and many more.

Overall, the difference in what you pay if you book in advance, compared to not booking and just arriving on the day of your holiday and paying, could be as much as 70% in some cases, and of course the more you save on parking, the more you have to spend on your holiday.