Car parks at Gatwick Airport

A quick look on the internet shows a great difference in prices for January, from £36 for a week up to a massive £101. These prices vary depending on how far away you are willing to park – the further away the cheaper. Here’s an example for 7 days in January:

• £36 with a bus transfer of 10 minutes included to the South Terminal.
• £42 with a bus transfer of 5 minutes included to the South Terminal.
• £101 within walking distance of the Terminal.

These prices generally cost more in the peak season of summer holidays, so even more planning will be needed to keep costs low. Sometimes there can be lower prices with coupons. When you’ve found a parking service you are happy with, check the internet for any coupons you may be able to use on the electronic booking form.

Advance parking charges

The single biggest money saving tip is to book in advance. When holidaymakers are planning their time away, they tend to book many months in advance for a package, flights and hotels. The same can be done with car parking, sometimes saving over 50%.

Pre-booked Taxis

Depending on how far you live away from the airport, pre-booking taxis can be a cheaper option than parking and certainly more stress-free. Local taxi firms often have special deals for holidaymakers and can often be found advertising in the local press. They also collect passengers if this is arranged in advance, and normally ask for the flight number so that they can meet you if your flight is delayed.

Parking at hotels

Some hotels, especially those with large car parks, will allow you to leave your car if you book a night with them. If you have a long car journey with an early check-in, this is often the cheapest way to park. Most hotels near Gatwick Airport have a bus transfer service to get you to the terminal.

Private parking

To get some extra cash in today’s hard times, local residents near Gatwick Airport will ‘rent’ out their car parking space at their house. This is probably the cheapest option of all, but also the hardest to find. You would normally need to do a bit of homework on the internet to find somewhere, and again, book well in advance as space is limited.

With all of these options, do make sure that your car is covered by insurance, either the car parks or your own. But above all, have a nice relaxing holiday.