For travellers preparing for a ski holiday, one of the first hurdles to overcome is airport parking. Fortunately, a handy list awaits you below, full of parking tips for a few UK airports other than the popular ones in London.
Like many major airports, the long stay park at Birmingham International Airport is located a long distance from the terminal. And what holidaymaker wants to lug all of their ski gear onto and off of a park and ride bus? If you’re not going on your holiday alone, have one person drop everyone and the luggage off at the terminal curb. They can then head to the long stay car park and meet everyone else at the concourse whilst they get a spot in line. Unfortunately, that’s the best way to deal with the Birmingham airport parking. If you’re willing to shell out a few extra quid, the medium stay parking at parking garage two is a viable alternative. Don’t forget to pre-book a space if using the long stay car parks.
Those passengers with a lorry full of ski gear are in luck if they use Bristol International Airport. The long stay car parks can be almost as close to the terminal as the short stay parking. There’s also premier parking right up front, but that costs a stunning £22 for every day. All in all, Bristol airport parking is about as easy as it gets. Given how close the long stay park is, just go with that. Don’t forget to pre-book so you can get a discount.
When loaded down with ski equipment, you will have to plan ahead to easily get from your car to the terminal in Edinburgh. To say that Edinburgh airport parking can get complicated is an understatement. Both the long stay car park and Scotpark are a bus ride away. To avoid jamming some bloke in the ribs with your skis, you only have two options. The first is to have one person park and make the trek to the terminal alone after dropping everyone off curbside. The other is use the Fasttrack garage right next to the terminal. Not only is it close, but it’s covered as well. The catch is that it’s a little more expensive. Travellers also have to retrieve their cars by Monday evening when the car park is cleared or pay a penalty. It’s perfect for a weekend holiday, but an extended trip to the ski slope will mean dealing with the hassle of the long stay parking or Scotpark.
Now this is an airport with style. At Manchester, you can actually get meet-and-greet parking. If this isn’t the best idea for an airport, what is? Just book your spot in advance, drop off your car, and walk into the terminal. Manchester airport parking is incredibly easy — as long as you plan on being on holiday for at least four days. That’s the minimum number of nights’ parking that you will be charged for.
Much like at Manchester, Newcastle offers an easy meet-and-greet parking option. Unlike Manchester, however, there is a cheaper alternative close by. The Fasttrack car parks are extremely close to the terminal and are only £16 after the first day. It can be tempting to forgo the hassle of Newcastle airport parking altogether by dropping off the family car in style, but the Fasttrack is a cheaper option, and only marginally less convenient, even when loaded down with the wife’s ski outfits or the kids’ snowboards.