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Gatwick is the world's busiest single runway airport. Although it has two terminals - the imaginatively named North and South Terminals ! - it only has one runway. If you need airport car parking near Gatwick, expect to pay quite a lot for it, especially during peak periods. And as with any airport, you have a trade off between price and convenience. The cheaper the price, the further the car park is from the airport. The nearer it is to the airport, the higher the price ! Below the experts at 1stairportparking.co.uk tell you what to expect and how to get the best deal on your Gatwick Airport Parking. There is a wide choice of Gatwick airport car parks - including 'on airport', off airport and valet parking. So how do you get the best deal? Whatever type of parking you want, there are some simple steps you need to take. Here the experts tell you how to get the best deal: 1. The 'on airport' long stay at Gatwick is nowhere near the terminals ! At some airports the on airport long stay car park is a short walk to the terminal, whereas off airport car parks require you to take a coach. NOT at Gatwick ! So don't assume that your transfer time will be if you book the [expensive] 'on airport long stay'. Only short term parking at Gatwick - which is expensive (currently £30 for 24 hours) and is only recommended for stays up to 1 - 5 hours - is near the terminals. Gatwick's 'on airport' (or official) long stay car parks are a 30 - 40 minute journey from the terminals - with a drive past the terminals to the car park, a hunt for a space and then depending a wait for a bus to arrive - which you might not get on at peak times - and a journey back to the terminal. If you book 'on airport' factor in this transfer time. 2. Never, ever pay the full price for your parking ! Whatever car park you plan to stay at, always book in advance. NEVER drive up to the car park and pay. Even at the cheapest off airport car park the price you pay when you drive up (known as the 'gate price') is much higher - usually two or three times higher - than the pre-book price. This is particularly so at Gatwick's on airport car parks, where the pre-book price is usually around 50% of the gate price. AND IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO PREBOOK. Even if you book the same day, just before you leave home, it will be cheaper than the gate price. Never, ever pay the full price ! 3. Before you rush to book your parking from the airport - COMPARE PRICES Compare prices at a number of suppliers and you can save up to 60% on your parking (typical savings are between 5 - 25% at Gatwick, but off peak it can be much more). An easy way to do this is by using 1stairportparking.co.uk one click quotes page. This allows you to enter your dates once and in a few seconds compare the cost of every car park at five suppliers to find out which car parks are available and who is offering the lowest price available. There are no fees, no costs, it's fast, impartial, independent and free to use. And if you don't want to book over the internet, once you know where you want to stay, you can call the parking company using the telephone numbers provided. 4. Compare prices, but compare car parks too. HOW MUCH is your time worth? With airport parking there is usually a trade off between price and convenience. The cheaper the price, the further the car park is from the airport. The nearer it is to the airport, the higher the price. This is less of an issue at Gatwick, as most car parks - official 'on airport' or 'off airport' - are similar distances from the terminal. The only exception to this is APH Gatwick, which is further from the airport if you are travelling out from the direction of London (but closer if you are travelling up from the coast), but usually the cheapest option. Using the 1stairportparking.co.uk price comparison tool above, in addition to looking at prices, you can also see which car parks are available for your dates and how far they are from the terminal. As the Americans say 'DO THE MATH' ! Compare the cost of parking with the transfer time to the airport and decide which suits your schedule and your pocket. Consider how much your time worth is worth. Are you prepared to add 10 minutes to your transfer time to save £15, or pay an extra £15 to save 10 minutes? 5. Consider Meet and Greet Parking - treat yourself for less at Gatwick Fancy the decadence of meet and greet parking (also called valet parking)? Want to park right next to the terminal and be met by a man with a card (and your car) when you fly home?!! At Gatwick the price difference between on airport parking and meet and greet is smaller than at almost any other UK airport. So at Gatwick you can book the most convenient parking for less. GO ON, TREAT YOURSELF ! 6. Your SAT NAV or flight delay can cost you BIG ! When you book parking, consider allowing a little extra time at the car park - or you might have to pay for an extra day. Arrive half an hour early (SAT NAV said it would take 2 hours, it didn't !) or get back an hour late, and you can find that you overstayed your allocated time. This means an extra days parking fees - at the [very high - see above] gate price. That's right, at the long stay car park they will not charge you for an extra hour, they will charge you for an extra 24 hours. On airport car parks at Gatwick will charge you for an extra days parking if you overstay your time - it's in the small print - at the 'gate price'. So build in some flexibility when you book your parking if you are not sure. Adding an extra 30 - 60 minutes either end will usually not affect your pre-booked price, but could save you a big extra cost. 7. Have an early flight? START YOUR HOLIDAY A DAY EARLY AND GET FREE PARKING ! If you have an early flight, rather than get up really early and then sleep through the first two days of your holiday, why not stay at an airport hotel the night before? Arrive early and enjoy the facilities and it's like starting your holiday a day early. As most Gatwick hotels offer parking deals too, other than during the busy peak periods, you can usually get free parking (at the hotel car park, sometimes with limited security). Your airline might let you check in the day before your flight too. The queues for early check in are usually much smaller than on the day for the flight. You can get rid of your cases, arrive at the airport slightly later (so even more time in bed !) and head straight for security. During peak times at Gatwick it is often cheaper to stay and park, than just to park - especially during the summer, when the car parks are full and the prices are high. Pop over to airport-hotels-guide.co.uk to compare the cost of a hotel and parking with the cost of parking. Finally, register for the newsletter Gatwick if you regularly fly from the airport, as they sometimes offer special deals.
Article Source: http://www.onlinearticlessite.com
Looking for Gatwick Airport Parking? Compare five companies for the widest choice and lowest prices at 1stairportparking.co.uk.
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