Christmas holidaymakers urged to book their airport parking in advance to avoid rising costs this festive season

Research from the parking comparison site Airport Parking Shop shows that booking a space two weeks in advance could save travellers money. Savings varied depending on whether the car park was located ‘onsite’ or ‘offsite’ at the airport, according to the data.

The review of Christmas 2023 prices found that a saving of £89.53 could be made by booking an onsite parking space two weeks in advance (£231.28 vs £141.75), while £78.05 could be saved when booking an off-site car park two weeks in advance (£182.42 vs 104.37).

These car parks can be affiliated with the airport or run by third parties and travellers are taken by bus from the car park to the terminals.

Looking ahead to this festive season, Airport Parking Shop’s data shows customers can save around 10% on last year’s prices if they hurry and book soon.

Robert Lelukiewicz, Head of Customer Service at Airport Parking Shop, said: “Parking at airports is one of the hidden expenses of going on holiday. However, we know at Christmas time, airports hike up parking costs even further to take advantage of the festive rush.

"Every year, nearly 10% of travellers leave parking to the last-minute meaning they’re missing out on savings. We urge all holidaymakers to make their parking plans as early as possible to avoid higher prices.”

Airport Parking Shop is one of the UK’s leading comparison sites for airport parking prices. Its quote engine lists prices from all the top providers, at all major UK airports, allowing users to make an informed decision without spending hours comparing prices across different sites.

Established in 2003, Airport Parking Shop works with eight major airport parking providers and over the last 20 years, it has helped hundreds of thousands of people to get the best airport parking deal and published over 75,000 car park reviews.