How to get cheap airport parking

Heathrow has 11 car parks in total and offers a variety of parking options at a range of prices, plus a drop-off area. Although you'll be charged £6 each time you drive into its drop-off zone, you can use Heathrow's long-stay parking area for free for up to 30 minutes.

• The cheapest option. The airport's long-stay car park will set you back between £39.50 and £45.30 on day one and after that, between £31.80 and £36.20 a day. How much you'll pay depends on whether it's a peak or an off-peak date. 

• The most expensive option. Heathrow's meet and greet and valet parking options are its two most expensive. Both cost £133.90 for the first day and £277.70 for a four-day stay. You'll then pay north of £36 a day to keep parking there.

Gatwick offers various parking options at a range of prices. In addition, its drop-off area costs £6 for 10 minutes, then £1 for each minute up to 20 minutes with a max daily cost of £25.

• The cheapest option. You'll pay £32 a day to park at Gatwick's long-stay car park, after a £38 charge on day one.

• The most expensive option. Gatwick's premium short-stay car park is its most expensive listed option. It costs up to £75 for the first 24 hours there, and then £75 a day after that. 

The airport has a wide variety of car parks. Do note that most of these must be booked up to two hours in advance (or six hours in advance for meet and greet parking). Manchester Airport also has paid and free drop-off areas, with the latter a little further out. 

• The cheapest option. You'll pay £62.99 for an eight-day stay at the airport's long-stay car park.

• The most expensive option. Manchester Airport's turn-up and park options will set you back £59.80 a day. 

Edinburgh Airport offers various parking options, which you can find out more about below. Its drop-off and pick-up area costs £5 for up to 10 minutes, and then £1 a minute. Locals can apply for a 50% discount on these prices.

• The cheapest option. Edinburgh Airport's 'plane parking' car park costs £45 on day one, and then between £20 and £35 a day. 

• The most expensive option. The airport's costliest car park is its multi-storey one. It will set you back £70 on the first day, and £20 to £75 a day afterwards. 

Bristol Airport has car parks for different types of trip and traveller, though renovations are currently affecting these options. For drop-offs, consider using the airport's waiting zone instead of the 'drop and go' car park, seeing as it's free for up to an hour.

• The cheapest option. Bristol Airport's short-stay and pick-up car park will set you back £55 for one day, and then £30 to £45 a day from then on.

• The most expensive option. Expect to pay anywhere between £150 and £350 to use the airport's meet and greet parking service for eight days. How much you pay largely depends on when you're travelling and when you book.

Even when done right, low-cost airport parking options can be hard to find. The longer you're away the more it costs, so quickly weigh up alternatives. Aside from bribing a relative to drop you off with promises of duty-free goodies, it's often cheaper to:

• Use non-specialist train services. Dedicated 'airport express' trains are costly, but the same lines are often used by normal rail services, so you can travel the same route more cheaply (it's likely there'll be extra stops) – to keep costs down, see Cheap train tickets. In London, the tube may be cheapest – see our London MoneySaving guide.

• Consider a pre-booked taxi. Local taxis can be cheaper if you've heavy luggage. Don't rely on getting a return taxi at the airport though. Airports can give a monopoly to one firm, bumping up prices as there's no competition. Book ahead with your local firm, giving your flight number so it can vary pick-up time, and it's often cheaper.

• Get a coach. Dedicated airport coaches are often cheapest, but there's a trade-off, since they usually take the longest. Book in advance and the savings can be huge. Check for National Express deals and Megabus deals before booking to see if you can save extra.

For some, airport parking works out as the best option, yet without a little prior thought you can end up paying substantially over the odds. There's a simple golden rule:

The earlier you book airport parking, the more you're likely to save (though check it's flexible). DO NOT just turn up at the airport – booking first, even on the day you fly, can save you money

The most expensive prices are almost always for those people who just drive in, park and pay, so book first, even if it's just before you head out. Here's some inspiration from the MSE Forum:

There are lots of different types of car park. Once you've found the cheapest price it doesn't necessarily mean it'll be the best for your needs, so use this quick guide to unravel the terms.

• On-site parking. The airport operators' own car parks. It can be something of a marketing trick, as occasionally 'off-site' car parks could be closer to the terminal building. More on on-site parking above. 

• Off-site parking. Any car park not in the airport complex. In other words, this is the name given to the often cheaper car parks operated by third-party companies which lay on regular transport to the terminal building. The best of these are just as quick and convenient as on-site parking.

• Meet and greet parking. Valet parking by another name. You drive to the terminal, and are met by a driver who you give your keys to; they then park it for you. When you land, the car's waiting at the terminal again. It's a great service, but usually more expensive (not always though, especially if you'd have to pay for separate travel to the terminal after parking – do check).
  

  Warning: After you've handed your keys to the valet, there's often only limited coverage for any damage caused to your vehicle while they're in charge. Such damage is a remote possibility, but it's worth checking the parking firm's T&Cs and only going with this option if you're comfortable. It's also well worth taking any valuables out of your car, just in case.

• Local car parks. Private, smaller places to park. Often, people and businesses close to the airport which have a bit of spare land will offer their own parking services, grabbing themselves a slice of the pie by undercutting the competition on price. On the downside, they generally don't offer anything like the same level of security, and availability is more limited.

Granted, there are more fun ways to spend time than comparing airport car parks. But to be forewarned is to be forearmed, so here's a quick checklist.

Transfer times to the terminal

The time taken by, and frequency of, the shuttle buses from car parks to the terminal is an important factor. If you're travelling at an unsociable hour, check buses stay regular throughout the night.

Security

It can be a worry to leave your car parked anywhere while you're away. Thankfully, most airport car parks have 24-hour CCTV and guard patrols.

Local services may be less secure, so check first, and weigh this up with the price if considering one. Usually though, if there's a problem it's your responsibility, not theirs. To be on the safe side, don't leave valuables in your car while you're away.

Can you cancel?

If your trip isn't set in stone, it may be worth adding a 'cancellation waiver' to your parking booking. Some sites offer this as an add-on, where for an extra quid or so, you can be guaranteed a refund on parking costs if you need to cancel at short notice. Otherwise, you'll generally have to pay more to cancel a booking.

Avoid late charges by maxing your time slot

Parking companies can charge through the nose if you drop off too early or collect too late – see ex-MSE Guy's Airport parking warning blog for more on this. Yet often rates are charged per 24-hour period – from midnight or the time you arrive – in which case it costs no more to book your airport parking until later than you expect to return.

For example, if you drop your car off at 10am and are due to fly back and land at 6pm a few days later, you can often book to pick your car up until midnight or sometimes 10am the day after without paying any more.

Always check with the company you've booked with as different airport have different policies and this won't always work – it mainly applies to traditional long-stay car parks. 'Meet and greet' services will usually give you until midnight on the day you return, regardless of when you book until.

Watch out if you usually park on the street using a residents' parking permit or equivalent. Sadly, if the parking bay your car is in is suspended, councils don't usually accept the excuse that you were on holiday and didn't check. Here are tips to help:

• Check your council's website. Many council websites list forthcoming roadworks and suspensions so it's always worth doing a quick check, and moving the car to somewhere unaffected if necessary.

• Allow a trusted neighbour who has their own car insurance to move it for you. If they have fully comprehensive insurance then often, though not always, it includes what's called driving other cars cover. This provides them with third party cover in case there's an accident. Always double-check your own insurer's terms though.

• Park in a council's special car park. Some councils operate special car parks where for £5-£10 a day you can leave your car when you're on holiday to guarantee no fine. This is an ill-disguised money-making scheme that boosts council funds through the fear of parking penalties, but may be a necessary evil for some – check with the local council.

A week's airport parking can potentially set holidaymakers back hundreds of pounds.

The main reason for this is basic economics: the high demand for airport parking and the lack of supply. Drivers want to park as close as possible to the airport, and you can't get any closer than on-site. With high demand but finite parking space, airports can hike their prices.

Other factors include the rising cost of land and the costs involved in running and maintaining large car parks. Fortunately, you can cut airport parking costs by following the tips in this guide.

Whille it's possible to save on flights the closer you get to the departure date, the same isn't true for airport parking.

Booking in advance is highly recommended as on-the-day pricing is much more expensive. Some airports adverise that you can save 60% to 70% by booking ahead, and those estimates can be conservative compared to reality. Even reserving a parking space the day before instead of paying at the airport itself will likely save you money.

Put simply: DON'T wait until closer to the time to book airport parking.

There's no magic formula for how far in advance to book airport parking. Generally speaking, it's best to do so as soon as possible.

Failing that, you should aim to book your airport parking space at least one month before your departure as prices typically start to surge in the weeks leading up to this.