Have you ever driven to Heathrow Airport and parked your car there before? If you have, you will know that there are so many car parks to choose from, it can get quite bewildering!
But among all the different choices you have to make, there are two main types of service available to you. You can choose on airport parking, which means you will be nice and close to the airport terminals themselves. Alternatively you can choose off airport parking, which as the name suggests means that the car parks are outside the airport.
So if you are considering which type of car park you are going to use the next time you need parking at Heathrow Airport, you might find the following information very useful.
What are the benefits of parking on the airport?
Well the first benefit is very obvious – it is very close to where you want to be. And this is the main reason why people choose this form of parking.
You will usually find various types of car park within the airport perimeter. For example Heathrow will offer short stay car parking as well as long stay, and these will be dotted around the Heathrow complex. Because of the size of this particular airport, you will see that some of the car parks still require you to use a transfer bus to reach your chosen terminal.
However the journey doesn’t take more than a few short minutes, and the services are very frequent as well – even during the early hours of the morning. If you like to be on your way as fast as possible, and back in your car quickly when you return, then parking on site will be the best bet because it is just a lot faster to complete the journey each time.
Are there any drawbacks?
The biggest drawback you will notice (if you would call it that) is that it will cost you more money to park in the airport itself.
This is understandable because you are paying for the convenience of being close by. You are also going to pay more because you will spend less time making that last part of your journey from your car to the terminal you are travelling from.
But if you feel that it is worth paying extra for this convenience, then you will find parking at Heathrow Airport in this way to be more than worthwhile.
What are the benefits of parking off the airport?
Okay, so we have seen what it is like to park inside the airport perimeter. Now let’s take a look at what it is like to go outside and park further away. So why do people do this? After all, you are making the final bit of your journey a longer one as a result.
The main reason is not surprisingly cost. It can be a lot cheaper to park further away from the airport. And in the end the last bit of your journey isn’t too bad, provided you allow the amount of time recommended by each car park to do it.
You will simply have to take a slightly longer bus journey to reach the airport itself, but this is rarely any longer than fifteen minutes or so, depending on traffic. For those people who want to keep the cost of parking as low as is practicably possible, offsite parking is the only way to go.
Are there any drawbacks?
The main one is the loss of convenience. If you are pushed for time then this way of parking is going to present you with some problems.
It’s not so bad if you plan ahead and make sure you have the time to complete your journey and reach the airport in time to make the last leg easy to do. But if you tend to run late all the time then you might not find this type of car park the best one for your needs!
In conclusion
In the end, different people will find different car parks best for them. Some people will be so focused on saving as much money as possible that the longer journey in the shuttle bus won’t bother them. They will be too pleased at the great deal they got to be worried about that!
In contrast those people who like to be as close to the airport terminals at Heathrow as possible won’t mind paying for that privilege. It all depends on your own needs and wishes, so there is really no right or wrong answer overall.
In other words, think carefully about what you want from your parking before you make a firm booking. That way you can be sure that you will get the service and the space you really need.