Commuting to and from airports.

It’s a problem everyone who flies abroad for his or her holidays has to deal with. How to get to the airport and if we take the car, what to do with it. The obvious answer would seem to be airport parking and utilizing the airport’s long stay car park, but there are alternatives that can be found with a little investigation. We will take a lot at some of the possibilities for commuting to and from the airport without going into specifics like Gatwick short stay car parks or stansted long term car parks.

If you are driving yourself then one option that can be discounted immediately are the short stay car parks. These are designed for people dropping off and picking up travellers and short stay means one or two hours and not one or two days. Short stay car parks are of course ideal for picking people up. In fact there is no real alternative. If you are dropping off make sure you are aware of any delays and aim to park a few minutes after the planes scheduled landing. That way you will not be hanging around for ages waiting for the passengers to pick up their baggage and clear customs.

Long stay car parks are very popular these days as it allows travellers to use their own transport and take control of the journey to and from the airport. There are usually a few alternatives around an airport and often some privately run long stay car parks. For example, there are around 8 private heathrow long stay car parks. Each car park will provide transport to and from the airport. You should allow half an hour on top of your journey, so if you want to check in 2 hours before the flight then arrive at the car park 2 ½ hours before hand.

The ideal scenario for travelling to and from an airport is to be dropped off and picked up by family or friends. This however, can be extremely inconvenient if the journey is of any significance. You could offer to reciprocate, so that everyone benefits. If this method can be arranged then it is by far the easiest, as the convenience of the short stay car parks can be utilised and there are an extra pair of hands to move luggage around.

A more expensive alternative is to take a taxi. This is fine on the way there, but brings an extra level of stress on the way back, as you have to rendezvous with the taxi driver at the airport. Also, a taxi company may well charge extra if your flight is delayed.

The final option is public transport. If you’re travelling lightly and do not have children to look after then this is a good alternative as the transport will typically take you to the heart of the airport. However, on the way back the last thing you feel like dealing with is a temperamental public transport system especially after a long journey.

So there are the alternatives for travelling to and from the airport for your holiday. As we mentioned above if you can organise family or friends to drop you off and pick you up, then this is the easiest and cheapest option.