Airport parking can be a treacherous and often non-enjoyable experience, especially considering the fact that all airports have different methods and policies for parking. Prices, parking lots, parking hours, and parking facilities differ greatly from airport to airport and can be quite a frustration for those dropping off or picking up travelers. To avoid confusion when parking at airports, it is wise to be very prepared. If you've never traveled to a particular airport before, conduct thorough research via the airport's website. There you should be able to find parking rates, hours, and various parking lots to best suit your needs. You'll need to find out what the local airport's policies are regarding long-term and short-term parking and which parking lot you'll need to enter. Figure out how many hours you'll need to park and determine which parking lot fits. Depending on the size of the airport, there can be as little as one or two parking lot options up to several. Thankfully, most local airports color-code their parking lots, so as long as you can remember which color you need to park in, it shouldn't be terribly confusing. On the airport's website, you can also check all parking facilities such as parking garages or even off-site parking. If the weather is bad or you'd like to be as close as possible to the airport itself, parking garages are a great option. Be sure to be familiar with different parking garages, as there may be several, and different garage levels. Many local airports also have off-site parking options with buses carting people to and from the airport. These off-site parking lots are often used for long-term parking such as a week or more if you are unable to have someone else take you to the airport.
