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One of the more expensive aspects of a vacation can be one that people often forget to account for: airport parking. This may not be as big of a deal if one is
flying out of Frankfurt-Hahn Airport; they conveniently offer many budget-friendly parking lots, from as little as €3.50 per day. They even have a free shuttle service that runs out to those distant lots, where the economically savvy flyers park their vehicles.
Unfortunately, Frankfurt am Main Airport is not quite as parking-friendly. It is the third busiest airport in Europe and even finding an open spot in one of the terminals can be a gambling experience. And even if a car full of happy tourists is lucky enough to find one, leaving one’s vehicle in one of the terminal parking lots can cost nearly as much as a plane ticket. Two weeks in either of the terminal parking lots costs upwards of €150.
The Airport does offer a Holiday Parking Lot, which is a remote lot offering a free shuttle service to the terminals. The prices for the Holiday Lot are much less than the terminal garages, but even here the rates are high. Two weeks in the Holiday Lot will still run €84 during the high season, which is from April through October.
Additionally, many travelers do not wish to leave their vehicle exposed to the elements for that amount of time and would rather pay double the money to be able to park under the safety and security of the covered terminal garages.
Other options exist, however, and experienced and frequent travelers have begun to discover and take advantage of these options. Many privately-owned parking lots are available near and around Frankfurt Airport, and these can provide travelers with less expensive parking rates.
Two of the most popular and widely used parking lots are the Airparks Car Park Griesheim Süd and the Airparks Multi-Story Car Park Frankfurt. The Airparks Car Park Griesheim Süd is an uncovered lot only a five to 10 minute drive from the airport. Two weeks at this lot will only run between €40 and €55, depending on how far in advance the reservation is made.
A bit higher up the scale is the Airparks Multi-Story Car Park Frankfurt, which has the added benefit of not only providing customers with an alternative to expensive airport parking (around €60 for two weeks), but is also a covered garage-style parking structure. There, cars are protected against both the elements and any potential crime or vandalism. Both the Multi-Story Car Park and its sister lot, the Griesheim Süd, offer secure access only and regular security patrols for your car’s safety, as well as well-lit premises for your own. A 24 hour shuttle service to and from the airport is also included in their very reasonable rates.
The Airparks are the most popular options, and for tightly-strapped budgets they truly cannot be beat. Other popular car parks include the Platzhirsch, the Tiefgarage Kelsterbach and the Simplepark Frankfurt.
For travelers with early morning flights, many hotels near the airport offer packaged rates for a one-night stay on the evening before your flight and up to two or three weeks of parking on their premises. Many of them also include round-trip shuttle service to the airport, though keep in mind that the hotel shuttles rarely run 24 hours. A list of hotels that provide extended parking with one night stay include the Holiday Inn, Mercure Hotel Frankfurt Airport, Carat Hotel, Ibis Frankfurt City Messe and the Steigenberger Hotel. A room and two weeks parking at any of these hotels can be booked for merely €100 to €120 if done so about a month in advance.
A number of websites offer discounted early booking and hotel and parking comparisons. Visit www.hotels-and-parking-at-the-airport.com for well translated information and easy to compare rates.
