Holidays are for relaxing, forgetting about the pressures of work, and certainly not worrying about anything. So the last thing you need to worry about when you're away is where your car is parked and how safe it is.
In the past there have been scare stories about cowboy airport parking companies that see airport parking, particularly during the busy summer holiday season, as a great way to make a fast buck or two; companies that promise a secure, fully-insured parking service only to be caught parking customers cars in out-of-town supermarket car parks, industrial estates, on the drive of their own home, or in the case of one 'company' outside their kebab shop!
How can you make sure you are booking your airport parking with a reputable company?
You want to make sure that your car is going to be parked in a recognised, council-approved car park, with adequate security and secure gated access to prevent theft. A good way to start looking for a reputable company is to ask friends and family who they park their vehicles with, and what were their experiences, would they recommend them and would they use the company again?
A check with an online travel forum, such as tripadvisor.com is another way to find a good parking company.
On-airport parking will be in a recognised, purpose-built car park with good security procedures in place, however, this can be an expensive option.
For a cheaper option consider off-airport parking. Off-airport parking is run by independent airport parking operators and this is where you could encounter problems. Look for established companies – a trawl through online booking sites, such as Help Me Travel, Holiday Extras and Essential Travel will identify reputable companies, however, not all airport parking companies sell their parking through these sites.
The best way to check that any airport parking company, off-site or meet and greet, is reputable and has the proper security procedures in place is to look for the Safer Parking ParkMark award.
Safer Parking ParkMark Award
This award is given only to companies that have demonstrated strict standards of security, that their car park is properly managed and maintained and has the correct amount of surveillance, lighting, signage, cleanliness plus has secure entry and exit points.
To receive the safer parking ParkMark accreditation, parking facilities must be assessed by accredited Police who visit the car parking site to check the car park against the Safer Parking Scheme’s criteria. The criteria also includes measures to be put in place to help deter criminal activity, anti-social behaviour and help prevent crime within the parking facility.
The ParkMark scheme is managed by the British Parking Association and supported by the Home Office and Scottish Government. Once awarded the ParkMark approval, companies are assessed annually to ensure high standards of parking are maintained.
So, when booking your airport parking, take the safer option: look for the safer parking ParkMark logo. You can also check the safer parking website (saferparking.com) for a list of accredited parking companies at your local airport.
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