Money hacks Driving down the costs of airport parking

How much airport parking will cost you depends on several factors - when you book; how close to the airport you want to be; how you book; how long your vehicle will stay in the car park; and which airport you are flying from.

- Shane Hickey

Book early

Prices vary widely. According to figures from the comparison website Confused.com, the average cost for four days in a short-stay car park in England will come in at £110, whereas in Scotland it is £58 and in Wales £88. The car retailer Motorpoint surveyed 25 UK airports for a week's stay at the beginning of August and found London City the most expensive (£149.50 being the best price) and Teesside the cheapest (£50).

It is best to book as far in advance as possible as prices go up the closer you get to departure.

Ben Custard of Motorpoint advises booking once you have paid for your holiday. "Space is limited and prices tend to increase as your holiday approaches. You might be able to park for under £10 a day - even in peak season, at some airports," he says. "They tend to charge considerably more without a reservation, meaning you could find yourself paying double the price advertised online."

Big airports have multiple car parks - Heathrow has 11 official ones - and prices can differ between each, depending on how close they are to the terminal, or whether staff park your car for you.

For example, at Stansted for a week in August, it currently costs £138 to drop the car with the "meet and greet" at the terminal, while at the short-stay, a five-minute walk away, it costs £113. Parking in the long-stay section comes in at £98.

Booking through comparison sites can often save you money and MoneySavingExpert offers discount codes.

For that same week at Stansted, booking through the Holiday Extras site costs £111 for "meet and greet", £96 at the short-stay and £83 at the long-stay. It is worth looking at other comparison sites such as FHR, SkyParkSecure and Airport Parking and Hotels to see what the best price is.