Miser's guide to airport parking

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Since I'm going on a little trip tomorrow and a combination of factors mean that I will end up having to actually pay for parking for the first time in a while (though at least it'll be in a train station that has direct service to the airport), I thought it'd be an opportunity to actually contribute something useful* for a change.

 

I'm always amazed by the fact that people are prepared to pay a lot of money in order to park in a field for a few days- if they have so much dosh to spare, why don't they just give some to a registered* charity such as the Luxobarge Preservation Fund? With a little bit of research and occasional help from google maps, I've devised my own little unofficial park+ride schemes for the English airports that I have used.

 

Thiefrow: Obviously it's the biggest pain in the backside of them all- I avoid it whenever possible. When I do have to go there, I find West Hounslow is the most convenient place to park- the streets around Rosemary Avenue don't have any parking restrictions, and the main road (Bath Rd) has 24h bus service to/from the airport. Having said that, it's pretty busy there so I can see the free parking disappearing in the not too distant future.

 

Stansted: Plenty of on-street parking in the charming little village of Stansted Mountfitchet that's only about 7 minutes by train to the airport. I haven't been there for a while, tho.

 

Birmingham: The airport is between Coventry and Brum, so you can park along the bus route(s) linking the two cities. I particularly like Allesley, right next to where the Jaguar HQ used to be.

 

Manchester: Lots of choices. Used to use the (free!) little carpark in Heald Green station (again about 7 minutes by train to the airport) until someone smashed a window in order to steal...hm I don't know, maybe I had half a packet of crisps and an empty can of Red Thunder (Aldi energy drink)? The residential streets around the station are alright, though. The serious shite-worshipper could always take the bus from Wythenshawe, which is a proper old-fashioned depressing place- parking available in the residential streets about 200m from the bus station.

 

East Midlands: There is a frequent bus from Lafbra, where you can (or could until two years ago when I last was there) find free on-street parking.

 

That's all I know...If you have similar tips for other airports, tag them on here and let's make the NIMBYs go mental when their neighbourhoods fill up with Solaras and beige Maestros!