California Airport Parking Options Explained

Short-term parking: Short-term parking is something that most travelers don’t want to pay for over the course of more than a few days. It’s perfect for a short business trip or long weekend vacation when you don’t have a lot of extra time for getting to and from the airport. Short-term parking is also perfect for people picking travelers up from the airport because it can be paid for by the day or hour.

SFO short-term parking is a good choice when flying out of the Bay Area. The convenient parking garage has access tunnels throughout the terminal and parks passengers according to their airline.

Long-term parking: Long-term parking is further from the airport but it costs a lot less per day than short-term parking. The compromise for paying a lower price is that you have to take a shuttle bus to the terminal, so you need to plan for a little extra time for parking and the shuttle ride to make sure you get to the terminal on time. The good news is that the shuttles leave regularly and often, so most travelers don’t find long-term parking an inconvenience.

LAX long-term parking offers a reservation option that guarantees your spot in the lot in advance. You simply use their booking wizard to search for parking lots, choose a parking lot based on price and location, and make a reservation online.

Private parking: Private parking is a good option at any airport. Private parking is usually a valet service that’s adjacent to but not directly affiliated with the airport. They offer lower prices than airport parking and aren’t much further out than the furthest long-term airport parking.

Private parking is often faster than airport parking because a valet parks your car for you while you hop on one of several shuttle buses that are constantly coming and going. You don’t have to walk from your car to the bus and you don’t have to wait for the bus to fill up before it leaves. This is often the most convenient choice for long-term parking as well as the most affordable solution.

Oakland Airport long-term parking isn’t available on site at long-term prices. Parking near the airport is limited, often making private parking the only choice.

Reserved parking: Reserved parking allows you to use a booking service to make a reservation online in advance, often at a discounted rate. A search wizard finds the lowest priced parking available for your airport, in addition to organizing all your parking options for you according to your search terms.