How do you get from home to the airport?

[frannn]

DH and I used to take a regular cab (airport service) from our home to the airport, and it usually costs about 20 for the 15-20 min ride. Last year DD1 came along, so they sent a nonprivate van (a minivan that takes multiple passengers to JFK at one time). This fit us and all of our luggage, and at 5 AM, we were the only passengers. This was great and cost us around 20 as well. Home from JFK, they sent a towncar because the van wasn't available. This was a pretty tight squeeze. This year, we will have one extra person (DD11), and as small as she is, she will also have at least one piece of large-ish luggage as well. I think requesting a larger vehicle will cost a lot more money. What are my options?

 

[ceecee]

Does your airport offer parking? Some have off site parking that is a lot cheaper than airport parking. We are considering a cab this year because the airport is $8.00 a day (10 days= $80.00) Off site is $4.00 but then you are waiting for shuttles. Friends of ours always spend the nite at the local Holiday Inn and use their free shuttle service (the room rate was $49.00) and they let them park the car in the lot for the two weeks they were gone.

 

[catsrule]

One of my brothers drops us off/picks us up.

 

[PamCo88]

We recruit family, as does the rest of the family. We all do this for each other, fortunately we live less than 20 minutes from the airport.

We have also taken Logan Express - busses from outside Boston to the airport.

 

[gigi1313]

we drive and park at the airport...

plus, i usually leave a little "welcome home" gifty in the car for the kids for when we get back... it usually makes the adjustment to home a little more pleasant

 

[stauncie]

20 minutes? wow. The airport is 90 miles one way(and across a state line for us). We either do long-term parking and drive ourselves, or recruit a family member to drive us. (we buy their gas and a meal). With the gas prices the way they are.. its almost cheaper to drive ourselves and do the long-term parking.

 

[piglet33]

We usually get a limo, but this time we tried something different. I got a mini-van from Priceline.com that we're picking up the night before we leave. We'll have it all packed with the luggage and DD's carseat so we just head to the airport, drop off the mini-van and wait for our flight. We did the same thing coming home. We'll pick up the mini-van when we land and drop it off the next night. We're about 30-40 minutes away from the airport so it's not that bad. We're paying $40 for the van including all taxes and fees. This is much less than a limo would have been for the three of us and we don't have to worry about how much luggage it can hold. Between our luggage, DD's stroller and diaper bag, we were lucky that they picked us up in a stretch limo last year or we would have had a problem.

 

[disneysteve]

We drive and park at the airport - costs about $8/day. Sometimes one of the offsite places has a coupon in the paper or the coupon pack that comes in the mail and we can park for about $6/day. Ends up no more expensive and lots more convenient than hiring a van.

 

[disneychrista]

Living 2.5 - 3 hours away from the airport with no airport shuttle, we just rented a car (cheaper then paying for parking for 16 days).

 

[pilgrimage]

I second the airport hotel. We pay $35 for a La Quinta (Charlotte) on priceline, and parked 12 days. Plus breakfast and shuttle were free for the family.

 

[disneysteve]

The airport hotel is a great idea. I've never thought of doing that. I wonder if most airport hotels let folks leave the car for extended periods. I'd hate to come home and find my car has been towed. Obviously, you should check the hotel's policy first. But if they allow it and you can get a good rate, you could save quite a bit, especially on an extended vacation.

 

[mrsstats]

We live about 10 minutes away. Drive & park our car in the resident parking lot. Off the plane, get luggage, walk to car & home with 30 min of landing.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We drive, and park in one of the airport lots that is $5 per day.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Just some food for thought on the hotel thing. We did this last January here in Denver. We could park our car at the Days Inn for $5 a day and get the free hotel shuttle to the airport. Since it was a 6 a.m. flight and we live 30-45 from airport we thought great, sleep a little later and not have that hassle of closing up the house at 3:30 in the morning. Well all changed when we arrived at the Days Inn around 9:00 p.m. No parking in their lot left! Apparently this is a popular practice and it was a small lot. The hotel desk told us they could not guarantee our car would be safe and not towed since we couldn't find a place in their lot. So we just laughed it off, it was too late to cancel the reservation. So we stayed the night and then drove ourselves to the airport the next day and paid to park there! Also, the free shuttle was jammed packed and people were swarming that hotel lobby the next morning waiting as they only had one van. One final insult to injury the free breakfast wasn't out yet due to the early hour so we didn't even get that! Lesson learned for us: check out how much free parking is available, how crowded shuttle gets, and when the heck the free breakfast is put out!

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by frannn
DH and I used to take a regular cab (airport service) from our home to the airport, and it usually costs about 20 for the 15-20 min ride. Last year DD1 came along, so they sent a nonprivate van (a minivan that takes multiple passengers to JFK at one time). This fit us and all of our luggage, and at 5 AM, we were the only passengers. This was great and cost us around 20 as well. Home from JFK, they sent a towncar because the van wasn't available. This was a pretty tight squeeze. This year, we will have one extra person (DD11), and as small as she is, she will also have at least one piece of large-ish luggage as well. I think requesting a larger vehicle will cost a lot more money. What are my options?

If we don't hit any traffic, we can get to LGA in about 15-20 minutes. We take a cab to the airport for about $20-$25. I've taken the bus and train a few times since it's just $2.00.

What van company did you use? I'm thinking of doing this for our next trip.

 

[canwegosoon]

Since I literally live 5 miles from the airport, I drop my husband for all his trips, and park in the closest parking I can find. Traveling with 2 younger children , it is hard to manuver 4 suitcases and carry ons and hold hands. There is no help at our airport at 5am..I end up paying $60 for a week in very close LT parking. But when I used to live on LI I always took a limo...traffic was too heavy / and flights were too unperdictable to have family come. Plus since we ran a family business, often it was less expensive for a limo to come, then take someone away from their job.

Wish I had family here to help on flight days.

 

[sweet maxine]

My mom lives in Oregon and is about 2 hours away from the airport. She is very lucky to have access to a shuttle that will take her to the airport for about $70 r/t. I don't think there is such a service as this in Mississippi.

 

[hulabird]

We used to park at the airport for $11.00/day, but this year we are getting a limo there and back. It is $70 each way. What;'s great is my sister is traveling with us so she is paying for 1/2. So for $70 we will not have to worry about our car in the airport lot plus will save over $30. (plus i love taking a limo! )

 

[mommytutu]

We're about 30 miles from the airport. I've thought about asking MIL to take us, but our flight leaves at 7:45 and I'm not sure she would get up that early. Our car just isn't big enough for the four of us and luggage---I might have to practice loading the car. But 2 large suitcases, 3 carry-ons, and a stroller in a Chev Cavalier will be a tight fit. Parking would be around $80. A cab will cost about $70 one way plus tip. I'm seriously concidering a limo---it's not much more then a taxi-- and MIL may pick us up.

 

[marcyinPA]

If we fly out of Allentown, we either drive ourselves or have someone drop us off (we live 10 minutes from the airport).

However, the cheap flights are out of Philly or Newark. Last trip we flew out of Philly and stayed overnight at Embassy Suites and got free parking for the week. It included a free breakfast, but our flight left so early that it wasn't out before we left. Still, we had a good night's sleep, free parking and a shuttle to and from the airport.

It worked out well for us.