Parking at airport during holidays

[Mrs.Milo]

I need long term parking at Orlando airport, and am worried about availability. We are traveling Dec 26 for 3 weeks. What to do if we go to the airport even several hours before the flight, and can’t find a spot to park? We are new to the area so not familiar with off-airport parking, and won’t have a local address until we return and close on a home. We would be happy to Uber to the airport but where can we park a car where it’s safe to do so? Any suggestions?

 

[EACarlson]

My suggestion would be https://www.thefastpark.com/airport-parking/orlando-mco I use them in Milwaukee every time I have to fly from there. Make a reservation, they direct you to a row, you park the car, their shuttle pulls up, the driver puts your bags in the shuttle, drops you off at the doors. When you return you go down to level 1, the shuttle picks you up and drops you right at your car.

 

[barb969]

Fastpark. They pick you up at your car and return you to your car. They handle the baggage.
For your length of stay you will earn free days. I’m not sure of,how many. We earned a free day with less than 20 days (not consecutive). Make a reservation.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I also believe MCO has an option to reserve a parking space online before you arrive..... perhaps another option to check on if you want to park right at the airport.

 

[barb969]

I also believe MCO has an option to reserve a parking space online before you arrive..... perhaps another option to check on if you want to park right at the airport.

We prefer fast park over the airport parking. In Baltimore the airport runs buses and you have to load your baggage. You do not get picked up at your car. The buses make several stops and can be crowded.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We prefer fast park over the airport parking. In Baltimore the airport runs buses and you have to load your baggage. You do not get picked up at your car. The buses make several stops and can be crowded.

Yea, agree with that in Baltimore - we've parked off-site there several times. We've already done park and stay at a local hotel there, too. But I think MCO parking options are a bit different - some are walkable from the terminal. It's kinda crazy the direction airport parking options have gone - very expensive, some safer than others, and some with better transportation to/from the airport. I'm going to keep that Fastpark option in mind the next time we're at BWI - hadn't seen that as an option. Thx

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I've never used them at MCO, but at home, I usually make a reservation with The Parking Spot to guarantee I have a spot. Locally, their prices are on par with the airport economy lot. We flew at Christmas several years ago and got spooked when we saw a news story about how every single airport spot had been claimed for Thanksgiving. Christmas was just as bad, so I started using The Parking Spot.

https://www.theparkingspot.com/loca...59pOaW4nntbNHEpsYEIaAkdrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[_19disnA]

Large airports all have a number of those 'park & fly' places where you can park and make a reservation ahead of time online so even during peak travel periods, you can always be sure of getting a spot. Just search around online to compare prices, all of those websites include maps of their location. Those places operate 24/7 with access controlled facilities and are a much safer place to leave your vehicle if you don't yet have a permanent residence/garage which would seem to make using any online taxi service impractical.

 

[tvguy]

Is renting a car one way at the start and end of your trip an option? Likely a lot less expensive than 3 weeks parking unless Orlando parking rates are a bargain.
We are looking at that for a two week trip. At first it wasn't going to work because the rental car places at our airport don't open until an hour before our departing flight, but just got notice that the cruise line moved our flight back 3 hours,

 

[tvguy]

Large airports all have a number of those 'park & fly' places where you can park and make a reservation ahead of time online so even during peak travel periods, you can always be sure of getting a spot. Just search around online to compare prices, all of those websites include maps of their location. Those places operate 24/7 with access controlled facilities and are a much safer place to leave your vehicle if you don't yet have a permanent residence/garage which would seem to make using any online taxi service impractical.

LOL. I guess Sacramento isn't large enough. We used to have Park & Fly lots off airport property but until really hadn't thought about it until now, they are all gone. One guy even would wash your car just before you returned, and later offered oil change services for an extra charge.
But airport parking sure has changed, when I worked out at the airport 1973-75 the first 24 hours parking was free.

 

[sam_gordon]

the rental car places at our airport don't open until an hour before our departing flight,

Don't understand why thats a factor. Every airport rental car location I've used have had an after hours drop box (if they weren't staffed 24/7).

 

[bcla]

LOL. I guess Sacramento isn't large enough. We used to have Park & Fly lots off airport property but until really hadn't thought about it until now, they are all gone. One guy even would wash your car just before you returned, and later offered oil change services for an extra charge.
But airport parking sure has changed, when I worked out at the airport 1973-75 the first 24 hours parking was free.

I parked at SMF once. I think it was 2012 during a 3-day holiday weekend. Wasn't sure what I needed to do and got there really early. But I figured I didn't need to mess with anything else and just went to the onsite daily lot where it might have been something like $9 a day. Looked it up and it's still pretty cheap at $13 a day.

Barely had any baggage though, so that helped. My big worry was that their shuttle service would be low frequency at 5 AM, but the bus was just about to leave when I got there so I didn't need to wait long. I was worried that I might need to walk or at least wait a while in cold weather.

It's certainly a different kind of airport, where very little was developed around it. Maybe a few warehouses, but otherwise still surrounded by farmland. The closest thing I could find to off-site parking was a special rate at a hotel about 3 miles away. Apparently up to 8 nights of overnight parking with the room rate. I don't see an option just to pay for parking without a stay. Another nearby hotel has a free hourly shuttle to the airport, but I don't see any options to park longer than needed for a hotel stay.

https://www.marriott.com/offers/par...ento-international-airport?propertycode=sacfp

 

[Dan Murphy]

I agree on Fastpark.

 

[tvguy]

Don't understand why thats a factor. Every airport rental car location I've used have had an after hours drop box (if they weren't staffed 24/7).

Because the shuttle buses to the terminal don't run before they open.

 

[tvguy]

I parked at SMF once. I think it was 2012 during a 3-day holiday weekend. Wasn't sure what I needed to do and got there really early. But I figured I didn't need to mess with anything else and just went to the onsite daily lot where it might have been something like $9 a day. Looked it up and it's still pretty cheap at $13 a day.

Barely had any baggage though, so that helped. My big worry was that their shuttle service would be low frequency at 5 AM, but the bus was just about to leave when I got there so I didn't need to wait long. I was worried that I might need to walk or at least wait a while in cold weather.

It's certainly a different kind of airport, where very little was developed around it. Maybe a few warehouses, but otherwise still surrounded by farmland. The closest thing I could find to off-site parking was a special rate at a hotel about 3 miles away. Apparently up to 8 nights of overnight parking with the room rate. I don't see an option just to pay for parking without a stay. Another nearby hotel has a free hourly shuttle to the airport, but I don't see any options to park longer than needed for a hotel stay.

https://www.marriott.com/offers/par...ento-international-airport?propertycode=sacfp

You haven't been to SMF in a while, Amazon opened a HUGE warehouse as did Target, and Walmart along with other warehouses in what they call Metro Air Parkway on the east side of the airport. Those businesses generate so much traffic that they had to add another exit to Interstate 5 just for them. On a positive note, a few months ago they just opened a second entrance to SMF from that exit to help easy any congestion. Well, actually, decades ago there were two other ways into the airport that got closed, the new second entrance is basically the one I used 50 years ago when I worked at the airport.

 

[bcla]

Because the shuttle buses to the terminal don't run before they open.

Might depend on the airport. I've been to the Las Vegas Airport consolidated rental car center where they have 24/7 shuttles, but some of the rental car agencies don't operate 24/7. I made a decision to rent there once where my flight was scheduled to arrive in time, but one rental car agency closed at midnight while another was 24 hours. I actually got there in time, but the rest of my family didn't, and it was nice to just pick up the car at 5 AM due to a ridiculously long delay for them.

I've been to some airports where the rental car center was right in the garage across from the airport like John Wayne Airport. But I've also rented where there were individual shuttles to off-site rental car agencies that weren't consolidated. If that's the case, leaving a car if there's no shuttle is going to be problematic.

 

[bcla]

You haven't been to SMF in a while, Amazon opened a HUGE warehouse as did Target, and Walmart along with other warehouses in what they call Metro Air Parkway on the east side of the airport. Those businesses generate so much traffic that they had to add another exit to Interstate 5 just for them. On a positive note, a few months ago they just opened a second entrance to SMF from that exit to help easy any congestion. Well, actually, decades ago there were two other ways into the airport that got closed, the new second entrance is basically the one I used 50 years ago when I worked at the airport.

Sure. I looked at a satellite view and saw all those businesses. I was just thinking they weren't the traditional kind of businesses around airports, like hotels and private parking lots. Maybe a gas station or two.

I'm most familiar with SFO and OAK, which are surrounded by lots of businesses and several park and fly parking lots. OAK does have all those nearby businesses, although it's getting to the point where it might be too dangerous to stop in the neighborhood. The park and fly lots might be OK since they have private security. I think rental car agencies have been recommending that people not get gas on Hegenberger.

 

[tvguy]

Might depend on the airport. I've been to the Las Vegas Airport consolidated rental car center where they have 24/7 shuttles, but some of the rental car agencies don't operate 24/7. I made a decision to rent there once where my flight was scheduled to arrive in time, but one rental car agency closed at midnight while another was 24 hours. I actually got there in time, but the rest of my family didn't, and it was nice to just pick up the car at 5 AM due to a ridiculously long delay for them.

I've been to some airports where the rental car center was right in the garage across from the airport like John Wayne Airport. But I've also rented where there were individual shuttles to off-site rental car agencies that weren't consolidated. If that's the case, leaving a car if there's no shuttle is going to be problematic.

SMF, on paper, offers 24 hour shuttles for parking and rental cars, even though the Rental Car offices are not 24 hours. But this year there has been a lot of controversy about shuttles not running. There must have been something to it because the airport just added 12 shuttle buses to their fleet.
Phoenix and St. Louis are the airports I frequent most often and recently have rented from. Never had an issue in Phoenix. My last trip through St. Louis in April during the eclipse was great, but they are off site now. Time before was years before, an the counters were in terminal then. I had a reservation thru Budget, arrived at the counter at 630 pm and it was closed. Called the 800 number and that was news to BUDGET. But got my car by riding the shuttle to the main airport location.
Worst was Enterprise at Calgary Airport years ago. Reserved a mini-van, road the shuttle off the airport property, and there were people lined up. It quickly became apparent that they had NO mini-vans, and several of us had reservations for one. They offered to take us back to the airport to other on site rental car companies if we HAD to have a mini-van. Very nice retirement age shuttle van driver took several of us back, and apologized. Said the local franchise owner took reservations without considering if they actually had the type of vehicle available. He said they only owned 4 minivans, all four were out on rental, and there were six of us right there with reservations for one. Ugh.

 

[tvguy]

Sure. I looked at a satellite view and saw all those businesses. I was just thinking they weren't the traditional kind of businesses around airports, like hotels and private parking lots. Maybe a gas station or two.

I'm most familiar with SFO and OAK, which are surrounded by lots of businesses and several park and fly parking lots. OAK does have all those nearby businesses, although it's getting to the point where it might be too dangerous to stop in the neighborhood. The park and fly lots might be OK since they have private security. I think rental car agencies have been recommending that people not get gas on Hegenberger.

Oh Lord, the airport hotel. We had one for the first 40 years the airport operated, but it closed in 2008 when the airport did not renew the lease, and tore it down as part of building new terminals and just figured some hotel chain would love to build a new fancy hotel on site. Nope. Most likely because SMF is not a hub airport, it is an airport where you begin, or end your travel. We finally did get a gas station.
As an Oakland A's fan.........or I should say FORMER A's fan, I am well aware of the hotel situation around Oakland International. I have done a couple of overnight trips and stayed at Oakland airport hotels. Both I have stayed at have closed. Even the always busy In and Out Hamburger place closed because people were getting robbed while waiting in the drive thru!

 

[bcla]

Oh Lord, the airport hotel. We had one for the first 40 years the airport operated, but it closed in 2008 when the airport did not renew the lease, and tore it down as part of building new terminals and just figured some hotel chain would love to build a new fancy hotel on site. Nope. Most likely because SMF is not a hub airport, it is an airport where you begin, or end your travel. We finally did get a gas station.
As an Oakland A's fan.........or I should say FORMER A's fan, I am well aware of the hotel situation around Oakland International. I have done a couple of overnight trips and stayed at Oakland airport hotels. Both I have stayed at have closed. Even the always busy In and Out Hamburger place closed because people were getting robbed while waiting in the drive thru!

Oh yeah. I remember when the Walmart on Hegenberger closed, although it might not have been a huge loss since there's another one a mile away in San Leandro. I'd gone to that In N Out many times, including once taking my in laws to the airport and getting them something to eat before their flight. If anyone really needed an In N Out fix, I would have recommended Alameda. But that area can still be profitable (with all the airport traffic), but a lot of businesses just don't feel too good about the situation with customer/employee safety. There's a Toyota dealer just a little bit further down, and I don't think anyone messes with them. There's still a Wingstop, Subway, Starbucks, and Chipotle. And the Raising Cane's. But if I wanted to try that out, there's a location in Hayward and I'd feel a lot safer.

But it's really weird when San Leandro is considerably safer.