Either kind. We have taken hotel shuttles and airport parking shuttles. I guess we have been lucky that we haven’t had delays.
But for an early departure, and staying away a week…I’d definitely use park and stay.
You’re at Boston, right? I’m sure a different animal than raleigh. I love RDU airport except for the drive. The drive you just never know what to expect. We once had the road shut down because they were installing a pipe across the road. Sat for 30 min. Another time we almost hit a cow standing in the middle of the road. And always the tractors…
Not Boston. Hartford/Springfield. Small airport, very easy access, lots of public lots, a Sheraton hooked to the airport. But only 30 minutes from my house. Through the woods on two lane roads!
When I fly out of Boston, I use Logan Express parking in Framingham, and yes, there is a shuttle bus. But it’s so easy and convenient and it’s actually on my way home.
We don’t mess with parking in Boston anymore. We take the bus from Portland to Boston. Drops us off right at the curb at Logan. So easy!
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One other thought: how about a car service with a driver? In the Bay Area, they are plentiful and a bit pricey.
However, our outbound trip from SFO was with our D starting college, and we did a cross-country move with lots of luggage.
When I compared the cost of a car service (in our case, a large van) with parking at SFO, it was only slightly more expensive to use the car service. We had an early morning flight, and the driver appeared at our home at exactly the right (even earlier) time and got us right to the airport curb for check-in…basically effortless.
We took an Uber back home, since there was one fewer pax and very few bags, since the bulk of the outbound baggage was for D and her college.
Just a thought…
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@deb922 , I can’t help you with your airport, but this question gets asked every couple of weeks on one of the various local FB pages in my area, and the answers tend to be both varied and useful. It might be worthwhile to ask there as well to get options.
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@deb922 look for park and stay options. This allows a hotel room for the night, usually up to 7 days parking and a shuttle to and from the airport. When I fly out of Los Angeles (rarely) I do book parking in advance, and we always park at the Hilton. It’s covered and fully secured. That’s a key element.
A couple start points:
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I’ve tried all types of airport transport. It depends on location, season, surrounds, length of stay and more. Our main airport is about 45 minutes away, but there several others about 1 ½ to 2 hours away, that sometimes offer much cheaper, or non-stop service to our chosen destination. If less than 10 days, we typically park nearby. If over 10 days, we try to find a driver (bus, Uber, friend, shuttle, etc.)
• Park and Fly options: First check online, including reviews, but follow up with hotel if possible. Only once did I have an issue, when the hotel shuttle took over an hour on the arrival side. They had a major wedding at the hotel, and shuttles were being used for guests first.
• Park/Sleep and Fly: Same as above if the flight is extremely early.
• TripAdvisor forums can be a good resource. I once found an independent hotel lot this way, but called the hotel to verify. They did indeed allow parking on their lot for a very reasonable daily fee, and 24 hour shuttle service from the hotel lobby.
• One-way car rental. This is my favored method for the close airport, and can be cheaper than an Uber. Depending on the agency, one-way can be reasonable or exorbitant. Budget does not charge extra for one-way to our regional airport. A big plus is that I can pick up the car 24 hours in advance of drop off. Downside is that twice Budget informed my at the last minute, that there was no car available on pick-up. At least I knew 24 hours in advance, and was able to find another option.
• I now often use a local retiree, who gives rides to/from the airport for approximately the same cost as an Uber/Lyft. Found that source on neighborhood Facebook page. He has been extremely reliable, and it is definitely a win-win.
• Bus: Local busses serve the close airport. There are also several regional shuttles for the distant airports that you can reserve in advance. (I’ve never tried any of the regional bus or shuttle services. They tend to be very expensive).
• Uber/Lyft: I know this is not an option for OP, but I’m hesitant with either for early flights. I know you can ‘reserve’ in advance, and I did so once with no problems. I asked a driver who worked with both, if the reservation system was reliable. He said more so for Lyft, and explained that the Uber system will reserve your request, but a driver may or may not be available at the time. That was 3 years ago, however, so the system may be different now.
• On-site parking. I’ve never found an airport parking lot to be cheaper than a nearby private lot. The private lots at our airports have reliable shuttles.
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Thanks so much for typing up such a great list of options! It’s so helpful for this infrequent flyer!
Sometimes I get very nervous about how to do some things. It’s so helpful to get such great detailed information.
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I only park at secure lots at the airport. We have a ParkingSpot (a national chain) that is an outlying lot that then shuttles you to the airport (about a 15 minute trip). Their lot is fenced and has security cameras. It also has a covered option but that is more expensive. They run 24 hours a day and I feel safe leaving my car at 4 am and returning at 3 am. If there is any problem, like your car won’t start, they help you. As you leave, they give you a bottle of water and often a treat (apple, granola bar, cookie) which is a surprisingly nice surprise after a long trip
MAny of the hotels have a long term parking rate, but I don’t think the lots are fenced and secure. The long term parking at the airport is probably cheaper by $2-$3 per day but even though they are ‘secure’ (you take a ticket and then pay on your way out) there are a lot of thefts of cars, stuff from the cars, and catalytic converters (a big problem here).
I looked at our local facebook and the Holiday Inn and Embassy Suites on Merriman Rd come recommended. Or the Westin, since it’s right there. I have not stayed at any of those personally.
I have stayed at the Hampton Inn in Belleville and I like it fine. Their website says they run an airport shuttle. I haven’t used that though.
I recommend Comfort Suites at DTW. They have packages with parking at one of the long-term lots, plus they have a great breakfast.
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