Avoiding crowded airport parking lots this holiday season

Driving to or from a big airport during the holidays doesn't have to be a problem. A bit of planning can help you avoid unexpected "full" signs at parking lots and some traffic hassles.

Public transportation

Where good public transit is available, it's usually the most reliable way to get to and from a big airport. The best options are at the handful of really big airports served by a convenient rail system: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago (O'Hare and Midway), Cleveland, Minneapolis, New York (JFK and Newark), Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington (Reagan National). The Airport Public Transit Directory provides links to public transit services available at most major U.S. airports. Where rail isn't an option, a shuttle service is probably the next-best choice, and most airport websites provide links to local shuttle services.

Alternative airports

One of the great advantages of a small secondary airport, such as Long Beach (for Los Angeles) or Manchester (for Boston) is easier and cheaper parking, as well as less-congested access. Consider using such an airport at either end of your trip, provided you can find good fares and schedules.

Reserved parking

Several sites allow you to reserve and prepay for parking at off-airport sites. All of those lots include shuttle service to and from the airport terminals; some offer a choice of self-park or valet parking, feature discount promotions, or provide for optional service on your car while it's parked. Most lots are within two or three miles of the terminal, and often claim lower rates than you find at the official on-airport long-term lots. Start your research at the following sites:

• Airport Discount Parking
• AirportParkingReservations.com
• LongTermParking.com
• Park 'N Fly Network
• parkingaccess.com
• ParkRideFlyUSA.com
• The Parking Spot

As far as I can tell, most of these sites solicit listings from parking lots and earn fees for online bookings. Many local lots obviously list themselves on multiple sites, but there are some differences. If you don't find what you need through one site, by all means check out one or two of the others. When I checked in early December, several lots already were sold out for the holiday season.

Hotel-parking packages

If you usually drive to your local airport—and it's a long trip—you might consider staying the night before your departure at an airport-area hotel that offers extended parking as part of a package. I know of three online sites that arrange parking packages at airport hotels:

ParkSleepFly.com has led the field for many years, with options at some 100 larger airports in the United States and Canada plus a handful in Europe; it also promotes comparable packages near a few major cruise ports.

BuyReservations.com and Stay123.com are new to me, but they provide similar services.

The typical package deal includes one night (double or single, up to quad), parking for as long as 14 nights, and shuttle transfer to and from the airport. The one-night package rate is almost always higher than the hotel's lowest available rate, but the difference is usually much less than the cost of a week or more at an airport-area parking lot. Most participating hotels allow you to take the hotel night at the end of your trip instead of at the beginning—an option you might find useful if your return flight arrives late in the evening and you don't want to begin a long drive home until the next morning.

Some hotels that do not list themselves on these sites also offer similar packages. Best Western hotels, in particular, often feature them. However, finding them can be extremely cumbersome. If you want the service, stick to one of the websites.