Cheap Travel - Airport Parking Tips

When it comes to budget travel, a big expense can be car-parking costs at airports. In this article, we look at what to look out for when booking parking and money saving tips that will save you money on airport parking.

Firstly, do you know the company you are booking your parking through? Take a minute to check out the 'about us' page. Reputable companies will tell you about themselves so you know who you are dealing with. There are literally hundreds of companies reselling airport parking so it is worth finding out who is actually providing the service. You don?t want to get back from holiday to find your car has been accidentally lost!

Booking you car parking at a certain time during the day can save you money as prices fluctuate daily. If you spot a bargain, reserve your parking space right away

If you know your holiday or travel date well in advance, book your parking in because you can save up to 25% on early bookings. Many car parks offer advance purchase prices and the earlier you book the more likely you are to find them. If you do find one, book straight away because these prices are withdrawn as you get closer to the departure date and are subject to availability.

Transfer times and frequency of transfers are very important as you want to be able to catch your flight with minimum hassle.

One choice worth considering is looking at staying the night at a nearby hotel and leaving your car in their car park for the duration of your holiday/travel. Check the cost of a hotel with parking package compared to airport parking. You may well be surprised to find out that it is cheaper to stay in a 4 star hotel with breakfast including 14 days car parking than airport parking alone. Compare the price of airport parking with the price of a hotel packaged with parking. At certain times of the year, especially August and September, parking packaged with a hotel can be up to �20 cheaper than parking on its own. If you have an early check in, staying overnight takes all the stress out of getting to the airport on time. Compare the prices on the parking results page. You can click straight through from parking to hotels.

It?s recommended that you never turn up to an airport without pre-booking your parking. Airport car parks charge a premium for turning up on that day which can be up to 60% more than our internet prices, even if you have left your booking until the last minute! You can still save even if you only book your parking on the day of travel. If you see someone putting money into a parking machine at the airport, tell them to pre-book online next time!

There are 3 main choices of airport parking and your choice depends on budget and whether you need to park your car for two weeks or just a couple of days

On-Airport Parking
This refers to parking within the airport boundary. Airports, however, are generally big places so always check the transfer times and distance to the terminal. In general the closer you are to the terminal the more you pay for the convenience.

Off-Airport Parking
This means it is located outside the airport boundary. Ironically, the transfer times for off-airport car parks can sometimes be less than the on-airport times, due to their location, so make sure you check.

Valet or Meet and Greet Parking
Arguably the most convenient option for parking at the airport; this service means you are met at the terminal by a driver who will collect your car and take it to one of the on or off-airport car parks leaving you free to check-in. When you return, your car will be delivered back to the terminal for you. This is great for large families with loads of luggage. There are some variants on this service so be sure to read the details.

12 Questions to ask to save you money on airport parking

Airport parking can be expensive but asking the following five tips could save you money:

1. Use discounts offered by online airport parking websites. Keep an eye out for offers as many airport parking sites offer seasonal discounts.

2. Ask if the airport parking lots have different rates for long-term/short-term parking. Many airport parking lots charge more for lots closer to departure gates than for parking lots a considerable distance away.

3. Determine whether your membership with the AAA or other organizations offers you any advantages as far as airport parking lots are concerned.

4. Consider parking at an off-site airport lot. You will save a lot of money and be able to use a shuttle service run by the parking lot to the airport. You will also save considerable time and effort by not having to lug heavy bags across parking lots.

5. Use a comparison website of different on and off-site airport parking sites and their costs as well as pros and cons such as distance, transportation, safety, time saving and so on.

6. Collect parking coupons from operations near the airport. Look for discount rates offered say mid-week and offers of one extra day?s free parking if you book x number days. Some sites even have what is termed as a ?free day? of parking.

7. If you are a frequent traveler, consider staying at a hotel near the airport overnight and use their car parking facilities. Most hotels allow guests staying at the hotel to park their cars for a limited period free of cost.

8. Plan to travel during the week and not at weekend when prices are higher.

9. When booking your flight or holiday, ask the travel agent or airline whether they offer pick and drop services.

11. Consider taking a taxi to the airport it may be cheaper than parking. This would of course depend on the distance you will be travelling.

12. Find out if you can buy parking coupons at a bulk rate. This will be a saving if you are a frequent flier.

Airport Parking Is Cheap And Easy

Simply put, airport parking can quickly turn into a nightmare if you do not book ahead. You will not only save money booking airport parking online through a booking agency but you will also cut out the stress of finding that elusive car park space on the day.

Picture the Osborne family. There is mom, dad, two boys and one girl. They have been looking forward to their fortnight holiday in the Mediterranean for weeks now. It is the summer holiday. The kids are off school and are very excited about going to a foreign country with their Mom and dad.

They are flying from Heathrow and Mom and dad were excited too but this feeling has somewhat changed since driving around the airport for 20 minutes looking for a car park space. Dad is now stressed, annoyed and generally in a bad mood. Mom is giving him tips on where to park "try over there love!" which is causing him to boil over! The over excited kids are not making it any easier! Finally, he finds a car park space that Mom spotted much to his irritation but the nightmare is not over. They now face the one-mile struggle with luggage and kids in tow to their terminals now bustling with holidaymakers and long queues. Their holiday is almost certainly off on the wrong foot.

So what should they have done to eliminate this unwanted stress? Well, there is a very easy way to cut out this stress entirely by using a Heathrow Airport Parking booking agency online to book their airport parking well in advance such as Purple Parking or Travel Supermarket.

You only have to go on the web to find hundreds of companies offering parking at the airport you are flying. Many websites offer preferential airport parking and are becoming very popular with holidaymakers as they find it cuts out the stress that the Osborne family experienced. Not only does it cut out the stress of finding a parking space but they also offer substantial savings.

The savings made by booking through an airport parking company are substantial. All you need to do is go online and find services that offer airport parking.

Booking airport parking online is very safe and easy with benefits that include:

Best Value - Saving you money
Booking online can save you over 60% on your airport parking compared to paying on the day at the airport. Many websites compare airport parking prices for you and show you the total cost so you can choose the parking that best suits your needs and pocket.

Stress Less - Peace of mind
Cut out the stress of finding a space on the day by booking your airport parking that suits you and plan your journey in advance. Everything is booked and arranged in advance. You just turn up, park and fly.

Meet and Greet Airport Parking
Some companies offer the ultimate in airport parking with a chauffeur meeting you outside your terminal and driving you to your car park. The majority of these companies have no hidden costs so there will be no surprises in store for you when paying for your airport parking. There are many sites offering attractive promotions like hotel and parking combinations, meet and greet or chauffeur services or breakfast offers.

Cornwall Hotels in Falmouth Hotel and Spa

Relax, unwind and indulge . . .a visit to St Michael?s Spa is a chance to leave the world behind and make time for you. I recently spent the weekend at Cornwall Hotels in Falmouth Hotel & Spa

St Michael?s Spa in Cornwall features a large heated indoor swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, steam room, sun deck, well equipped fitness suite and the very best spa treatments using world renowned Espa products. Coast magazine selected St Michael?s Spa as one of the UK?s top six coastal spas in July 2007.

I loved my stay at this hotel and would recommend it to anyone wish to stay in a hotel in Falmouth Cornwall. Everything from the food, spa and beach location to the friendly staff and service made my stay a memorable one.

Swimming
Bubble, steam and swim your way to relaxation . . .

St Michaels Spa in Cornwall has a large, heated swimming pool overlooks our sub-tropical gardens with views out to sea across Falmouth Bay. The large pool sun deck is the perfect sun trap all year round. Other facilities include a Finnish sauna, steam room, experience shower and a large Jacuzzi with sea views.

Fitness Suite
?The greatest wealth is health?

St Michael's Hotel Fitness suite provides a comprehensive range of facilities with the cardio area featuring Cybex and Life fitness equipment. They also have an extensive range of resistance machines and free weights.

Spa treatments
?A visit to St Michael?s Spa is like taking a deep cleansing breath of refreshing Cornish air . . . ? (Vitality Matters magazine)

Their inspiration comes from the sea with treatment rooms luxuriously equipped in coastal style whilst the Relaxation room overlooks beautiful sub-tropical gardens. They relax, revive and restore you to face the world again!

Read more about the benefits of a spa


Restaurant
"With its proximity to the Blue Flag Gyllyngvase Beach, great sea views and relaxing atmosphere, as well as all the extra temptations a spa hotel can offer, the Flying Fish is one of a new breed of relaxed, Contemporary hotel restaurants." Inside Cornwall magazine

AA Rosette, award winning restaurant in Falmouth with stunning views of the ocean, Falmouth Bay & the Cornish coastline. The Flying Fish Falmouth restaurant is a stylish, contemporary and friendly restaurant for the discerning diner.. Our roof terrace offers a great opportunity for "sun downers" and al fresco dining in warmer months.

I absolutely loved everything this restaurant offered with its amazing views, fantastic menu and great tasting food and superb service, I would recommend it to anyone.

Spa relaxation for the mind, body and soul

Visiting a spa is often looked at as a luxury but according to spa aestheticians, you don't only come away looking beautiful, you can come away feeling healthier with many health benefits resulting from treatments such as massage.

Here in the UK, our life is fast-paced, often stressful. With this in mind no wonder there is an increasing trend of people taking time out of their busy lifestyles and heading to a health spa to relax and unwind. A spa massage helps in total body relaxation and helps you derive mental peace.

A fitness spa will help you improve your body circulation and pave the way for flushing of toxins. It ensures that you sleep properly in the night, get up fresh and active in the morning and can work against muscle pains. Spa massage is a delightful experience that rejuvenates you completely.

Spas have become much less about indulgence and much more about healthy lifestyles and learning to appreciate your body. More men are getting their fingernails cleaned (it?s about time), and more teens are dragging in their modest mothers to try out that new thigh-high endermologie treatment that's all the rage.

Spas offer different procedures that boast medical benefits and one spa staple, the massage, is one such procedure. All massages are beneficial to your health as they help to relieve stress and improve the detoxifying functions of the lymphatic system. It also improves the circulation of the blood and is effective in pain management, especially for people with arthritis, headaches and muscle spasms.

The Health Benefits of Massage

• Massage calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of relaxation and well being.
• Massage reduces tension and anxiety.
• Massage improves blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
• Massage stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away the body?s waste products.
• Massage prevents and relieve muscles cramps and spasms.
• Massage therapy can also help with pain management in conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, muscle spasms.
• Aromatherapy massages where special scents like rosemary and lavender are used enhance the tension-relieving process with their rejuvenating and relaxation properties.
• Getting a massage, however, is not a replacement for visiting your doctor if you have serious injuries. If you have serious injury, you have to speak to a doctor before you get a massage.
  

The Health Benefits of Sauna
There are many claims about the health benefits of saunas including good for weight loss, cleansing the body of toxins, lowering cholesterol, relieving the symptoms of arthritis and treating respiratory problems like bronchitis and laryngitis. Some of these claims may be exaggerated, but others may have sound scientific foundations.

Losing Weight
It is suggested that saunas are an effective way to lose weight. They point to the fact that when you are in a sauna your heart rate increases and the body is working to cool itself. You may hear a figure of 300 to 500 calories burned during a 30 minute sauna session. It is true that the heart rate increases during a sauna, and it?s also true that you are burning calories because of that. However, during a regular exercise session your body is using many muscles ? in a sauna the heart is the only muscle being exerted.

Building and toning muscles is more important for weight loss than exerting your heart. The bottom line is if you want to lose weight, do some exercise. A sauna afterwards is a bonus, but it will not help much in your weight loss program.

Toxins
'Saunas rid the body of toxins.' This claim is made by many sauna manufacturers and retailers and it is also a commonly held belief among sauna enthusiasts. The fact is there is no scientific evidence that toxins such as heavy metals (such as lead and mercury) or other such toxins are eliminated from the body by sauna use. These kinds of claims are heard more in relation to Infrared saunas than traditional saunas, but either way, there's no evidence for it.

Lowering Cholesterol
This is another dubious claim put forward by many sauna retailers. Taking regular saunas is supposed to reduce cholesterol without any change in the diet. There is no scientific evidence for this.

Are There Any Real Benefits?
After looking at some of the quackery associated with saunas one might be tempted to write off any claims of therapeutic value. Don't be so fast ? there are real benefits to taking saunas and their use can be part of a regular health regime.

Physical Effects
During a sauna the heart rate increases and the blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased blood flow. Blood flow to the skin increases and heavy sweating is induced. The nasal passages open allowing the sinuses to drain.

The heat experienced in saunas can have real health benefits. Arthritic and rheumatic patients will feel less pain and experience greater joint mobility. This effect, though, will pass once the sauna is finished. Athletes can benefit from a sauna before working out because the heat causes the joints and muscles to be more flexible.

Probably the biggest health benefit of saunas is the relaxation they induce. Our modern lives are filled with stress and the accumulated affects of stress can be the root of many health problems. Saunas are relaxing and calming and provide a great way to unwind at the end of the day. A sauna before bed promotes deep sleep ? necessary for the body to rejuvenate and recuperate.

People with health problems should consult with their doctors before using saunas but for most the sauna is safe and beneficial when taken in moderation.

Spa Hotels
In the UK we are blessed with so many spas to choose from. From Scotland, all the way down to Spas in Cornwall, Spas all have their unique features and packages. Coastal Spas have the added attraction of the fresh sea air and coastal walks adding to the overall relaxing experience. Go and spoil yourself, take some time out of your daily routine and treat yourself to a relaxing spa.

Steven Seagull reviews Cornwall Hotels in Falmouth Hotel & Spa and enjoys Spas in Cornwall.