ugh seriously can we talk about parking at clt for a second because honestly its like a whole olympic sport trying to find an affordable spot there and not lose your ever loving mind and every time i fly out of charlotte i dread the parking situation and its literally the first thing i think about after booking my ticket because you know its going to be a struggle and a half and youre basically just hoping you get lucky but usually you dont.
i mean it feels like they just keep raising the prices every single year and the lots fill up faster than ever and youre always running late because you spent 20 minutes driving around trying to find something and then another 15 waiting for a shuttle that just seems to take forever and its really just a stressful start to any trip whether its for business or a much needed vacation and i dont know why they cant just build more structured parking or something to make it less of a hassle but i guess thats just how it goes.
Where I actually park
so my personal strategy for parking at clt depends entirely on how long im gone and what time my flight is because sometimes its worth paying a little more to not have the headache but most of the time im trying to save some cash and you basically have to be a detective to figure out whats actually available and whats the best deal and its kind of annoying.
for short trips a weekend thing or just a few days i really try for the daily decks because theyre covered and you dont have to deal with a shuttle and its so much easier but those fill up ridiculously fast especially on a monday morning or thursday afternoon and if i cant get in there then its usually long term parking a or b which are surface lots and a bit of a walk to the bus stop but the buses are generally pretty frequent and its not too bad and its a decent price for a few days but its still not cheap.
now if im gone for a week or more i usually resign myself to the remote lot and its super far out there and you have to take a bus and sometimes the bus waits are like forever especially if youre getting in late and its chilly but its undeniably the cheapest option on site and if you book it in advance you usually get a spot and its better than literally paying hundreds of dollars for a weekly spot at the daily deck and its just kind of what you have to do sometimes if you want to save money.
Pro tips for long trips
for longer trips especially like anything over five days its definitely worth doing a little extra planning because those daily deck prices really add up and youll basically be paying for a second flight with the parking costs and its not worth it in my opinion.
- i recomended checking out the off-site parking lots because sometimes they have killer deals and its worth the extra shuttle time and you can often reserve a spot online and its guaranteed unlike some of the airport lots that are first come first served.
- but off-site lots can also be a nightmare sometimes or a lifesaver you know? like its a real mixed bag.
- its a nightmare when the shuttle is slow or not running on schedule and you miss your flight or you have to wait 45 minutes after you land when youre tired and just want to go home.
- and sometimes the lots feel a bit sketchy late at night and youre worried about your car getting dinged or worse.
- but its a lifesaver when its literally half the price of the airport lots and you get a guaranteed spot and the shuttle is actually on time and friendly and sometimes they even help with your bags.
- and some of them offer extra services like car washes or oil changes while youre gone which is kinda neat if its done right.
- honestly if you live close enough and its a really long trip like two weeks or more sometimes its just cheaper to take an uber or lyft to the airport and back and you dont have to worry about your car at all and its one less thing to stress about especially if youre traveling alone or with just one other person and you can split the fare.
- also if you have an early morning flight or a super late return consider a park and fly hotel package near the airport because you can stay the night before and just leave your car there for the duration of your trip and its often not much more than just parking alone at the airport and its way less stressful.
- always always always check the clt parking website before you leave home because they update it with lot availability and sometimes you can pre-book some of the lots and it saves so much time and headaches and its literally the only way to guarantee a spot sometimes.
so yeah thats my two cents on the parking madness at clt its honestly a whole thing but with a little planning you can definitely save some money and hopefully not go completely insane trying to get your car parked and yourself to your gate.