I find it incredibly painful to find and pay for airport parking while traveling. On our most recent trip to Orlando my husband and I were trying to decided which parking lot to leave the car at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) for our five days away. We wanted to find the best and hopefully the cheapest. I started to dig for options, starting with the airport itself. Sure, parking in the closest short-term lot seems ideal, after all it’s a short walk. But having been an airport employee with a short-term parking pass, I know those valuable spaces see a lot of action which means the car will see a lot of dings and in the end it will cost – a lot.
This is what I discovered about the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) parking: Short-term cost $36/day, general is $20/day and value is $16/day. If you use your credit card upon entry, the Discount ePark rate will kick in an save you $2 a day. In other words, the best deal is $14/day – much cheaper than parking close to the terminal. If you insist on parking at the airport, the value is certainly a better bet over short-term.
Instead of parking at the airport, we opted for outdoor EZ Air Park which is located in Eagan about six miles east of the airport at the I-494 and 35 Interchange. The parking lot guarantees available spaces, 24-hour continuous service to Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals, automated entry/exit. The lot is lighted and attended 24-hours a day and regular users can earn free parking with the EZ Parker Program. EZ Air Park also assists if customers have car trouble, offering a free jump start and air for flat tires.
We were dropped off right outside of ticketing which was great with our load of car seats. Our drivers were friendly both ways, helping with our luggage and they even gave the kids toy foam shuttles which were great entertainment for the plane. Our cost was cheap: $11/day. I think it’s a bargain, especially if you’re coming from St. Paul or any southern or eastern suburbs. If you’re looking for the best Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Parking I highly recommend EZ Air Park.
MN parking is expensive! Our five day short-term parking at RDU was $50.
Great tips. My husband has become a master at sussing out the cheapest parking around Denver International Airport; we do something similar — park up to 10 miles away and take a shuttle to the airport. Cheapest bet. But we often have to overnight in Denver before an early flight (live so far away), and usually find a great hotel/parking package — there are many inexpensive hotels near DEN.