Everyone owes it to themselves to travel and see the world. More than gaining new experiences, traveling can actually expand a person’s mental horizons as well. There’s just something about exploring the unfamiliar and partaking in novel activities that makes one start to think of other possibilities that he didn’t think of before. From relatively small things to the bigger questions like what our purpose is in the world, traveling could lend us all a little more perspective.
Before any of that gets underway though, a person’s mind has to deal with the more minute details of pre-departure preparations. One of the most common hindrances – especially for those who live far away from the city airport – is the question of where to park their cars while they’re away on a trip. After all, not everyone has the convenience of relatives or friendly neighbors who are willing to offer a ride. For many people, it’s either a cab (which carries its own set of potential problems) or rental cars.
A view atop the Hong Kong Airport
One way to take care of this burden is to have parking arrangements with the airport itself. Most international airports offer this kind of service; more specifically in Dubai International where they offer shuttle services and valet parking among many other optional perks. A wise and determined traveler just has to be sure to promptly return to the front desk after the trip lest they meet the same fate of this one Sudanese diplomat in London who, according to a Parking4less report, accumulated well over £129,000 in parking fines.
To avoid this unfortunate incident, an alternative method would be to take advantage of the parking amenities of nearby airport hotels. Just like the services offered by its top-rated counterparts, these airport hotels offer valet parking and shuttle buses to and from the airports. Most, however, offer these services only after the customers have registered as hotel guests (which mean that room rentals are inevitable).
Nothing more exciting than sitting around in an international airport with no WiFi
That said, many present special deals like Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich’s “Park, Sleep & Fly” 8-day package. The only stipulation is all about making sure to wake up early after the “sleep” part of the deal and ask to be taken to the airport hours before their flight departs. And then there are the off-airport parking garages that provide more affordable services. The thing is, since these are light on the budget, they are also fully booked more often than not especially during peak holiday seasons. Still, aside from ferrying shuttles, many of these parking garages also have car cleaning and repair services.Whichever parking option you choose, the important thing is to consider which one has the amenities and the deals that best suit your means. It would also be prudent to check for other things that might be easily overlooked, such as additional fees, extra services and perks, and whether the shuttle services are complementary or not. Once all these have been dealt with, a traveler’s mind can be eased for the more important aspects of the trip.
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I love to travel, however, getting to and from the airport is a bit of a hassle. Like you say, before you can enjoy your vacation, you have to deal with the minute details of travel preparations. Thanks for the information about airport parking. I’ll definitely use it in the future.
Having valet or shuttle parking arrangements sounds like an interesting idea. You’re right about some people not having the convenience of being near relatives or friends who are available to help them with their travel needs.
It’s interesting to hear that many international airports implement valet service. Traveling can expand mental horizons, as you shared.