Tips & Advice · 6 min read · January 6, 2026

One in ten UK holidaymakers saved £100 on their trip last year by booking airport parking in advance

Short on time? Let us summarise this guide for you.

If you normally sort airport parking at the last minute, you could be handing over money you would rather spend on your trip. Our data from 2025 shows that one in ten UK holidaymakers saved at least £100 by booking airport parking with Holiday Extras instead of paying on the day. The average saving was £202, and half our customers saved £150 or more. The tip is simple: book your parking as soon as you book your flights, then tweak it later if your plans change.

You can plan the flights. You can hunt down the hotel deal. You can even pack like a pro.

Then, right at the end, airport parking happens. And if you leave it until the day you fly, it can be one of the fastest ways to overpay before your holiday has even started.

How much could you save?

Here’s the headline that matters: in 2025, one in ten UK holidaymakers saved at least £100 by booking their airport parking with Holiday Extras instead of paying on the day.

And that is just the starting point. Across all Holiday Extras airport parking customers last year:

• The average saving was £202 versus the price they would have paid on the gate.
• Half of customers saved at least £150 by booking in advance.
• Nearly a third saved 75% or more compared with the on-the-day price.

Why paying on the day is so expensive

Airport parking prices work a lot like flights and hotels. The closer you get to departure, the fewer spaces are left, and the less likely you are to find a deal. Paying on the day is often the most expensive option because it is the most convenient for the car park operator, not for you.

If you have ever seen someone roll up to the barrier and wince at the screen, you already know the feeling.

Three quick ways to keep the saving (without adding hassle)

1) Book as soon as you book your flights

This is the simplest move. Lock in a price early while there are more spaces available. You can still adjust later if your plans change.

2) Treat parking like part of the holiday budget

When you save £100 to £200 on parking, that is a dinner out, airport snacks for the family, a transfer, or the “we will just do it” excursion you usually talk yourself out of.

3) If you are travelling in peak periods, do not wait

School holidays and summer weekends are the danger zone. Availability tightens, and on-the-day prices can be brutal. Booking early protects you from the last-minute scramble.

Book your parking

Save on the gate rate and book your parking as soon as you book your trip - hassle-free, every time!

So, should you always pre-book?

In most cases, yes. Even if your trip is last-minute, you can often still find savings by booking ahead rather than paying on the day.

The key point is not that everyone saves the same amount. It is that leaving it to the gate is usually the priciest way to do it.

Bottom line

If you want the easiest “money back” win on your next holiday, start with the bit you normally leave until last.

Book your airport parking in advance, and you could keep £100 or more in your pocket for the trip itself.

Notes and methodology

We calculate our customers’ savings by comparing the price each customer paid for their parking through us to either the gate rate for that car park, where a gate rate is available, or if a gate rate is not available for that car park the cheapest gate rate available at the same airport. Data calculated 1st Jan to 16th Dec 2025. “1 in 10 UK holidaymakers” is based on 2,499k Holiday Extras customers saving at least £100 versus the on-the-day price, compared with 25mn people who flew out of the UK in 2025.