The real price of airport parking is the total for your exact dates and times, plus service fees, supplements (night, passengers, valet), the cancellation terms, and what the journey and the waiting cost you. A low headline rate can end up dearer than an offer that looks more expensive but includes everything.
This is not a small point. In March 2026, a check coordinated by the European Commission across 314 online traders found that 10% used drip pricing, where extra fees are added late in the buying process. To compare two car parks fairly, you need to do the full sum yourself. Here is the method, then a worked example.
In short
Compare the total for your dates, never a 'from' price or a daily rate.
Add every fee: service, night, extra passengers, valet.
Read the cancellation terms: a non-refundable booking costs more if your plans change.
Count your time and fuel: a car park out of your way has a hidden cost.
Check who looks after your car: a very low price is worth nothing if the operator cannot be trusted.
Why the headline price so often misleads
A 'from' price reflects the best case: the most favourable length of stay, the quietest period, the simplest service, sometimes with a minimum booking length. It is common practice. That is not misleading in itself, but it is not your price.
The European Consumer Centre France puts it plainly: consumers must always know the total price before paying, with known extra charges shown in advance. Fees that attach themselves along the way without clear information amount to a misleading commercial practice, which is banned in the EU.
The method: 8 lines to add up
1. The price for your exact dates and times
Enter the time you reach the car park and the time you get back. An extra day because you land at 00:30 instead of 23:30 can change the total.
2. Service fees
Some sites add them at the last step. On Comparkly, they are included in the total shown.
3. Night or out-of-hours supplements
If your flight leaves early or lands late, check the opening hours and the cost of arriving outside them. That is often where the unpleasant surprise hides.
4. Extra passengers
Some shuttles include a set number of people and charge for the rest, sometimes on every trip.
5. The valet supplement
Valet parking saves time, but it has a price. Compare it with the shuttle option at the same car park, for your dates.
6. Cancellation terms
A non-refundable booking is a bet on your plans. Our article on airport parking cancellation and changes explains how to book early without getting stuck.
7. The cost of time
Waiting for the shuttle, the ride to the terminal, the detour to reach the car park: count it in minutes, especially on the way back, tired, with children. Our guide to shuttle airport parking explains how much time to allow.
8. Fuel
A car park further from your route adds kilometres on the way out and back. To estimate the cost, multiply the extra distance by your fuel consumption and the price per litre. In France, the public site prix-carburants.gouv.fr shows pump prices near you.
Hypothetical example: two car parks, one week
The figures below are a hypothetical example, made up to show the method. They do not describe any real car park. The situation: 8 days, leaving on a Saturday morning, back the following Sunday at 23:45, four passengers.
Car park A advertises 'from 39 euros a week'. For 8 days, the price rises to 52 euros. On top come 5 euros of service fees at checkout, a 20 euro supplement for returning after 23:00, and 3 euros per passenger beyond two, each way, so 12 euros. The car park is 15 km off your route: 30 km there and back, at 7 litres per 100 km and 1.80 euros a litre (hypothetical), roughly 3.80 euros. Real total: 92.80 euros, non-refundable.
Car park B shows 74 euros for your dates, fees included, four passengers included, open at your return time and on your route. Real total: 74 euros, refundable under its terms.
The '39 euro' car park actually costs 18.80 euros more. Then there is time: in this hypothetical example, 30 minutes waiting for the shuttle each way, against a 10 minute walk. And there is risk: if you have to cancel, you lose the full 92.80 euros at car park A, while car park B refunds you under its terms.
The cost of risk: what if you do not travel?
A cancelled flight, a sick child, a meeting moved: a non-refundable booking is worth nothing on the day you do not leave. To compare, ask yourself one question. If my plans change, how much do I get back?
On Comparkly, you are refunded up to 24 hours before your arrival, minus the service fee. With the Flexible cancellation option, you can cancel up to 2 hours before arrival, minus the service fee and the price of the option. The option has a cost: it is worth it when your plans are uncertain, much less so when your departure is fixed.
There is another, heavier risk: the operator. In 2025, French newspapers described unregistered valets around Orly, at very low prices, who returned cars with hundreds of extra kilometres or tow notices. In that case the saving disappears, and there is often nobody to hold responsible.
What Comparkly shows you
We do part of the sum for you. The price shown is the total for your dates, service fee included. Optional extras are marked as optional, so you can see what is included and what you are adding. Reviews come only from customers who completed a stay booked on Comparkly, which helps you judge the shuttle and the welcome.
We also do the part the price does not show. We only list car parks we trust: we check each partner's documents (company registration, insurance, right to operate the site), we talk with the owner or director, and we go and see where the cars are actually parked. We also make test bookings to check the service from start to finish, from key handover to return. A visited car park shows the 'Verified by Comparkly' badge with the date of the visit. And if something is wrong, real people answer Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00.
That leaves the lines only you can price: your time, your fuel and how much risk you are happy with. Our guide to cheap airport parking has more ideas for paying less without stress on departure day.
FAQ
Why does the price change when I enter my exact times?
Because the price depends on the real length of stay. A late return can add a day, and some car parks charge for arrivals outside their opening hours. That is why you should always compare on your exact dates and times.
Are service fees included in the price on Comparkly?
Yes. The total shown for your dates includes the service fee. Optional extras are marked as such and are only added if you choose them.
Is valet parking always more expensive?
Often on the headline price, not always on the total cost. If the valet saves you a long shuttle wait or a night supplement, the gap can shrink. Do the sum for your dates.
How do I estimate fuel costs for a car park further away?
Count the extra kilometres there and back, multiply by your consumption per 100 km, then by the price per litre. In France, prix-carburants.gouv.fr shows current prices near you.
Is the Flexible cancellation option worth it?
It lets you cancel up to 2 hours before arrival, minus the service fee and the option price. It is useful if your dates might move. If your trip is certain, the standard cancellation up to 24 hours before is often enough.
Ready to run the numbers on your real dates? Pick your airport from all the airports we cover and compare totals with fees included. For any question, see our FAQ.
