UK holidaymakers travelling abroad this summer could be in for a shock as some airport parking prices have surged by up to 260 per cent. New research by Spin Casino found that airports are charging passengers up to £257 to leave their car for a week.
The study compared data from 300 of the most popular airports in the world and ranked the UK's ten most expensive for weekly parking rates. Birmingham Airport made the list, but one English airport was found to be charging more than double Birmingham's prices.
Gatwick charged passengers £257 to park their car at the airport for a week. That's more than the cost of some flights to European destinations like Barcelona, Tenerife and Rome.
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London City Airport was the second most expensive, with passengers paying £171 and Belfast City Airport was close behind. Birmingham Airport came in 8th on the list by charging holidaymakers £119.99 for a week's parking.
Commenting on the figures, a Spin Casino spokesperson said: "If you're planning to travel by plane, the expenses can quickly add up, and with reports that parking is becoming more expensive than the flights themselves in some cases, it's natural that the cost of parking might influence where you decide to fly from, or whether you decide to park at the airport rather than using public transport methods."
They added: "In the UK, Gatwick Airport took the top spot, followed by London City, Belfast City, and Bristol. In the research, we looked at parking options within a ten minute walking distance of the airport, which are uncommon at Gatwick, with most of the options requiring a shuttle bus transfer. This may explain why the costs were higher."
UK's top 10 most expensive airports for parking
Gatwick Airport - £257
London City Airport - £171
Belfast City Airport - £170
Bristol Airport - £149
Heathrow Airport - £123.70
Luton Airport - £121.99
Birmingham Airport - £119.99
Leeds Bradford Airport - £112
London Stansted Airport - £111
Manchester Airport - £92
