Preparing your car before your holiday: checklist for long trips from Frankfurt

Many long-haul trips start from Frankfurt: three weeks in Asia, four weeks in America, a long visit to family. During this time your car stands with the parking provider – longer than on a typical Mediterranean holiday. To make sure it starts straight away on your return and you drive home without surprises, thorough preparation is worthwhile. In this guide you will find a detailed checklist for long parking periods – from battery and tyres to interior and keys, to photos and handover with valet or shuttle parking.

1. Battery: the most important point on long trips

The longer the car stands, the more important the starter battery becomes. Modern cars use power when parked for control units, the alarm system and keyless systems. A healthy battery usually survives several weeks without any problem; an old or weak one may not.

• Have it tested: before a trip of three weeks or more, a quick battery test at a garage is worthwhile, especially for batteries that are already a few years old.
• Switch off consumers: dashcam, USB devices, interior lights.
• Don’t disconnect it yourself: on modern vehicles, systems may then need to be re-learned.
• Keyless key: with valet parking the key stays with the driver, not in the car – and since the car is with the provider, keeping the key near the car at home is not an issue here.

Additional tips apply to electric cars – more in the guide Parking an electric car at Frankfurt Airport.

2. Tyres

Check the tyre pressure before setting off and adjust it to the load. After a long period standing, slight flat spots can form, which usually disappear after a few kilometres. Make sure you have the right tyres for the season of your return – if you fly out in October and come back in November, you may need winter tyres.

3. Fuel or charge level

Enough for the drive home plus a reserve. After a long-haul flight with a time difference you are tired – you don’t want to look for a petrol station straight away. The level is recorded in the handover report.

4. Empty the interior

• Valuables: laptop, camera, sunglasses, cash
• Documents with your address, invoices, ID copies
• Garage door opener – a risk when combined with a home address in the sat-nav
• Food and drinks – a problem after weeks
• Rubbish – smells after a month are unpleasant
• Boot as empty as possible after unloading

5. Keys

With valet parking at Frankfurt Airport you only hand over the car key. Take house, office and letterbox keys off the bunch. The spare key stays at home. With shuttle parking, it depends on the provider whether you hand over the key – more in the FAQ on keys.

6. Photos and report

At handover, the provider documents the condition with photos, mileage and signature. Also take your own photos: all four sides, existing damage, wheels, dashboard, interior. With date and time, they are your evidence. More in the FAQ on vehicle handover.

7. Mention special features

Immobiliser, sensitive clutch, lowered suspension, tow bar: tell the provider. For large vehicles, check in advance whether the provider has space – see the FAQ on large vehicles.

8. Season

Summer

• Sunshade for the windscreen
• No sprays, lighters or electronics in the car

Winter

• Winter tyres for the drive home
• Antifreeze in the screenwash
• Ice scraper in the car
• Check the battery particularly carefully

9. Data in the car

Sat-nav destinations, phone book, call lists: use a valet or guest mode if available, or at least remove your home address as “Home”.

10. Insurance and documents

Your motor insurance must be valid. In Germany you must carry the registration certificate when driving; never keep the vehicle title document in the car. For leased or company cars, check the rules on handing the car over to third parties.

11. Nothing living in the car

Plants, flowers, food – a problem after weeks. Check the back seat and footwells before getting out.

12. The right type of parking for long trips

On long trips the days add up. Compare final prices including service fee and look at facilities such as covered spaces or fencing, which are shown transparently for each provider. More in the guide Long-term parking at Frankfurt Airport. Compare offers: Find parking at Frankfurt Airport.

13. The drive to the airport

Enter the address from the booking confirmation in the sat-nav, check your terminal and allow a traffic buffer for the Frankfurter Kreuz. More in the guide Getting to Frankfurt Airport by car.

After your return

When your car is returned, compare it with the report and photos before you drive off. Raise any damage immediately. More in the guide Returning: collecting your car at Frankfurt Airport.

The complete checklist

• Battery checked, consumers off
• Tyre pressure and tyres for the drive home
• Fuel or battery for the drive home plus a reserve
• Valuables, documents and garage door opener removed
• Only the car key with you, spare at home
• Your own photos taken
• Special features communicated
• Seasonal equipment
• Terminal checked, booking confirmation to hand

Long-haul trips: what is different after three or four weeks

A car that stands for a week hardly notices. After three or four weeks things look different: the battery has supplied standby current for longer, the tyres have rested on the same spot for longer, and smells and moisture can build up inside. If you are setting off on a long-haul trip from Frankfurt, you should therefore prepare a little more thoroughly than before a short break. Air the car well before departure, remove damp items such as wet umbrellas or sports bags, and don’t leave any open drinks behind. A small dehumidifier inside can help during long parking periods in autumn and winter.

On very long trips, also plan the drive home carefully: after a night flight from Asia or America and a time difference of several hours, you are less focused. If possible, don’t drive alone, or plan a break. A well-prepared car waiting at the handover point takes a lot of stress off you in this situation.

Valet or shuttle: what does it mean for your preparation?

With valet parking, a driver from the provider drives your car. So it makes sense to tell them everything that is unusual: an immobiliser with its own key, a manual gearbox with an unusual reverse gear, an active lane-keeping assistant that interferes when manoeuvring, or a delicate front apron. With shuttle parking, depending on the provider, you either park the car yourself or hand over the key so that vehicles can be moved. In both cases: the cleaner and emptier the car, the easier the documentation at handover – and the easier it is to compare after your return.

Think about your home and car together

Many travellers prepare their home and car separately. But they overlap: the garage door opener doesn’t belong in the car, the front door key doesn’t belong on the car key ring, and your home address doesn’t need to be saved as “Home” in the sat-nav. Make a small list that you go through before every trip – for home, car and documents together. That way you won’t forget anything, whether the trip lasts a week or a month.

What the provider documents – and what you should do yourself

At handover, the provider records the mileage, fuel or charge level and the condition of the vehicle, often with photos and your signature. Read the report briefly before signing, and point out existing damage that has not yet been noted. Your own photos supplement the report. Save them in an album you can find on your phone while travelling – otherwise, after four weeks, you won’t remember exactly which scratches were already there.

Conclusion: well prepared for a long trip

Especially on long-haul trips from Frankfurt, thorough preparation pays off. With a healthy battery, an empty interior, documented condition and the right key with the provider, you set off worry-free – and come back just as relaxed. All parking options are on the page Parking at Frankfurt Airport.