Business Trips from Dortmund: Parking Efficiently at Dortmund Airport

The Ruhr has transformed itself from a coal and steel region into a location for logistics, IT, energy, retail and services. Many companies from Dortmund, Bochum and the Unna district have suppliers, plants or customers in eastern and south-eastern Europe – exactly where Dortmund Airport offers numerous direct connections. For business travellers this is practical: a short drive, direct flights. Because mainly low-cost airlines fly here, however, fixed deadlines apply, and without a railway station at the terminal the car is often the fastest way to get there.

There and back in one day

Many connections from Dortmund allow you to fly out in the morning and return in the evening. At this pace, every minute counts. A driving service that takes over your car at the terminal, or a parking area right by the building, are the fastest solutions. For just one day, the price difference compared with the bus model is often small. Choose a generous return time and enter the flight numbers.

Check the flight days

Not every connection from Dortmund operates daily. For business travellers this means: an appointment on a Wednesday can force a return only on Thursday. Wherever possible, schedule meetings on the flight days and take the parking duration into account accordingly.

Deadlines and luggage

With a cabin trolley and a digital boarding pass, you go straight to security. Check your airline’s hand luggage rules – a laptop trolley of the wrong size can be expensive at the gate. If you are taking samples or documents in a suitcase, book checked baggage in good time.

Rush-hour traffic in the Ruhr

In the morning, the A40, A1 and B1 are full of commuters. If you fly at eight and are coming from Essen or Gelsenkirchen, it is better to set off considerably earlier. More: Driving to Dortmund Airport.

Receipts for the accounts department

The travel expenses office needs a proper invoice stating the service, period and amount, ideally with the company address. Clarify before booking whether the provider supplies this. File the invoice straight away in your expenses folder. Tax questions are clarified by the accounts department.

Company cars

Before you hand a company car over to a driving service, check your employer’s rules. Document the condition with photos. More: Handing over your car at Dortmund Airport.

Staying flexible

A meeting is postponed at short notice? Then free cancellation via Friend-Park up to one day before the drop-off time helps. If a trip drags on, write to support and the parking service. Details: Cancelling or rebooking parking at Dortmund Airport.

Returning in the evening

Return flights from business trips often arrive in the evening. Check until what time the provider returns cars. More: Late arrival at Dortmund Airport.

Welcoming guests from eastern Europe

If a supplier from Wrocław or a customer from Sofia travels to Dortmund for a meeting, collecting them in person is a nice gesture. Park your car in an area at the terminal and wait in the arrivals area; for arrivals from outside the Schengen area, border control takes a little longer. From there, the company sites in the Unna district, Dortmund or Bochum are usually only a few minutes away by motorway.

An example working day

Take a buyer at an engineering company from Unna who has to visit a supplier near Wrocław for a day. The plane takes off shortly before seven. Because he has only one item of hand luggage and his boarding pass on his smartphone, just under an hour at the terminal before take-off is enough. The driving service takes the car while he is already walking towards security. In the evening he lands at around half past nine, sends the driver a message from the plane and is back on the A44 shortly after ten. All times are for illustration only.

Travel policies

Many companies specify which parking option is reimbursed. Clarify this before booking so that the expense claim goes smoothly.

With samples and materials

If you take spare parts, samples or documents with you, you need checked baggage, which has to be booked in advance with many airlines. Valet is then practical, because everything stays in the car right up to the terminal.

Taking colleagues along

If an entire project team travels to an acceptance test at a customer’s, a shared car is worthwhile: one parking space instead of three, one invoice instead of three receipts. Agree beforehand who will drive, who will make the booking and which cost centre the parking will be assigned to – that saves the accounts department queries.

Business trips from the Ruhr – typical destinations

Many companies from the Ruhr have sites, customers or suppliers in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary or Romania. The connections from Dortmund match this: if you have business in Katowice, Wrocław or Budapest, you will often find a direct flight. You can reach other destinations via connecting flights at major hubs. Which routes are currently served is shown on dortmund-airport.de.

Parking duration and expenses

For short business trips of one to three days, the driving service and areas near the terminal are often close in price. For your travel expense claim, you need an invoice in your employer’s name or with the correct details. Check before booking whether the provider issues one.

Spontaneous changes of appointment

Business appointments get moved. If you want to stay flexible, pay attention to the cancellation deadline: with Friend-Park you can cancel free of charge up to one day before the start of parking. If your stay is extended, let the provider know.

Working on the go

There is Wi-Fi in the terminal. If you want to answer emails before your flight, plan in time after security. A fully charged laptop and a charger in your hand luggage are a must.

Back in the evening and in the office the next morning

Many business travellers land in the evening and are back at their desks the next morning. For them, every minute on return counts. A provider that tracks the flight number and has the car ready when you come out of the terminal is worth its weight in gold here.

Flying regularly

If you fly from Dortmund often, over time you will find a provider that suits your habits. Keep the number saved in your phone and store standard details such as the licence plate and vehicle type in your customer account.

Filing receipts properly

For your expense claim you usually need the booking confirmation, the invoice and, where applicable, proof of payment. File them in your travel expenses folder straight after booking – digitally or on paper. If you only search weeks later, you often cannot find the email any more.

Booked at short notice

Business trips are sometimes only decided the day before. Then not all providers are available. The airport’s parking areas are a fallback option; still, take a quick look at whether a private provider has spaces left.

If the meeting falls through

If the customer cancels before you set off, cancel the parking space in time. With Friend-Park this is free of charge up to one day before the start of parking. If you have missed the deadline, the provider’s conditions apply.

With an electric company car

More and more company fleets are electric. Ask whether the provider can charge, or make sure the range is sufficient for the drive back.

To conclude

For business travellers from the Ruhr and Westphalia, Dortmund Airport is practical, with its short distances and location on the A1 and A44. If you choose the parking to suit the type of trip – the driving service for day trips, the bus for longer stays – and file your receipts properly, you save time and nerves. Further tips on planning can be found in Reserving parking at Dortmund Airport.

Trade fairs and congresses abroad

If you fly to a trade fair, you are usually away for several days and have materials with you: brochures, samples, perhaps a small display. Clarify in advance whether it will travel as checked baggage or be sent ahead. As for the parking duration: for three to five days, the driving service and the bus are often close. If you travel with heavy luggage, the driving service saves you reloading into the bus.

In short

If you match your appointments to the flight days, keep to the baggage and boarding deadlines and have booked a reliable parking solution including an invoice, you can travel from Dortmund relaxed. The current offers are shown at Parking at Dortmund Airport.