Long-term parking at Stuttgart Airport: for trips lasting weeks and months
Published on · updated on
No car parks can be booked through Friend-Park at Stuttgart Airport yet.
As soon as a partner is activated, you will find their offers with real prices on the airport page.
Baden-Württemberg is one of the states with the latest summer holidays, and many families use the six weeks for a long trip. Then there are round trips through Asia or America, family visits lasting several weeks and retirees who spend the winter in the Canary Islands or Andalusia. If you are away that long, you leave your car at Stuttgart Airport for a correspondingly long time. Then it is worth choosing the parking option, price and preparation deliberately. This guide shows what matters when parking long-term on the Filder plateau.
Key facts at a glance
- Compare the final price for the entire period, not the daily price.
- Shuttle parking is usually the cheapest with many parking days.
- Take care of the battery, tyres, interior and photos before leaving.
- Compare your return time with the provider's return hours.
Total price instead of daily price
Tiered pricing is the rule rather than the exception for long-term parking: the first week costs differently from the third, and some providers sell whole weekly blocks. If you enter 42 days of holiday, you will therefore often see a completely different ranking than for a weekend. A provider with a higher daily price can end up cheaper if they charge a lower rate from the second week. So enter your exact period and compare what you actually pay in the end – including any surcharges. Help with this is provided in the guide Parking costs at Stuttgart Airport.
Which option suits long trips?
Shuttle parking is the classic choice for long holidays: the transfer takes a little time, which hardly matters on a trip of several weeks, and prices are usually lower. Valet parking is still worthwhile if you are travelling with a great deal of luggage, with small children or very early in the morning. The airport's multi-storey car parks are right at the terminals; their rates on stuttgart-airport.com are a good benchmark for comparison.
Six weeks of summer holidays
The Baden-Württemberg summer holidays usually start at the end of July and run into September. If you use the holidays for a long trip, you often set off in the first days of the holidays – exactly when most other families are flying too. Popular long-term offers are then booked up early. So reserve as soon as your flight is confirmed. With free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service begins, you still stay flexible. More: Reserving a car park at Stuttgart Airport.
Wintering in the south
From November to March, many retirees from Württemberg head for Tenerife, the Algarve or the Costa del Sol. Three or four months of parking at the airport are a different matter from two weeks of Whitsun holiday. Compare honestly here: the garage at home and a lift to the terminal from children or neighbours, the S-Bahn from where you live, or a provider that expressly offers such periods. Not everyone accepts cars for many weeks, and some charge very long stays according to their own rules – a short enquiry in advance clarifies this.
Preparing the car for being parked a long time
- Battery: modern cars use power even when parked. An older battery can drain over weeks, especially in winter. If in doubt, have it checked beforehand.
- Tyres: check the pressure; slightly higher pressure helps prevent flat spots. The figures are in the owner's manual.
- Interior: remove valuables, documents, garage door openers and food.
- Fuel or battery: enough for the drive home. For electric cars, many manufacturers recommend a medium charge level for long periods parked.
- Photos: record the condition, mileage and fuel or battery gauge – see Vehicle handover at Stuttgart Airport.
Summer heat and winter cold
In high summer, a car parked outdoors can heat up a lot. A sunshade behind the windscreen protects the dashboard and interior. Don't leave aerosol cans, lighters or electronics in the car. In winter the Filder plateau is often colder and foggier than the city; a windscreen cover saves you scraping on your return. After a long cold spell, the battery may be weak – then ask the provider for a jump start.
Brakes after a long time parked
A brown film on the discs and a slight grinding when stopping for the first time alarm some returning travellers. Usually this is harmless surface rust, which a few gentle braking manoeuvres on the way out remove. If a noise persists even after a few kilometres on the A8, the car belongs in the workshop.
Plans change
Six weeks is long enough for something to come up along the way: a fever in the holiday home, a cancelled return flight, the desire to add another week. For bookings via Friend-Park: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service begins; you do not change the period or service yourself. If the trip is extended, inform support and the provider with your booking number, new return date and flight number. Details: Cancelling or rebooking a car park at Stuttgart Airport.
Contact from abroad
On a round trip through Thailand or Canada, the parking provider is far away. So put your booking number, phone number and email address in a note that is available offline on your phone. Outside the EU, phone calls can be expensive – check the terms of your plan or use Wi-Fi and email. That way, notifying a change remains a matter of two minutes, even from the other side of the world.
Arriving after weeks away
Return flights from long-haul destinations often land in Stuttgart in the evening. Check whether your provider returns cars at that time – otherwise getting home becomes complicated. More on this: Late arrival at Stuttgart Airport. At the car, walk around it once, compare with your photos and check the tyres and windows. If the car doesn't start, ask for a jump start.
An example for the summer holidays
A family from Waiblingen is flying to Canada for four weeks during the summer holidays. The outbound flight is on the first day of the holidays at 10:15; the return flight lands on a Saturday at 20:30. The family checks three things: the final price for 28 days with several providers, the drop-off time in the morning and the return on Saturday evening – including with a two-hour delay. Only then do they compare convenience and location. Because they booked back in February, there is still plenty of choice. The figures are an example; your trip may have different requirements.
Car sharing for the long trip
If two friendly families go on holiday together, one car may be enough for both – provided the luggage and child seats fit. One parking space for four weeks instead of two saves noticeably. Shuttle providers sometimes have rules on the number of passengers; check them beforehand and state all fellow travellers. Also agree who will drive on the day of return.
Post, plants, insurance
Long-term parking is only part of the preparation. If you are away for weeks, you also organise the letterbox, plants and pets. A look at the terms of your car insurance does no harm, even though long periods parked are usually unproblematic. And the original vehicle registration document does not belong in the glove compartment, but safely at home or in your hand luggage.
Returning in late summer
If you were away for the entire summer holidays, you often return in mid-September – at the same time as many other families before school starts. On the last weekend of the holidays, numerous aircraft land and the providers' meeting points are busy. Allow for some patience and get in touch right after baggage reclaim. For the Monday afterwards, a buffer day for unpacking helps – even if the car arrived quickly.
In brief
Long-term parking from Stuttgart works in three steps: compare the final price for the whole period, prepare the car for being parked a long time and plan the return well – often in the evening and in the middle of the return wave. If you book early, you have the wider choice, especially at the start of the summer holidays.
Have a good trip – and a relaxed homecoming to the Filder plateau.
See you soon on the Filder plateau!
Checklist
- Final price for the entire period compared
- Reserved early, especially for the start of the holidays
- Battery, tyres and interior prepared
- Return time clarified for the landing
- Contact details reachable from abroad too
Which long-term offers at Stuttgart Airport can be booked via Friend-Park is shown on the page Parking at Stuttgart Airport – with the final price for the entire period as soon as partners have joined.
