Parking options at Stuttgart Airport: the overview for drivers

Stuttgart Airport is unusually easy to reach: the A8 leads right up to it with its own junction, the B27 links it with Stuttgart city centre and the Neckar valley, and S-Bahn trains stop beneath the terminal, plus the U6 light rail line. So if you depart from here, you are spoilt for choice: multi-storey car park, driving service, bus from an outdoor car park, family chauffeur or rail. On this page you will find every option with its strengths and weaknesses – tailored to conditions on the Filder plateau.

The airport's multi-storey car parks

The airport operates several multi-storey car parks and parking areas in the immediate vicinity of the terminals. For short stays, picking up relatives or day trips, they are the most convenient solution: drive in, park, a few minutes' walk. On longer trips, however, the daily rates add up. The airport publishes current prices, site maps and information on online reservations on its website. These rates are also a good benchmark for assessing private providers' offers.

Valet parking

With valet, you hand over your car and key at a meeting point near the terminal. A driver parks the car on the provider's site and brings it back for your return. This is fast and convenient, especially with luggage or children, but usually costs more than shuttle parking. In detail: Valet parking at Stuttgart Airport.

Shuttle parking

Private providers operate parking areas in the municipalities around the airport. You leave your car there and take the shuttle bus to the terminal. For holidays of a week or more, this is often the cheapest solution. The location of the car parks differs, as does the frequency of the buses. More: Shuttle parking at Stuttgart Airport.

Being dropped off and picked up

For travellers from Stuttgart, Esslingen or Böblingen, the airport is close enough for family or friends to take them. The airport's rules apply to stopping at the forecourts; you may stop briefly to get in and out, but not wait for long. If you are picking someone up, it is better to use a multi-storey car park and track the flight status online. With landings late in the evening, however, picking someone up quickly becomes a burden for the person helping out – then having your own car at the airport is often the more pleasant solution.

S-Bahn and light rail

At Flughafen/Messe station beneath the terminal, the S2 and S3 S-Bahn lines stop, connecting the airport with Stuttgart main station and other places in the region. In addition, the U6 light rail line runs to the airport. For travellers with light luggage from the city or along the S-Bahn routes, this is a good option. If you come from places without a direct connection, fly early or have a lot of luggage, on the other hand, you will often reach for the car.

Taxi and ride services

Taxis wait at the terminals, and many ride services offer trips into the region. For short trips from the city, this can be an alternative. On longer trips or journeys from the surrounding area, however, the costs for the outward and return journeys add up. In this case, compare with the parking costs for your period.

Which option suits which trip?

Trip	Suitable option
Picking up relatives	Car park at the terminal
Day trip to a client	Valet, car park or S-Bahn
Two-week summer holiday	Shuttle parking
Family with lots of luggage	Valet
Departure during a major trade fair	Reserved early, with time to spare

A special feature: airport and trade fair as neighbours

Hardly any other major German airport is located as directly next to a trade fair centre as Stuttgart. This has consequences for travellers: during major fairs, access roads are busier, multi-storey car parks are more heavily occupied, and the S-Bahn is also well filled with trade fair visitors. If you fly on such days, reserve early and allow more time. Background: Parking at Stuttgart Airport during trade fairs.

Roadworks on the Filder plateau

Construction work is under way around the airport in connection with the Stuttgart 21 rail project and the expansion of transport routes. This can temporarily change traffic routing, access roads and footpaths. Before your trip, check the airport's notices and the current traffic situation, and don't rely solely on older experience. If you use your car park's address in a satnav with current traffic data, you are on the safe side.

Large vehicles, motorhomes and electric cars

With a motorhome, a van or a roof box, not all multi-storey car parks are suitable; height restrictions are a common obstacle. Clarify before booking whether the provider can accept your vehicle – see frequently asked questions about large vehicles. If you drive electric, check whether a provider offers charging as an additional service. Especially in a region with many electric and plug-in vehicles, this is increasingly in demand.

Accessible arrival

Wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties will find marked spaces near the lifts in the airport's own multi-storey car parks. If you use a driving service, you get out right in front of the building anyway. Assistance between check-in and the aircraft is organised by the airline, provided it is informed in good time beforehand. An overview of accessible services is available on stuttgart-airport.com.

Short-stay parking and picking up

If you are picking up grandma from her Mallorca flight or a business partner from Istanbul, the multi-storey car park at the terminal is the right place. The forecourt is only suitable for a quick stop, not for waiting. Check a flight-tracking app before setting off: once the plane has landed, there is usually still a good quarter of an hour until the luggage arrives, often more for arrivals from non-Schengen countries because of border control. Agree on a meeting point, for example at a particular exit – the arrivals hall can be confusing at peak times.

Parking for day trips

A supplier from Esslingen who flies to Hamburg in the morning and back in the evening calculates differently from a holidaying family. What counts for him is getting from the steering wheel to the gate in a few minutes. The terminal car park and a valet service deliver exactly that; for just one day they are often not far apart in price. An outdoor car park with a bus, on the other hand, involves a transfer twice a day, which quickly eats up the saving. More tips in the guide Business trip from Stuttgart.

Parking for a long holiday

If the car is parked for two or three weeks, small differences per day add up to a noticeable amount. Outdoor car parks with a bus are then often clearly below the terminal car parks, with the driving service somewhere in between. For families with mountains of suitcases or early starters, the convenience is still often worth the extra cost. Tips for long trips: Long-term parking at Stuttgart Airport.

Motorbikes, caravans and co.

Motorcyclists often find dedicated parking areas in the multi-storey car parks; with private providers you should ask in advance whether two-wheelers are accepted and where your helmet and leathers can be left. Combinations with a caravan or boat trailer almost never fit into a multi-storey car park. Here, only providers that expressly designate spaces for long vehicles can help. A short email with the length and height of your combination avoids trouble on the day of travel.

In brief

The car park at the terminal for short visits, a driving service for convenience and early starts, an outdoor car park with a bus for long holidays, the train for city residents with light luggage – at Stuttgart Airport, every trip finds its solution. The only important thing is to keep an eye on trade fair and holiday dates.

Arriving by electric car

If you drive electric, you should consider two things when planning: enough range for the drive home after your return, and whether a provider takes care of charging during the trip. There are charging points on the Filder plateau, but after a late return flight nobody likes looking for a free charging point. If you park with 50 to 60 per cent battery, you will usually get home without any problems.

Making the right choice

Length of trip, time of departure and landing, number of suitcases and heads – that's all it takes to narrow six options down to two or three. Price and personal preference decide the rest. Further help is provided by the guides Valet or shuttle at Stuttgart Airport and Parking costs at Stuttgart Airport. Whether offers can be booked via Friend-Park is shown on the page Parking at Stuttgart Airport.