Reserving a car park at BER Airport: timing, details, checklist
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No car parks can be booked through Friend-Park at Berlin Airport yet.
As soon as a partner is activated, you will find their offers with real prices on the airport page.
A car park at BER is booked in a few minutes. The real work lies in the preparation: choosing the right time, entering the right times and having all the details ready that the provider needs. If you do this carefully, you will experience no surprises on the day of departure. This guide takes you through the planning.
Key facts at a glance
- Book as soon as your flight is fixed – particularly early before the holidays.
- Enter the handover and return times, not the flight times.
- State the terminal, flight numbers and number of people in the booking.
- Check the confirmation and note the cancellation deadline.
When is the right moment?
For trips outside the holidays, booking a few days beforehand is often enough. But BER is an airport with many holiday flights, and when Berlin and Brandenburg start their summer holidays at the same time, things get tight. Easter, Whitsun, bridge days and the period between Christmas and New Year are also in demand. The rule of thumb: book as soon as your flight is confirmed. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service begins gives you the necessary flexibility at Friend-Park. See also the frequently asked questions about when to book.
Calculating the times correctly
Handover
Calculate back from the departure time: the airline's lead time, then time for parking or transfer. With valet a few minutes are usually enough; with shuttle parking, check-in, waiting time and the journey are added. The result: the time at which you are at the car park or meeting point.
Return
To the landing time, add getting off the plane, baggage claim and, if applicable, passport control. If you are coming from outside the Schengen area, this can take longer. Better to plan a little more generously – and state the flight number so that delays can be taken into account.
Which details you need
- Number plate and model of your car
- Number of fellow travellers (relevant for the shuttle)
- Flight numbers for the outbound and return flights
- Terminal: Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 – see Terminals at BER
- Special features: electric car, tow bar, roof box, pushchair, sports luggage
Choose the service first, then the provider
Before you compare providers, decide whether valet or shuttle suits your trip better. Decision guide: Valet or shuttle at BER. Then compare final prices, operating hours and conditions – more on this in the guide Choosing a parking service at BER.
Example: times for a trip to Mallorca
Outbound flight on Saturday at 7:30 from Terminal 1, return flight a week later, landing at 22:05. With two hours' lead time you are in the terminal at 5:30; with shuttle parking you allow 45 minutes for check-in and transfer – so parking starts at 4:45. For the return, add around 30 minutes to the landing time for getting off and luggage, plus the shuttle ride – you are at the car at around 23:00. Check whether the provider can be reached at both times.
After booking
- Check the confirmation for errors: times, number plate, service.
- Save the address or meeting point in the sat nav.
- Store the provider's contact details on your phone.
- Enter the 24-hour cancellation deadline in your calendar.
No confirmation received? The frequently asked questions about a missing confirmation will help.
Typical planning mistakes
- Flight times instead of parking times: leads to tight handovers or extra costs.
- Wrong terminal: the meeting point or shuttle stop does not fit.
- Forgetting the number of people: the shuttle may then become cramped or more expensive.
- No buffer for Berlin traffic: see Driving to BER.
Keeping an eye on the Berlin and Brandenburg holiday calendar
Berlin and Brandenburg often coordinate their school holidays closely. For BER this means: when both states start their summer holidays, tens of thousands of families want to fly on the same weekend. That is precisely when popular parking offers with a good location and long operating hours are fully booked early. So look at the holiday calendar before you plan, and reserve particularly early for trips at the start of the holidays. Outside the holidays the pressure is much lower.
Major events in Berlin
Trade fairs, congresses, concerts and sporting events regularly attract many visitors to Berlin. This mainly affects hotels and getting into the city, but it can also affect traffic on the access roads to BER. If you fly on such days, allow a little more time for the drive and do not reserve your car park only the day before.
Reserving for guests from abroad
If relatives or friends come by car from abroad, for example from Poland, and fly on from BER, you can take care of the reservation for them. Enter their number plate and a mobile number at which they can be reached, and forward the confirmation. Briefly explain the procedure so that they know where to go and whom to call.
Reserving without good public transport
If you live in parts of Brandenburg where public transport is sparse, you often have no real alternative to the car. For these travellers an early reservation is particularly important, because they depend on a car park. Then also plan the drive via the Berlin ring road with enough buffer.
People, luggage and notes
When reserving, state all fellow travellers, including children. With the shuttle, the number of people determines space on the bus and any supplements. Bulky luggage such as pushchairs, skis or bike boxes belongs in the notes field, as do special needs such as reduced mobility. The more complete the details, the more smoothly the day of departure runs.
Checking the confirmation thoroughly
After the reservation, the confirmation is your most important document. Check the date and time of handover and return, the number plate, the booked service and the address or meeting point. At Friend-Park you correct the name, vehicle, number plate and flight details yourself up to the handover; if the period or service is wrong, cancel within the deadline and book again. Save the confirmation offline and also write down the provider's phone number on paper.
Three calendar entries that help
After booking, enter three appointments: the deadline for free cancellation relative to the start of parking, the departure time on the day of travel with a reminder the evening before, and the return time with a note to call the provider after landing, if this is intended. That way nothing gets lost between booking and travel.
Thinking about the return
Many people only think about the departure when reserving. At BER, however, many flights land late in the evening, shortly before the night-time quiet period begins. So check whether the provider returns cars at your landing time, and allow enough time for luggage and, if applicable, passport control. More on this in the guide Late arrival at BER.
Summary
Check the holiday calendar, book the flight, clarify the terminal, choose the service, calculate parking times, compare final prices, book, check the confirmation, enter deadlines – that way your car park at BER is safely reserved.
Reserved too late – what now?
If you only reserve shortly before the start of the holidays, you often no longer find your preferred offer. Then it pays to be flexible: a different service, a provider with a somewhat longer transfer or a slightly shifted handover time can be the solution. What matters is that the operating hours and return still suit your flights. If necessary, the airport's parking areas remain an option, although they are more expensive on longer trips. The best strategy remains an early reservation that can be cancelled free of charge.
And another tip: if you regularly travel at the same times, for example every year in the summer holidays, set a reminder to reserve the car park at the same time as booking the flight.
Reserving with a pet in the car
Some travellers drop their dog off at a pet sitter on the way to the airport or take animals with them on the trip. For parking this mainly means: allow extra time and clarify whether pet hair or a transport box stays in the car. State in the notes field if the car has a dog crate or a dog guard, so that the valet driver is not surprised. If the animal travels with you, the airline's rules apply; find out from the airline in good time.
When plans change
At Friend-Park you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the service begins. For new dates, cancel and book again. All the rules: Cancelling or changing a car park booking at BER.
Whether offers can already be reserved at Berlin Brandenburg Airport through Friend-Park is shown on the page Parking at Berlin Airport.
