Reserving a car park at Cologne/Bonn Airport: planned step by step
Published on · updated on
No car parks can be booked through Friend-Park at Cologne/Bonn Airport yet.
As soon as a partner is activated, you will find their offers with real prices on the airport page.
A parking reservation is done quickly – a good reservation needs a few minutes of preparation. At Cologne Bonn Airport there is one more point that is less important at other airports: the time of day. Because flights also operate here at night, your parking times must match the provider's opening hours. Here is how to plan properly.
Key facts at a glance
- Reserve as soon as your flight is confirmed.
- Calculate the start and end of parking – don't enter flight times.
- Compare the provider's opening hours with your times.
- After booking: check the confirmation, note the deadline.
When to reserve?
Outside the holidays you can often still find spaces at short notice. During the North Rhine-Westphalia summer holidays and on public holidays, popular offers are booked up early. Book as soon as your flight is confirmed – free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service begins keeps you flexible with Friend-Park. See also frequently asked questions about when to book.
Calculating parking times
Start of parking = departure minus the airline's check-in lead time minus time for the handover or shuttle transfer.
End of parking = landing plus disembarking, baggage and, if applicable, passport control.
Example: departure at 06:30, two hours' lead time, valet handover 15 minutes before that – start of parking 04:15. Landing ten days later at 23:40, plus 30 minutes – end of parking 00:10. With many providers, both times are outside regular opening hours. That is exactly what you need to check before booking. More: Night flights and parking at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
Have your details ready
- Registration number and model
- Number of passengers
- Flight numbers for both flights
- Terminal – see Terminals at Cologne/Bonn Airport
- Special features such as an electric car, roof box, tow bar, sports equipment
Choosing the service
Valet or shuttle? The decision depends on the length of the trip, luggage and times. Help: Valet or shuttle at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
Families and groups
If several of you are travelling, collect the details beforehand: who is driving, how many people are in the car, how much luggage is coming along? With a shuttle the number of passengers matters; with valet it is more the luggage that is unloaded at the meeting point. If two cars are driving to the airport, each needs its own booking. And if grandparents are to collect the car after the trip, clarify beforehand with the provider whether another person may take over the vehicle.
Train travellers with a car at the airport?
Some combine: there by train, back by car, which someone has parked at the airport beforehand. This is possible but makes planning more complicated – the start of parking is then the time the car is parked, not your departure.
After booking
- Check the confirmation: times, registration number, service.
- Save the address or meeting point in your satnav.
- Save the provider's phone number in your phone.
- Enter the cancellation deadline – based on the start of parking – in your calendar.
No confirmation? Frequently asked questions about a missing confirmation.
Mistakes we often see
- Flight times entered instead of parking times
- Opening hours not checked for night flights
- Number of passengers forgotten for the shuttle
- Congestion on the Cologne ring road not planned for – see Driving to Cologne/Bonn Airport
The ideal time to reserve
The simplest rule of thumb is: book the parking space as soon as your flight is confirmed. Then all the important details are known – departure, return flight, terminal, flight numbers – and you have the widest choice. Because free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service begins is possible with Friend-Park, you take no risk. If your trip changes, you cancel and book again. Booking early is particularly worthwhile for the NRW summer holidays, the Easter holidays and the autumn holidays, because popular offers are then quickly booked up.
Travel planning in the Rhineland: the calendar
Besides the school holidays, there are other dates in the Rhineland that affect demand: the carnival days, bridge days around public holidays in May and June, All Saints' Day and the period between Christmas and New Year. If you are flexible, you can avoid these peaks and often find more choice. If you have to fly on such days, reserve particularly early. A glance at the calendar when booking your flight helps you factor in parking planning straight away.
Entering the right times
When reserving, you enter the start and end of parking. The start of parking is the time you arrive at the car park or meeting point – not the departure time. The end of parking is the time you want to collect your car again – after landing, baggage and, if applicable, passport control. For return flights late in the evening or at night, you should allow generously so that a small delay does not immediately lead to additional charges. Also check whether the times you enter fall within the provider's opening hours.
Planning several trips a year
If you fly from Cologne/Bonn several times a year, you can book each trip individually. It is worth recording your experiences: which provider worked well? How long did the transfer take? When was the best time to set off? With these notes, planning gets faster with every trip. If you regularly fly at similar times, you will soon develop a fixed routine.
Reserving for others
You can also reserve for family members or colleagues. Make sure that the registration number, vehicle, flight details and, above all, the mobile number of the actual driver are entered correctly. On the day of travel, the provider must be able to reach the person bringing the car. Forward the confirmation to this person so that they know the meeting point and procedure.
What to do after reserving
After booking, you receive a confirmation by email. Read it in full, save it on your phone and note the provider's phone number. A few days before the trip, check whether anything has changed in your flight times. Airlines occasionally move flights by a few hours. If that is the case, adjust the booking or inform the provider. The evening before, go through the confirmation once more and save the address in your satnav.
If no offer is available
If you find no suitable offer for your period, this may be due to booked-up capacity or unusual times. Try slightly different times or check the airport's car parks as an alternative. For Cologne/Bonn, the following also applies: Friend-Park only shows offers once providers have joined. You can see the current status on the page Parking at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
Reserving for day trips
Reserving is worthwhile for a day trip too, especially if you fly very early. If you fly to Berlin at six in the morning and come back in the evening, you don't want to lose time looking for a parking space at the airport. For day trips, check whether the provider covers both the early handover and the late return. Valet and the airport's multi-storey car parks are usually the most suitable options for day trips. Allow some reserve for the return in case the return flight is delayed or an appointment takes longer.
Checklist before clicking "Book"
- Start and end of parking as times at the car park, not as flight times
- Times within the provider's opening hours
- Registration number, model and number of passengers correct
- Flight numbers for outbound and return flights entered
- Driver's mobile number provided
- Cancellation terms read
Reserving for special occasions
Honeymoon, milestone birthday, long-planned long-haul trip – on special occasions everything should go smoothly. Here it is worth not only reserving early but also contacting the provider in advance. Clarify any open questions about the meeting point, luggage and return time weeks beforehand. That way you don't have to take care of anything on the day of travel. For honeymoons with formal clothing or gifts in your luggage, valet is particularly convenient, because the luggage does not have to be reloaded into a shuttle.
In brief
Reserve early, enter the correct times, check opening hours and keep the cancellation deadline in view – with these four steps, parking planning for your trip from Cologne/Bonn is done.
Happy planning and a relaxed trip from Cologne/Bonn!
If something changes
Cancelling up to 24 hours before the service begins is free; for new dates you book again. Details: Cancelling or rebooking a car park at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
Whether offers at Cologne Bonn Airport can already be reserved via Friend-Park is shown on the page Parking at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
