Reserving a car park at Stuttgart Airport: timing, details and planning
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A parking space at the airport is booked quickly – it is well planned when the timing, details and conditions are right. At Stuttgart Airport, two calendars play a role: the Baden-Württemberg holiday calendar with its Whitsun holidays and late summer holidays, and the events calendar of the trade fair centre right next door. If you know both and enter the right times, all you have to do on the day of travel is get in and drive off. This guide shows how to proceed.
Key facts at a glance
- Book as soon as your flight is confirmed – free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand.
- Enter parking times, not flight times.
- Factor in the start of the holidays in Baden-Württemberg and trade fair days.
- Check the confirmation, save it and read it again the evening before.
The right time
The simplest rule: book the parking space right after the flight. Then you know the departure, return flight, terminal and flight numbers, and you have the widest choice. Because Friend-Park allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service begins, you take no risk. If the trip changes, you cancel and book again. Especially for the start of the holidays in the south-west, popular offers are often booked up weeks in advance.
The calendar in the south-west
Besides the Easter, summer, autumn and Christmas holidays, Baden-Württemberg also has two weeks of Whitsun holidays. Compared with many other states, the summer holidays start late, often at the end of July, and run into September. On top of that there are bridge days around Ascension Day, Corpus Christi and German Unity Day. The exact dates are published by the state's Ministry of Education. If you are flying on one of the first days of the holidays, reserve particularly early.
Don't forget trade fair dates
If your departure falls on a day with a major trade fair, access roads and parking areas around the airport are more heavily used. Check the Stuttgart trade fair events calendar when planning. If you are flexible, choose another day; if you can't avoid it, reserve early and allow more time for the journey. More: Parking at Stuttgart Airport during trade fairs.
Parking times instead of flight times
The most common mistake when reserving: the departure time is entered as the start of parking. The correct time is when you arrive at the car park or meeting point. Calculate back from the departure time: the airline's lead time, time for the handover or shuttle and a small reserve. You calculate the end of parking in a similar way: landing time plus time for disembarking, baggage, passport control if applicable and the transfer. For return flights in the evening, a generous reserve is worthwhile so that a delay does not immediately trigger additional charges.
Checking opening hours
Before you book, check whether your parking times fall within the provider's opening hours. For early flights at dawn and landings late in the evening, this cannot be taken for granted. A cheap offer is no use if the provider is closed at your time. More on this in the guides Early flight from Stuttgart and Late arrival at Stuttgart Airport.
The details when booking
- Registration number, model, colour: so that the provider can identify your car.
- Flight numbers: so that they can track delays.
- Number of passengers: important for the shuttle.
- Driver's mobile number: for queries on the day of travel.
- Special features: large vehicle, electric car, bulky luggage.
How booking works at Friend-Park is explained in the frequently asked questions about booking.
Reserving for others
You can also book for parents, children or colleagues. Make sure that the registration number, vehicle, flight details and, above all, the mobile number of the person who actually drives are correct. Forward the confirmation to them so that they know the meeting point and procedure. On the day of travel, the provider must be able to reach the driver, not the person who made the booking.
After booking
You receive a confirmation by email. Read it in full, save it on your phone and note the provider's phone number. If the email is missing, see frequently asked questions about a missing confirmation. In the weeks before the trip, check whether the airline has changed your flight times. If so, adjust the booking or inform the provider.
The evening before
Read the confirmation again, save the address or meeting point in your satnav and check the traffic situation for the next morning. Lay out your documents and charging cables. If you take care of this in the evening, you will start the day of travel without stress.
Planning day trips
Reserving is also worthwhile for a day trip, especially with an early departure. Check whether the provider covers the early handover and the evening return. For day trips, valet and the multi-storey car parks at the terminal are usually the suitable options. More: Business trip from Stuttgart.
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 multi-storey car parks. For Stuttgart, the following also applies: Friend-Park only shows offers once providers have joined. You can see the status on the page Parking at Stuttgart Airport.
An example of planning
A couple from Reutlingen books a trip for the Whitsun holidays in February. Outbound flight on Saturday at 06:40, return flight the following Saturday landing at 21:15. Right after booking the flight, the couple checks the trade fair calendar – there is no major event that weekend. They enter 04:20 as the start of parking and 22:30 as the end of parking, to cover baggage and a possible delay. Then they choose an offer whose opening hours cover both times and note the cancellation deadline in their calendar. The figures are an example.
Several trips a year
If you fly from Stuttgart several times a year, you benefit from notes: which provider worked well? How long did the transfer take? When was the best time to set off? Planning gets faster with every trip. If you regularly fly at similar times, you will develop a fixed routine.
Reserving for special occasions
Honeymoon, milestone birthday, long-awaited long-haul trip – on special occasions everything should go smoothly. Then contact the provider weeks beforehand and clarify any open questions about the meeting point, luggage and return time. For trips with formal clothing or delicate luggage, valet is particularly pleasant.
In brief
Book early, enter parking times instead of flight times, check opening hours, bear the holiday and trade fair calendar in mind and note the cancellation deadline – and your parking planning for Stuttgart is done.
Reserving when plans are uncertain
If your holiday is not quite fixed yet, for example because your employer still has to approve your leave request, you can still reserve. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of parking gives you leeway. Note the deadline and decide in good time. That way you secure a space without risking any costs.
Reserving for group trips
If you are travelling with several cars, for example on a club outing or a family reunion, it is best for each party to book separately. That way everyone can state their times and details precisely, and if someone drops out, the cancellation only affects one booking. Agree whether you will park with the same provider – that makes the joint transfer easier.
If the flight time changes
Holiday airlines occasionally change their schedules weeks before departure. A departure at 11:00 then becomes one at 06:00, and suddenly the booked start of parking no longer fits. So check your flight booking and the airline's emails regularly in the weeks before the trip. If the new time is still within the provider's opening hours, a message is often enough. Otherwise, cancel within the deadline and book again.
Reserving for grandparents
A common case in the region: the children book the parking space for their parents, who are driving to the airport in their own car for the first time. Then it is worth going through the confirmation together, showing the meeting point on the map and writing the provider's phone number in large letters on a note. A trial run to the airport is not necessary, but a look at the route in the satnav the evening before gives peace of mind.
Checklist before clicking "Book"
- Start and end of parking entered as times at the car park
- Times within the provider's opening hours
- Holiday and trade fair calendar checked
- Registration number, number of passengers and flight numbers correct
- Cancellation terms read – see Cancelling or rebooking a car park at Stuttgart Airport
