Are you looking to fly out of Denver International Airport? A crucial part of any travel is what’s going on with your car during your adventure. Are you ordering an Uber or a Lyft to the airport? Is a family member or friend driving you? Or are you driving yourself, and need somewhere convenient and affordable to park your car? If the latter is you, then you’re in luck – we have a guide for finding the best spots to park that won’t hurt your pocket or put too much strain on your time agenda.
Parking at DIA
Obviously, the most convenient option would be parking directly at the airport. DIA comes with a host of available parking options, including:
- Garage
- Economy
- Short Term
- 61st and Peña
Looking at these options a little more closely, we can see that Garage parking has two options, East and West; it charges $30/day ($7/hour), and accepts cash, check, Amex, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa as methods of payment.
Economy is cheaper, at $18/day ($6/hour), during which the daily rate drops to $16 for the fourth day of parking and beyond. It accepts the same methods of payment as Garage parking and also comes with an East and West. This is a better option for travelers who are taking a longer trip (more than four days) since there’s a lower rate for longer trips, but can still pinch your pocket if you’re taking a shorter trip.
Short Term parking comes at a costly $168 a day ($7/hour) and has an East and West, and also accepts the same methods of payment as Garage and Economy. The pages for this parking specifically states that it’s perfect for people looking to meet and greet people arriving, meaning this is not ideal for people looking to park their car while they are on their own trip – this is for those who are just dropping off or arriving to pick up.
Where we see the most savings is on 61st and Peña parking, which is $7/day ($5 for 12 hours), but they only allow pre-pay for this parking. Their prepayment portal accepts Amex, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. For those who take spontaneous trips, prepayment can be tricky and make this option inaccessible despite it being cheaper than any other parking offered on-site at DIA.
Denver International Airport parking does have a convenient fee estimator, and they have a shuttle that costs $8 if you need a shuttle service.
While the on-site parking beats out almost everything else on convenience factor, it certainly doesn’t beat other options on cost. The cost is painful even for short trips, which can only make things more stressful for those who are already stressed about traveling.
There’s also the cell phone waiting lot. This lot is specifically for people driving to meet someone at the airport to pick them up. It states “please note there is no waiting allowed curbside or at the arrivals pickup area at the terminal”, so this lot is ideal if you’re just picking someone up. There are a few restaurants available, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, and Schlotzsky’s. The lot and lobby include 253 parking spaces, free WiFi service in the building, children’s and lounge seating, restrooms, and easy access to a gas station nearby.
On Air Parking
Another option for convenient and affordable Denver International Airport parking would be On Air Parking. On Air Parking is a reservation site that supports third-party owned, off-site lots, which are more cost-efficient for travelers.
OAP offers reservations for local off-site lots for Denver International Airport parking; self-park outdoor lots. Starting as low as $3.75 a day, these lots beat out DIA’s on-site parking by miles.
Don’t worry! Free shuttles are available where applicable, running 24/7, ensuring you won’t lose on time because of the distance. So no matter what time your flight is, you’re not risking the facility being closed. The shuttle is operated by professional drivers, so you’re in safe hands.
On Air Parking offers reservations online for cheaper costs than those offered by DIA, and they even have a handy app available on both Android and Apple devices! If you’re a fan of calling to make your reservations, you can reach their customer service by phone at (888) 48-PARKING (888-487-2754), and if calling isn’t your thing, you can text them at 424-532-8940 Monday through Friday, 10am-7pm ET. If you prefer a paper trail, you can email them at [email protected].
