When it comes to size, Eindhoven Airport is the second airport in the Netherlands. It’s located around 8 kilometres from the city. With approximately 3 million passengers a year, it has become a very popular airport. This is why more and more people are looking for a way to find a relatively cheap parking option in advance. So, where to find a parking space close to the airport?
There is official parking at the airport with prices starting from 9 Euro per day. Then, you can choose out of many private parking (usually, their rates are quoted for at least 1 week, starting from around 60 Euro). You can also park your car free of charge in the city.
I bet you’d like to park your car both safely and inexpensively, yet as close to the airport as possible. Below you will find a short guide on available car parks in the Eindhoven Airport’s neighborhoods, as well as services and prices they offer.
Official Parking at The Airport
The easiest and fastest option for a traveler in Eindhoven is to leave a car directly at the airport.
The parking is open 24 hours a day and it’s the biggest valet parking service at all the Dutch airports. The service is not very expensive – the lowest fare is 9 Euro per day. There are 5 car parks available at Eindhoven airport:
- P1 – Gold Parking – located directly in front of the terminal, accessible without booking upfront. P1 costs: 4 Euro per 60 minutes, 32.5 Euro per 1 day, 160 Euro per 1 week. Be aware that in May 2017, part of P1 collapsed. Some parts of the garage are still being built. Until they’re complete, only a part of P1 is available for parking.
- P3 – Silver Parking – located left of the terminal, around 5-minute walk, accessible without booking upfront. P3 costs: 3.5 Euro per 60 minutes, 18 Euro per 1 day, 87 Euro per 1 week.
- P4 – Bronze+ Parking – around 7-minute walk from the terminal, accessible without booking upfront. P4 is a parking garage, however, the top floor of P4 is not covered by the roof. P4 costs: 4.5 Euro per 60 minutes, 12.5 Euro per 1 day, 65 Euro per 1 week.
- P5 – Bronze Parking – around 7-minute walk from the terminal, accessible without booking. P5 is an unsheltered car par. P5 costs: 4.5 Euro per 60 minutes, 11.5 Euro per 1 day, 61 Euro per 1 week.
- P8 – Budget Parking – the most economical option. It’s available for online reservation only. There’s a free shuttle bus running every 20 minutes between P8 and the terminal. P8 costs: 9 Euro per 60 minutes, 9 Euro per 1 day, 51 Euro per 1 week.
At the Eindhoven Airport, there is also the Kiss & Ride lane – for dropping off and collecting passengers only. In general, the service at the official airport parking is of the highest quality and each car is treated with the utmost care. You can change or cancel your reservation up to 24 hours of departure.
Private Parking Companies Nearby
On top of the official parking at the airport, there are some commercial parking areas. There are many parking companies that offer their parking services even closer to the terminal than the car park at the airport. The whole procedure is a snap – a parking company employee takes your car from you at the terminal, parks it at another location and then, once you’re back, brings you back to your car with a shuttle bus. Among the others, there are two companies you might consider: Eazzypark and Quick Park. Their rates are quoted for 1, 2 or 3 weeks of parking. Make sure you reserve your parking space up front, especially if you travel during the high season.
Eazzypark
Eazzypark is located just a 1-minute walk from the terminal. Approximately 100 meters from the roundabout you’ll see ‘The Haviland building’ on the right. A driver will be waiting for you. They will help you with your baggage and so on. What is more, if you decide to use the Eazzypark service, you get a free shuttle bus to the airport. You just need to call the company right after picking your baggage and a driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals. The service costs: 83.5 Euro per 1 week, 109.5 Euro per 2 weeks, 146.5 Euro per 3 weeks. In order to reserve a parking space, you have to book it online.
Quick Parking
Quick Parking is located a 6-minute drive from the terminal. The parking is accessible by public transport (free). It’s fully secured and well-lit so no need to worry about your car. The procedure is quite similar to Eazzypark. You make your reservation online. The difference is, you just get a barcode that lets you into the parking. Once you find an available spot, you leave your car there and wait for one of the free buses. Once on the bus, you’ll be at the airport within 10 minutes at the maximum. When you’re back in Eindhoven after the journey, you take a free shuttle bus that brings you back to the parking area. There you will need your barcode again. The service costs: 62.5 Euro per 1 week, 90 Euro per 2 weeks, 115 Euro per 3 weeks. In case your flight is delayed, Quick Parking doesn’t charge any extra costs (up to 3 hours).
Meerhoven – Possibly the Best Parking Option
In my opinion, this is a perfect place to leave your car near Eindhoven Airport. The lowest rate there is as little as 3.5 Euro per day! The parking garage Meerhoven is located within a walking distance from the bus stop (Meerrijk), close to the McDonald’s restaurant. The parking has a great bus connection with the airport – it takes around 5 minutes to get to the airport by bus 401. Sometimes it even takes less time than walking from P8 to the terminal. The bus ride costs you nothing if you show your parking ticket. A free ride is valid for up to 5 people. Your parking ticket also enables you to travel to the city center for free. You just need to take bus 402 to get there. When you’re back from your journey, just follow the same procedure – show your parking ticket to get a free bus ride to the Meerhoven parking. In order to access the parking, use your parking card at the parking machine. Be aware that the machine doesn’t accept cash. After the payment is complete, you have 15 minutes to leave the parking.
How Much Does It Cost?
P+R Meerhoven costs around 3 Euro per 1 day (the first day only). Starting from day 2, you will pay 5 Euro per day. It’s much cheaper than parking options at the airport. There are cameras on P+R Meerhoven so the parking is relatively safe. There is only one possible disadvantage of the P+R Meerhoven – it’s not possible to check its availability online. So, the available spot isn’t guaranteed. During the high season it may be a bit tricky. Anyway, there are around 230 parking spots there so it’s still worth trying.
Is It Possible to Find a Free Parking Close to the Airport?
Technically, there are some free car parks quite close to the Eindhoven Airport (both official free parking areas and the residential areas), located in the suburbs of the city. In order to get there, you need to take a bus (401 – Hermes). A bus ticket costs 2.7 Euro with the OV Card.
Free Parking on the Street
There are many free parking zones within walking distance (300 meters) from the main bus station. Actually, the parking is meant for people living or doing shopping there so it might not be appreciated if you leave your car there for a few days or weeks. Very often there are complaints about cars blocking spaces and this is completely understandable. What is more, the area may not have the best reputation. You might not feel comfortable leaving your car there. This is why you should always leave your car in areas with sufficient parking places, where residents aren’t bothered. You can just park a bit further – it’s just a few more bus stops away.
P+R Best
Located at Spoorstraat (at Best train station), this is one of the most recommendable free parking spaces close to the airport. You can easily access there by bus. Line 20 will transfer you from/to the airport. There are six stops and the journey will not take more than 15-20 minutes. The P+R Best is completely free and open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Summary
Very often some additional expenses cost you more than plane tickets. This is why it’s always recommendable that you should consider various options in advance. Looking for a cheap parking space for your car is a perfect example. Leaving your car at the official parking at the airport for the holiday can cost you fortune. Personally, I’d rather try to look a bit further from the airport – both Meerhoven and P+R Best seem to be the options I’d consider.
