Does anyone know if it is permitted to use Birmingham International railway station car park if I’m flying from the airport? The airport seems to have suddenly massively hiked its car park charges. The railway station car park is a third of the cost of the airport parking for a long weekend.
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Birmingham International car park for airport use
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nottsnurse
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How would anyone know whether you're using the railway station or airport?
stu
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I do it all the time! It's especially good at the moment, as the link shuttle brings you out at security and you miss all the queue downstairs waiting to get up there....
InTheEastMids
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Yes, used to use it frequently until I discovered our corporate rate with NCP and could stay in the airport short stay for about £7 a day.
Indeed, unless things have changed since lockdown, Avanti would have no way of knowing.
They don't encourage it, but no reason why you can't - I used to do so nearly everytime I flew from Birmingham, and for up to 10 days at a time. Clearly you're not going to leave a sign on your car saying 'gone to Rome, back on Sunday', but the ticket machines will still take your money even if it's a few days since they issued the ticket. If it's far enough in advance you can even pre-book via the Avanti WC website.....and if you're going for a month, it'll only cost you £132 (in advance). Just don't tell any staff you see around what you're doing, but then I don't think I've ever seen any NCP/Avanti staff around the car park anyway......
I found that the third and fourth floors of the multi-storey were best. Last time I was there (a Thursday mid-morning in late April) the rail station surface car park was half empty even in the middle of the day. Sign of increased WFH perhaps ? Uness your vehicle is a Bentley Continental, an Aston Martin Vantage or a Range Rover Overfinch, then you'll be reasonably safe too.... there will be plenty of those in the car park anyway.
As for the airport parking charges generally - well, no shortage of people carrying bags and suitcases with airline baggage labels being dropped off or collected at the railway station to avoid the 'pick-up' car park fee (?£2?).
P Binnersley
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A single to Marston Green is £2.70 each way (no period returns) so there is no point in them trying to restrict usage to rail customers. I suspect at the moment Avanti are glad of the revenue.
Premium drop off is £3 for 15 minutes, free drop off (20 min, no return within 1 hour) is available with a 5 minute walk.
To follow up on my own post, I asked Avanti cutomer service if it is permitted to use the car park for airport use and got this:
"
| Upon checking this if you are non rail user you are still able to use the car park, there be may be different charges for non rail users so I would advise to double check this when booking." |
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Even if it wasn't allowed it's difficult to enforce, because you could just buy a single to the next stop and a single back from it for your arrival and departure dates and then hey presto, you do count as a rail user.
I think they rely on not many people thinking of the idea (like Luton Airport Parkway, which on opening of the shuttle is likely to need to be enforced in some way, as it'll be better connected than the actual airport car parks - perhaps it'll become no overnight parking or maybe max 24hrs).
I think they rely on not many people thinking of the idea (like Luton Airport Parkway, which on opening of the shuttle is likely to need to be enforced in some way, as it'll be better connected than the actual airport car parks - perhaps it'll become no overnight parking or maybe max 24hrs).
But in my book there is a difference between doing the right thing and doing what you can get away with. If they said not for airport use I'd not use it.
Most car parks with charges do not state in their parking terms and conditions that you must be a railway passenger to use the car park. The free ones often do. If it doesn't say so in the conditions, then as long as you pay the correct parking charge you're free to do whatever you like while leaving your car there!
Is there a train that arrives early enough for you at Birmingham International? How does the parking price compare to a taxi to a station and then a train?
Is there a train that arrives early enough for you at Birmingham International? How does the parking price compare to a taxi to a station and then a train?
the sniper
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Glad to hear it's allowed, good way to support the railway financially while avoiding fairly outrageous airport pricing!
The only moral issue would be if the car park was getting so full, genuine rail users couldn't use it, though I imagine that isn't anywhere near the issue it may once have been.
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VideozVideoz
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Or you could just park at Marston Green (if you are arriving early) and get the train to BHI! No parking restrictions the last time I parked there a year back
For a long weekend (Thursday evening return Sunday evening) the airport car park now charges about £120 (the long stay distant ones are about £95) if booked in advance. The railway station charges about £40 if booked in advance. Return petrol would cost be about £20. Retun taxi is £110, so I'd be using that if I couldn't use the railway car park. Back in March the airport car park was £75.
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