One of the craziest airports in the world is the O’Hare International Airport. It is essential when you are going there to fly that you understand O’Hare parking.
O’Hare parking includes a maze of lots and garages, making pre-planning vital for a smooth take-off. The easiest way to park at O’Hare is to have someone drop you off. O’Hare parking includes two options for these types of drop-off flights. Someone can park in one of the short-term lots for $4.00 and walk you to your terminal. The airport does not offer freebie parking to people who are there for only a few minutes, so decide whether you want to pay the fee or just say your good-byes at home.
There is a “Kiss n Fly” program at O’Hare that permits someone to drop you off and say goodbye on an airport bus that will then take you to the terminal. For many frequent business travelers, and for those without a lot f luggage, this is a great option and doesn’t cost you a nickle.
Should you need to leave your car at the airport, you will find that O’Hare has plenty of lots available. The basic cost for the park-it-yourself job is $26 a day in portions of the parking garage or the outer lots. If you will be making a short hop and returning within one day, your cost will be slightly less and will be charged an hourly rate instead.
The best spots in the garage are reserved for folks who want to have valet parking. The starting cost for valet at O’Hare is $10 an hour, but you can pay only $32 for a full day of parking. With this service, professionals will drop you off at the terminal and bring your car to you when you return. Your walking will be very limited with this brand of O’Hare parking.
Now that you know where you can park while traveling out of O’Hare airport you may be interested in finding out which parking lot is your best choice on any certain day.
The folks at the airport have made that much easier now thanks to two methods for checking on parking. Once you are within a 2.5-mile radius of the airport, you can turn your radio to AM 1630 for updates on parking. Find out how traffic is flowing into lots and which lots are full. You also can call 773-686-7530 to get this information over the phone.
The same basic airport parking rules apply to the O’Hare airport and many frequent flyers are very familiar with them. You should never leave any valuables in your car; in fact, you should clean your car out before you go to lower the odds of someone trying to find out what may be under the newspaper on your seat or floorboard. Keep your parking ticket in a safe and handy place, since you will make your payment upon exiting the lot. Extra charges may apply to lost parking stubs. Don’t forget where you parked. You may wish to write where you parked on the back of your ticket to speed up finding your vehicle when you come back to it.
Finally for a hassle-free O’Hare parking experience, be sure to call the hotline if you will be parked at the airport for more than 30 days. Airports are a hotbed for abandoned vehicles, and if your car is there more than a month, airport officials will have it towed. Should you return to find that you’ve been booted, don’t contact the airport. The Department of Revenue for the city of Chicago handles these issues.
