‍Finding a spot to park near your destination can be one of the most stressful parts of traveling. Luckily, there are ways to cut down on stress and get the best space possible so you can quickly get back on the road. Keep in mind that even if you find a perfect space, you still have to deal with your car’s odometer reading and its tendency to move around. It might take longer than you’d like, but it will save you from making another trip as soon as you arrive at your home base.

Be proactive about finding a space. Parking near your destination is only half of the problem. The other half is finding a space. In some areas, it can be as difficult as finding a parking spot itself. If you don’t have to worry about finding a spot, you can focus more of your time and energy on enjoying your trip, for example, with Orlando Sanford airport parking. This will help you get more proactive, map out your route, and look at where you’ll be passing near your departure and arrival points. Below are more tips.

Research your options

Be sure to look into the specifics of each parking service. Some might be cheaper than you think or only offer spots in an airport or within walking distance. Others might be cheaper if you book online or at either hourly or daily rates. You might also want to see if there’s a discount for booking a certain number of days ahead of your trip. Make sure you look into all the details of each parking service you’re considering using.

Know when to be flexible and when to be firm

When you’re looking at options, don’t be afraid to be flexible when it comes to the price. While you don’t want to get into a habit of being cheap, you don’t want to also show up without enough in your pocket either. In that case, you’ll just have to deal with the hassle of finding a spot, no matter how much you’d like to save. When it comes to your departure point, be firm about which airport or facility you’re going to. You don’t want to make it easier for someone to surprise you with a new departure point because you needed to be more firm.

Avoid the weekends

When most people think of finding parking, they don’t think about the weekends. Unfortunately, weekends are the worst times to find a space, as most people are either traveling for long weekends or have to be somewhere during the weekend. Keep in mind that people are more likely to be flexible with their travel plans on the weekend. So, you might have a better chance of landing space on a weekend day. If you need to park near your destination at the weekend, you can always look into a daily rate or hourly rate.

Don’t leave too early or too late

There’s a good chance you’ll be tired when you get to your car when it’s time to leave. You can’t be tired at the wheel, so you want to leave yourself enough time to get to your car, get into your car, buckle up, and get some rest before you get on the road. Ideally, you want to leave yourself enough time in case there’s a delay, but not so much that you end up overrunning your departure time. Your destination’s departure and arrival times can help you figure out how long it should take to get from your parking spot to the road. To help you navigate during your trip, you can also look up the average speeds for that area.

Know which parking services offer guaranteed spots

There are a variety of parking services available, and some might offer guaranteed spots. These services typically charge a higher price, but they are guaranteed to have spots at that time. If you’re looking to park at the airport and you’re not sure which service you want to use, you can check the landing page for the airport you’re flying out of to see if there’s a section dedicated to parking. If there isn’t, there are likely to be some reviews and/or a popular search on Google.

Check daily rates before you book

To save money, you’re likely to want to book a cheaper option and just park for a few hours. Before you book the cheaper option, though, make sure you know what the total price will be. You might be tempted to just book a cheaper parking option. However, you want to make sure you save money and not go for the cheapest option just because it’s cheap. You want to make sure you’re booking a service with guaranteed spots or a guaranteed rate. Make sure you understand the total price before you book.