LaGuardia Airport Parking Alternatives for the Savvy Manhattanite

Parking Garage at LaGuardia Airport. Photo: Francesco Mucio on Flickr.

 

There are 7 LaGuardia Airport parking facilities and about 3 large remote parking locations open to all travelers using LGA. If you’ve made the effort to familiarize yourself a bit with the airport layout and to reserve your space in advance, parking at LGA Airport shouldn't be that difficult at all.       

The airport-run parking structures are located strategically near the terminals: site 1 (parking lot) and site 2 (garage) are both very accessible to the Central Terminal Building; site 3 (for LGA long-term parking) is just a few meters away from the CTB and the US Airways Terminal; parking sites 4 and 5 are located near the Delta Airways building; and finally, LaGuardia Airport parking lots 6 and 7 and the metered parking lot are close to the Marine Air Terminal.

LGA, sadly, has earned a reputation for incessant flight delays - it was voted as the worst airport in the U.S. last year due to this problem - a 180 degrees reversal of a previously sterling reputation - in 1960, La Guardia was voted as the best airport in the world by the flying community, at the time. Nonetheless, it's closer to Manhattan than EWR or Kennedy, which is the main motivation for busy Manhattanites to continue using it. With more than 20 million passengers using the  airport every year, LaGuardia Airport parking can be a bit difficult particularly around the holidays.

LGA Airport Parking on HubPages

Short-term parking at LaGuardia Airport Lots 1,4,5,6, and 7 has a rate of $3 for the first 30 minutes and $3 for every hour after the initial 2 hours, with a daily maximum of $33. To emphasize, these are short-term parking rates and should only be used if you are parking for no more than 1-2 hours at the airport. These lots allow for parking of up to 1 month, but no long-term parking rate reductions are provided.

Parking lot 3 is the only lot designated for long-term LGA parking. The parking fees here are slightly lower at $66 for the first 48 hours and $6 for each succeeding 8 hours. These fees are closely similar to those in practically every large airport in the US, but it obviously would still be outrageously expensive to park your car at this so-called long-term parking lot, if you're looking at a month-long trip.

In my opinion, the only viable alternatives for long-term LaGuardia Airport parking are the ones provided by the off-airport parking facilities. These are efficient and quality service garages and lots operated by companies who are quite experienced in the airport parking industry. There's Avistar on 23rd Ave, Dollar airport parking on 94th St, and AirPark along Ditmars Blvd, to mention a few. For a seven day trip, parking would be anywhere from $119 to $170 with AirPark offering the cheapest rate. Before you book your parking space, be certain that you have the most updated rates by visiting their site or by calling them directly. It might also help to find out about shuttle or valet service, promotions, discounts, coupons, and reduced rates for certain types of payment.

LaGuardia Airport parking should be a priority in your travel check list, if you've chosen to use LGA for its easy access from Manhattan. Finding a good parking spot at LaGuardia is not difficult at all if you’re aware of your alternatives. Don’t forget to place your reservation and have a hassle-free trip.