Booking a last-minute holiday is always exciting… until all the extra costs start piling up!
On Monday 18th May, I decided to book a five-night break to Gran Canaria flying from Bristol Airport the very next day. Like many people, once I’d found a holiday price I was happy with, I then had to factor in all the additional costs — spending money, insurance, airport extras and, of course, airport parking.
Airport parking is one of those things I absolutely hate overpaying for. I’m always searching for the cheapest option possible, but after this experience I’ll definitely think twice in future.
Previous Parking Experiences
In the past I’ve used the official Silver Zone parking Silver Zone Parking Bristol Airport | Cheapest Airport Parking at Bristol Airport. It isn’t cheap — in 2025 the cost was well over £100 — although thankfully I didn’t pay for it myself that time!
That said, I have to admit the experience was smooth and stress-free. It’s easy to find, clearly signposted and once you’ve used it once, future trips are simple. You park your car, catch the transfer bus to the airport and then do the same in reverse when you return.
I’ve also previously used Goblin Parking Discount Bristol Airport Parking - Goblin Parking and The Airport Tavern parking service Airport Tavern offers convenient parking and accommodation facilities for Bristol Airport. Accommodation at the Airport Tavern is easy to arrange and Bristol Airport is less than 400m away. , both of which I found reliable and straightforward. Unfortunately Goblin was fully booked this time, and I’m not even sure whether The Airport Tavern still operates in the same way or if it has changed ownership.
Searching for a “Cheap” Alternative
This time I started Googling cheaper airport parking options and came across several meet-and-greet services ranging from around £55 to £90.
One company in particular stood out: “Budget Meet & Greet”.
The problem was the booking details were incredibly vague. There was little explanation about:
- Where your car would actually be stored
- Who would be driving it
- How the process worked
- Whether the company was genuinely legitimate
To make things worse, airport levy charges were not included in the advertised price.
The instructions I received after booking were as follows:
- Call the driver 40–45 minutes before arrival
- Go to the Short Stay car park
- Meet the driver there
- Pay £8.50 drop-off charge
- Pay another £8.50 collection charge
- Avoid staying too long because the airport charges £7 per 10 minutes
Immediately, alarm bells started ringing.
The Drop-Off Experience
As instructed, I called when I was around 30–45 minutes away from the airport. No answer.
I then rang the landline number and realised it was actually a London number, which only increased my concern. Eventually an Indian-sounding lady answered and greeted me by name, which somehow made things feel even stranger.
She told me to proceed to the Short Stay car park where the driver would meet me.
At this point I was already nervous, especially because of the warning about expensive short-stay charges.
I entered the car park, took a ticket and waited.
And waited.
No driver.
No instructions.
No indication of where exactly I was supposed to meet anyone.
I called both numbers repeatedly with no response.
After around 5–10 minutes standing there with my luggage, I genuinely convinced myself I’d been scammed.
I paid £8.50 just to exit the car park and headed towards Silver Zone instead, thankfully having left early enough to still make my flight.
Then suddenly my phone rang.
“Where are you? The driver is waiting.”
So I turned around, re-entered the Short Stay car park, paid AGAIN and eventually spotted someone standing near the ticket machines.
I unloaded my luggage and the driver immediately told me I needed to pay another £8.50 so he could leave the car park with my vehicle.
Then he simply got into my car and drove away.
That was probably the most stressful airport parking experience I’ve ever had.
At that point I had absolutely no idea:
- Where my car was going
- Who was driving it
- Where it would be parked
- Whether it would even be there when I returned
The Return Journey
Landing back at Bristol only brought all the anxiety back again.
I called the mobile number. No answer.
I called the landline. No answer.
At this stage I honestly thought I might never see my car again.
Eventually, around five minutes later, the driver rang back and told me to return to the same Short Stay area where I had dropped the vehicle off.
While waiting, I spoke to several other people in the same situation:
- One couple had used the company before
- Another man was standing there without his car keys and had no idea what was happening
- The couple explained that on a previous occasion the driver had left their car outside the barrier to avoid paying the collection charge, resulting in them receiving a £100 fine
That didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
I even spoke to a car park employee who said they had never heard of the company before and advised us to ring a specific number if our vehicles never turned up.
After around 25 minutes, the cars finally started arriving.
The couple’s car appeared first, mine shortly behind it. The driver quickly jumped out without saying a word and walked off with another driver through the car park exit.
My first concern was whether the keys had actually been left in the vehicle — thankfully they had.
My second concern was fuel usage. Luckily the tank was still around three-quarters full.
Final Thoughts
In total, this “cheap” parking experience cost me:
- £73 booking fee
- Three separate £8.50 airport charges
Total: £98.50
So after all that stress, uncertainty and inconvenience, I barely saved any money anyway.
Personally, I won’t be using this type of meet-and-greet parking service again.
In future I’ll happily pay slightly more for peace of mind and use either:
- Official Silver Zone parking
- Goblin Parking
- The Airport Tavern parking service
One final thing worth mentioning: wherever my car had been stored during the trip was extremely muddy. The photo shows mud splashed all over the vehicle, so if you take pride in your car, this type of parking probably isn’t for you.
Sometimes cheaper really doesn’t mean better.