Parking at RDU Airport can be pricey. Here’s where to find some more affordable options
Flying out of RDU Airport can be expensive, but there are ways to save money.
Travelers can bring their own snacks and a reusable water bottle to avoid paying high prices at the terminal, and plan months in advance to find the best deals or travel during the off season.
They can also take advantage of discounted parking by using off-airport lots.
There are several of them near RDU. Here’s what to know about them.
Cheap parking near RDU airport
Most of the parking places near RDU Airport are hotels, all within 6 miles of the airport. Travelers do not have to be a guest of the hotel to park their vehicles there.
Do offsite parking lots near RDU airport offer free shuttles?
Not all of the parking sites located near RDU Airport offer a free shuttle to take travelers to and from the airport.
In those cases, travelers need to find alternative modes of transportation, such as rideshare services like Uber and Lyft or a taxi. Costs of these services vary and may depend on day or time and distance from the airport.
Is it cheaper to park at RDU airport or an offsite lot?
Unless a traveler is only going to be gone for a few hours, all of RDU Airport’s parking lots are more expensive than all but one of the off-airport sites.
The daily rate at RDU’s Economy 3 lot, the least costly option, is $12 (or $3 per hour up to four hours).
However, parking lots at RDU are gated, and shuttles run 24/7. Hotel lots — which are not gated — offer shuttles, where available, on a more limited basis. Fast Park & Relax, located minutes from RDU Airport, has a shuttle that runs 24/7 and covered, gated parking.
Prices for off-airport parking places differ by location, day and reservation site. Many of the hotels partner with third-party platforms such as Global Airport Parking, Way.com or ParkingNearAirports.io, which may charge different prices over the same period. (At Days Inn by Wyndham, customers can book parking directly with the hotel.)
The News & Observer checked hotel parking prices for the five-day period from Monday, March 31 to Friday, April 4, and the daily rate ranged from about $6-$10.
Key takeaways:
- Most off-airport parking sites vary in daily cost by just a few dollars.
- The most expensive option is Fast Park & Relax, which has a higher daily rate than the hotel lots and also charges an airport use fee and reservation fee. The reservation fee (about $5) is waived for Relax for Rewards members, and the daily rate and airport use fee fluctuate.
Can you park overnight at hotels for free?
Whether making a parking reservation through a third-party site or directly with a hotel, keep these in mind:
- When you get to the hotel, check in with the front desk. There may be a registration process, where drivers get a parking pass to place on their dashboard. The hotel may also have guidelines about where to park.
- Remember that not all hotels offer shuttles, so drivers will have to arrange their own transportation to and from the airport.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
