Is parking full at the airport? You have options for holiday travel in Miami and Broward

Daniel A. Varela/dvarela@miamiherald.com

Miami International Airport is expecting to see a record number of travelers this year for the Thanksgiving holiday stretch, with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also set to see large crowds.

That means you need to arrive several hours before your flight. And don’t be surprised if you can’t find parking.

Both MIA and FLL expect their parking garages will get full.

The Miami airport is planning to see 1.8 million passengers from Friday through Tuesday, Nov. 29, with the busiest days expected to be Sunday and the weekend after Thanksgiving. The airport says it could see more than 160,000 passengers on each of these days.

Fort Lauderdale’s airport is planning to see 689,775 travelers from Tuesday through Monday, Nov. 28. That’s 14% more passengers compared to last year, but fewer than before COVID. FLL says the busiest days will be Wednesday and then the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving.

Instead of looking for a parking spot, you could ask someone to drop you off, park with valet or take a taxi or an Uber, Tri-Rail, the bus and Metrorail. If you’re going to MIA, you can also try to find a spot at MIA’s new Economy Park and Ride lot. Parking there is cheaper than at MIA’s garages. FLL will likely have to open its overflow lot too.

Another option for MIA and FLL travelers is to rent a parking spot at a nearby hotel or private parking lot. Then hop on a free shuttle and get dropped off at your terminal. Parking at these locations can sometimes cost less or as much as an airport garage. Occasionally, it can also be more expensive.

If you learn MIA and FLL’s garages are full, and still need to find a place to park, here are your other options:

Find parking near Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports

▪ MIA’s Economy Park and Ride Lot — The new 460-space lot opened at 10 a.m. Nov. 17. It offers “monitored parking and a free shuttle service to the MIA terminal every 15 minutes” for $12 per day, according to the airport. The lot is at Northwest 45th Avenue between Northwest 13th and 15th streets. You can get there from Le Jeune Road or Perimeter Road. You can pay with credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The lot doesn’t accept reservations, so just show up.

▪ Cheap Airport Parking — This website lists nearby hotels and parking lots that offer parking for MIA and FLL travelers. You make a reservation, just like you would for a rental car. Most hotel parking lots you’ll find on this site are generally open around the clock, have security and offer a free shuttle to the airport, plus cancellations, according to the website’s FAQ guide. Parking prices and shuttle times vary. To learn more, visit cheapairportparking.org.

▪ Park ‘N Fly — This site offers valet parking and indoor parking near MIA at 3901 NW 28th St., and is open 24/7. The FLL location permanently closed in June. The Miami lot offers a free shuttle to and from the airport and cancellations up to a minute ahead of your reservation, according to its FAQ guide. To check prices and availability, visit pnf.com

▪ Park ‘N Go, 1101 Eller Dr. in Fort Lauderdale, and Self Park FLL, 901 Old Griffin Rd. in Dania Beach, are self-parking lots that offer shuttles to and from Fort Lauderdale’s airport. Park ‘N Go’s website notes that during peak times, the lot may occasionally switch to valet parking. To check prices, availability and cancellation policies for Park ‘N Go, visit gator.bookparkngo.com/. For Self Park FLL, visit selfparkfll.com

▪ SpotHero lets people reserve parking spots at cities across the U.S. and Canada, including near the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports. The Chicago-based parking reservation service website states that it’s helped park 40 million cars since 2011. Search for a spot using the airport tab to find places that offer free shuttle services. To check prices, availability and cancellation policies, visit spothero.com or download the app.

▪ ParkWhiz and its sister company BestParking can help you find parking near the airports. People who use GasBuddy’s app might find ParkWhiz familiar. That’s because GasBuddy partnered with the parking reservation service in 2018 to let people find and pay for parking through GasBuddy. The service was discontinued in GasBuddy’s app, but you can still reserve a spot using ParkWhiz or BestParking’s websites or apps. For ParkWhiz, visit parkwhiz.com. For BestParking, visit bestparking.com.

Other tips to know:

▪ Do your research before booking a spot. Read customer reviews and check the address of the lot or hotel to make sure it’s close to the airport. Use Google Streetview or drive by the site at least a few days before your trip to check it out. If you’re parking at a hotel, call to double-check its airport shuttle’s hours of operations.

▪ Check Groupon for parking discounts. Also, shop around. There are lots of websites to look at. However, keep in mind that if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

▪ Don’t wait until the last minute to reserve an off-site airport parking spot, and make sure to check the location’s cancellation policy before you book. Parking spots can fill up fast, especially during popular travel periods like long weekends and holidays, when airport garages get full. If you find a place that lets you cancel your parking reservation a day before your flight, it can give you some flexibility to gauge the parking situation at the airport.

▪ Make sure you follow MIA and FLL on Twitter. The airports usually post updates on how early people should arrive ahead of their flight during popular travel times. The airports also give parking updates and notify followers when garages are full.