Tampa Airport Parking

Tampa International Airport is located approximately 6 miles from the Central Business District of Tampa, in the state of Florida, and is an important airport in the United States of America. It is recognised by its IATA code of TPA, and serves around sixteen million passengers per annum. Passengers will find the airport well equipped with all the facilities they require, including safe vehicle parking areas with various affordable rates. Tampa International Airport parking is provided in several areas, and they are convenient for access to the main terminal building.

TPA consists of a central, or main terminal building that has four satellite buildings (A, C, E and F) where the airline gates are located. The gates are reached by the APM system of the airport, or the automated people mover system, which is an elevated train accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The main building is referred to as the Landside/Airside Terminal, with facilities such as the baggage claim halls, check-in counters and ticketing offices. On Level 3 the trains to the satellites are available, and on Level 5, a monorail service takes passengers to the long-term parking garage of the airport. There are also short-term parking spaces available, an economy car park and a cell phone parking lot that is convenient for motorists who are waiting for arriving passengers. In addition, valet parking is ideal for those who do not wish to search for a parking space, and there are dedicated spaces available in all parking lots for disabled drivers. The airport can easily be accessed from the Interstates 4 and 275, as well as from Highway 60.

Short-term Parking and Cell Phone Lot at Tampa International Airport

Motorists may stop outside of the main terminal’s departure entrance to drop off passengers and their baggage items, but this is not a parking area, and drivers may not leave their vehicles unattended here. Similar rules apply for motorists who are collected arriving passengers. The passengers must be waiting at curb-side, as the driver may not stop and wait for the passenger’s flight to arrive on the road outside of the terminal. An alternative option is to use the new Cell Phone Car Park of the airport, which now has 125 spaces since it was expanded in 2008. Motorists may wait here free of charge until their passengers call for collection. The lot is patrolled by the police twenty-four hours a day, and is equipped with WiFi connections and restrooms. It also has CCTV surveillance. This parking lot was built to relieve congestion on the airport’s roadways.

Tampa Airport has short-term parking facilities in a garage above the terminal. This garage area was built in 1971, and was also expanded in 1982. Today it has six levels with 3,500 parking spaces for private vehicles. Levels 4 to 9 of the terminal building are therefore parking areas. The first hour of parking in the short-term garage is free of charge, but $4.00 will be charged for parking of between 61 and 80 minutes. Each additional twenty minutes will cost $1.00 until the maximum daily limit of $20.00 is reached. The car park is available seven days a week at all hours, and has Red and Blue elevators for convenient access to the north and south portions of the Landside/Airside Terminal. The colour-code Red is used for facilities on the north side and the colour Blue is used for facilities on the south side.

Tampa Airport’s Long-Term Parking Garage

The Long-Term Garage of the airport is located adjacent to the terminal building, and can be accessed via walkways or by the monorail trains available from Level 5 of the short-term garage. Over 7,000 spaces are available in this parking lot, and it is considered as ideal for medium to long-term stays as it is cheaper than the short-term garage. The parking rates applicable are the same as for the short-term area, however, the daily maximum is just $15.00. The first hour is also free. Level two of the garage is where the pedestrian walkways can be found, and on level 5 the monorail can be taken to main terminal. The monorail has been in operation since 1991, when the car park was built, and began with six driverless electrically propelled cars. There are four stations at the long-term car park, therefore passengers will always have easy access to their vehicles, no matter where they are parked.

The Economy Car Parks at Tampa International Airport

Motorists who would like to save on parking costs will find the economy lots convenient. There is a garage with just over 8,000 spaces, as well as a surface lot and an overflow lot for use during the holidays when the airport is busier. The garage has two sections which are colour-coded purple and gold (yellow). The cost of this parking area is $1.00 for every twenty minutes up to a maximum of $9.00 per twenty-four hours. It is also equipped with restroom facilities. Since the economy car park is located quite far from the terminal, there are free shuttle buses available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Additional Parking Information for Tampa International Airport

Valet parking is available at Tampa Airport at the Blue departure curb-side from 05:30am to 05:30pm. Motorists will simply leave their vehicles in the capable hands of the valet parking attendants and proceed to their check-in counters. Their vehicles can be collected at any time again on level 5 of the short-term parking garage. This option is best for anyone who does not wish to search for parking at the airport, has limited time to get to their flight or for anyone with heavy baggage items. Families with small children often find valet parking convenient as well.

Clearly designated parking spaces are reserved for use by disabled drivers in every parking lot of the airport. The spaces are all conveniently located nearby elevators, walkways and the shuttle stops of the economy parking lot. The shuttles are accessible to passengers in wheelchairs.

The Tampa International Airport parking lots are now also compatible with the SunPass Plus program and customers may use their SunPass transponders to pay for parking. Many other payment options are available as well. Further information for airport parking is available at 813-870-8790.