Alicante airport picking up - Page 2

Hi Less how are you

You pay the ticket at the normal pay machine located at departure drop off.

Thank you Nakabandi, I'm well and hope you are too.

Could you please expand on that . I.e. in a scenario where a driver is unaware he or she ,has exceeded the allowed waiting time.

He ,or she, will present their ticket at the exit barrier and presumably it will not open and other cars will be immediately behind, preventing the car from reversing, what will happen from there  ? 

LeckyLes

many thanks for info Les. think i will just park up and have a leisurely coffee rather than rushing my guests into the car!!

The other drivers will blast their horns, the driver will panic, if they can't reverse away from the closed barrier they have to run to the nearest ticket machine, pay, run back and put the ticket in the machine and hey presto the barrier opens, I have seen it happen so the secret is watch your time and don't exceed the 15 minutes even by a few seconds.

Hi Less I am well thank you.

The system has been designed with consideration for the low intelligence. Anyone in doubt about being charged should enter their ticket in the pay machine to see if they need to pay or not. Whenever I have been there the system seems to work well. The free parking period applies to drop off as well as pick up.

Whatever next lollipop women for adult pedestrians.

Have a good day.

Thanks for the replies.

In an ideal world everyone would do everything to time, but in the real world it's not the case.

Common sense would provide for a Pay machine at the exit barriers. It would save a lot of hassle.

The CCTV at the exit barriers must provide quite some amusement for its operators.

LeckyLes.

If I can add my 2c worth to this...

The departures drop off zone, correctly outlined by John (thank you) is where you are allowed the 15 minutes free (the level where the costa coffee is, hence the reference). The car park barrier has ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) on the entry and exit, and your vehicle registration appears on the issued ticket.

One thing to note is that this time limit is from the entry barrier to exit barrier!

TIP - IF you like to go into the terminal to say your goodbyes then I strongly recommend that, once you are finished, you head straight for the pay machines which are located in the central area between the two main parking lanes. Present your ticket and you will get the 0.00€ stamped on your ticket and there is no charge of course, so long as you are under the 15 minutes of course. The reason I mention this tip is a) at busy times getting out can add a good few minutes to your time 'within the barriers' !!! and b)there is very often a person at the barrier trying to reverse and once again holding everyone up (ahem, I know this because I was once the muppet who got caught out and had to pay!!! Sorry folks!)

With the ticket already stamped as checked, you now get a grace period which I have had an excess of 4 minutes but I also must admit I have no idea how much grace you are given!

For flight arrival collections, as others have also mentioned, I strongly recommend you head straight for the arrivals car park and not the drop off zone. Yes, this is a little inconvenient, but it works out at an extremely low cost compared to overstaying the free 15 mins in the departures drop off zone. I think the most I have paid is about 1.05€ and, whilst I am not sure of the exact time in the car park, I do know it was probably a good half hour or so.

NOTE - In the arrivals car park, the terminal access bridge is located on car park level 4. This is by far the busiest level and so I usually head straight up to level 5 and descend one floor for the access bridge. Most people tend to opt for the left-hand side when entering, I find the right-hand side has more availability, certainly on level 5 it does.

Of course, if the people you are collecting have already arrived and are prepared to wait, then, of course, there is nothing illegal in them heading to the departures level where you can easily enter, collect them and depart within the free 15 minutes.

It is also worth noting that at VERY busy flight times the barriers are actually raised at both ends. I do not believe there is any time limit applied at this time as no tickets are needed for entry/exit. I may stand corrected!

I visit the airport very regularly with my travels in and out of Alicante. Many moons ago I was one of those people who sat in their car on the ramp on the approach to the departures level. You have to be eagle-eyed to watch for the parking enforcers to come whizzing around on their scooters and hastily slope off before they could get me... it really isn't worth the stress (for a couple of euros?!)

WARNING - when I last dropped off family at the airport a couple of weeks ago, at a very busy time, I was sat in the queue waiting to enter the drop off zone and I saw 3 'normal-looking cars' pull up amongst the queue of vehicles illegally parked on the departures approach ramp. 4 enforcement officers jumped out of each car and proceeded to fine all the people who were illegally queuing! (Sitting in your vehicle, even with your bonnet up does not get you out of getting the fine!)

WARNING - When I was collecting family and attempting to enter the arrivals car park, there was quite a commotion taking place around the car park entry. There were 4 cars illegally parked and holding people up from entering the car park. This did not go unnoticed by the Guardia Civil who simply strolled over and issued fines to those people parking illegally.

To summarise my points - it really is not worth trying to avoid the couple of euros parking charges.

Hope it helps!

Not as bad as stansted airport drop off.. £4 for up to 10 mins , 10-15 minutes an additional £1 per minute ..over 15 minutes £25 !! Drop off and pick up is at the same place too , it's like wacky racers there sometimes! people just jumping out when car when car slows to a stop !

Thanks for the very detailed answer. My mind is made up. Car park for me!!

A TIP for UK airports 

If you drop off at the car rental village (if there is one) your passengers can often get the free shuttle bus to the airport! And vice versa of course :o)

The drop off etc charges in UK airports are extortionate!