The only thing worse than bad traffic is having to look for parking in a busy city but some destinations are just close enough that it’s faster to drive than deal with airports or you’ve got an occasion bringing you to downtown. Whatever the reason, searching for parking can be a frustrating, stressful, and time-consuming quest but there is an app that solves all those problems.
One Day Before
The free app SpotHero (available for Android and iOS) let’s you search and reserve a parking space anytime in advance of your arrival, but the earlier, the better. (I would recommend a week if possible.) SpotHero works with thousands of parking garages and lots across the largest cities in the United States letting you reserve a spot with a tap. The search function finds your hotel, venue, etc. then using the map you can scroll around to see prices plus options nearby.
Costs Bundled
All of the additional costs are bundled into SpotHero. Garages and lots pay to be listed in SpotHero to get your business. Certainly there are costs passed on to you but I was able to find parking in Times Square for $30 in a closed garage (not valet) – a bargain for New York City. You also don’t need an account to use SpotHero.
Once you get to the parking lot or garage, you show the reservation on your phone and that’s it.
Even Better Features
This isn’t a sponsored post and nobody paid me to write about SpotHero; it’s just an app I found very useful with several incredible features for travelers. For instance you can check times, restrictions, user reviews and photos of the parking spaces to see if your car will fit or how well lit a garage is at night.
Perhaps the best feature however is the free cancellation. In most cases you can cancel your reservation up to the last minute if, for example, you happen to find a cheaper or closer spot somewhere else. SpotHero also has options for monthly parking, extending a reservation, and offers $7 off when you refer a friend. (Your friend by the way also gets their first $7 off as well.)
Hopefully SpotHero will add locations outside of the U.S. like Spain to Andorra or even car-friendly Bahrain. Until they do, remember this taxi trick in Serbia and no matter what, keep your feet off the dashboard.
