Off to Malta for four weeks early Dec, car will be at airport car park, never left a car that long, assuming it has not have been used for joyriding I was wondering if it will start?,Gatwick is a 150 mile trip from home so battery should have a good charge, any one had experience of leaving a car outside for this time span in the winter?

if your using the long stay car park they have battery packs on site for you to use, but they rightly hold no responibility for their or your misuse of them or damage to your vehicle. it's not hard to follow the instructions though.

my mate left a car in airport car park, came back to find car 2" full of excriment, a waste pipe burst and 25 cars were affected, not to put you off or anything mate !! Can you not leave it with family and get the train to gatwick?

Get yourself one of these, I have one and it's great. I travel a lot with work often for weeks at a time.

http://jumpstarters.info/black-and-decker-2/

Edited 1 December, 201114 yr by silver1011

4 weeks shouldn't be an issue. I have left cars for nearly 3 months and only had issues with brakes binding. As long as the battery is okay and no local yoof gets hold of it then should not be an issue. If you Aa/RAC/something else cover then they should be able to get it started if for some reason the battery goes flat.

4 weeks shouldn't be an issue. I have left cars for nearly 3 months and only had issues with brakes binding. As long as the battery is okay and no local yoof gets hold of it then should not be an issue. If you Aa/RAC/something else cover then they should be able to get it started if for some reason the battery goes flat.

2nd that brake problem !

Parents left their car at airport for 4 weeks over winter and came back to stuck-fast brakes :(

They have gone to Australia again this year but this time their car is on my driveway and I will give it a drive around the block every weekend.

hmmm perhaps I should be charging for this ? ;-)

Just leave it in gear/Handbrake off

Just dont use a park and ride service. Use an NCP where you keep the keys and know where it is.

Quidco can sort you some cashback with NCP

Just dont use a park and ride service. Use an NCP where you keep the keys and know where it is.

Quidco can sort you some cashback with NCP

Good advice after the numerous dodgy car park places on watchdog etc

Good advice after the numerous dodgy car park places on watchdog etc

It's always happened TBH. These days though it's gone from trying a car over night to using as taxi's.

True, I`m never keen on some random driving my car anyway tbh

4 weeks shouldn't be an issue. I have left cars for nearly 3 months and only had issues with brakes binding. As long as the battery is okay and no local yoof gets hold of it then should not be an issue. If you Aa/RAC/something else cover then they should be able to get it started if for some reason the battery goes flat.

Just leave it in gear/Handbrake off

Thing is I did, but having the car left on the west coast of Scotland during the Autumn/Winter meant they still bound. A bit of rocking the car and a few miles of braking soon cleared it all up. Also make sure that your Tax/MoT/Insurance isn't going to run out (1 in 12 chance I suppose but better to check).

Thanks for advice.Travel times , distance from Norwich / Gatwick makes overnight stopover best option. Have booked this as a combined package with Thomsons. Airparks park and ride is the car park ,if Thomsons use them i must assume they are reputable, I note they you have to leave car keys would this mean they will be moving my car? I will leave handbrake off, if moved the handbrake would be likely be applied Most times from Gatwick I have used hotels car left at hotels with out problems, never for four weeks.

Edited 2 December, 201114 yr by mellyboy

Just dont use a park and ride service. Use an NCP where you keep the keys and know where it is.

Quidco can sort you some cashback with NCP

+2

You might want to consider a cheap car cover just in case it's going to spend 4 weeks covered in seagull crap.

Most long term airport parking you leave them the keys and they park the car for you and when you return they bring your car to the carpark office an hour or two before you return on the plane so it is the carpark company that would charge and start your car if it were flat.

If it is reputable company then they won't be using your car as a taxi or joyriding but you should find out where your car will be parked whilst you are away. Airparks are ok as is Pink Elephant and other Airport owned parking areas.

Most long term airport parking you leave them the keys and they park the car for you and when you return they bring your car to the carpark office an hour or two before you return on the plane so it is the carpark company that would charge and start your car if it were flat.

If it is reputable company then they won't be using your car as a taxi or joyriding but you should find out where your car will be parked whilst you are away. Airparks are ok as is Pink Elephant and other Airport owned parking areas.

IIRC both were featured on Watchdog. Certainly think pink elephant was?

So was that good or bad news.

have a look on iplayer, but it's not that hard to guess when they are on watchdog is it?

If you still looking for a car park I would recommend Cophall farm http://www.cophallfarm.co.uk/ , I have used them for the last 5 years with no problem (and no extra miles added to the car either).

No sure about the batteries but I would keep on eye on brakes

According to the airparks website park and ride is what it says, park and get a bus ride? Unless you pay an extra £25 to get picked up in your own car. Am i missing something?

Just take note of milage of the car... If there's then miles on top of that, kick off!

If it was be, I'd rather get a lift or the train.

Might be worth taking some pictures of the car when you leave it.

I parked up a car at one only to discover a dent in the bonnet when I finally got home. Had no proof the car was fine when I left it. Local ned had been lobbing stones into the parking area was my guess.

Might be worth taking some pictures of the car when you leave it.

I parked up a car at one only to discover a dent in the bonnet when I finally got home. Had no proof the car was fine when I left it. Local ned had been lobbing stones into the parking area was my guess.

Already sussed taking photo of car on car park site, We can get get a bit paranoid about our beloved cars, there are obviously millions of cars left in airport car parks with out problems, Have left cars on various car parks at hotels, football ground at stansted, touch wood with no grief. Some guys mention using public transport or taxi, checked this out not a viable option from wildest Norfolk. Once I get to my nice AI hotel and am relaxing with a beer i'm sure i will stop worrying about my car, its only 64 f 17c in Malta the moment ! PS just checked watchdog site Airparks were mentioned with having some problems ,it would seem the dodgy side of this when the car is picked at up at airport and brought back, would not consider this as this is great opportunity for some aggressive driving the driver, doing a bit of shopping and getting parking ticket etc etc.

Edited 3 December, 201114 yr by mellyboy

Just dont use a park and ride service. Use an NCP where you keep the keys and know where it is.

Seconded. Pre-book and it costs less. Leave the car in gear, handbrake off. Most I've done was 3 weeks, it was fine.