Where we book, and what each lot around RDU actually offers

One airport, worked properly. No talk of a coast to coast network here, partly because there is not one and partly because that particular boast takes about a minute to puncture.

The airport

Raleigh-Durham International, RDU. Two terminals, and the lots on this site sit on the approaches to both. Named as a facility, not as a brand, and no airline appears anywhere here.

The lot types

Covered deck, terminal side. A multi storey structure with the shortest ride of the set, four to six minutes. Cover matters more here than people expect: this is a region where a car bakes in July and takes a coat of ice in January.

Fenced surface lot, north approach. The everyday choice, seven to nine minutes. Perimeter fence, lit rows, cameras on the entry lanes.

Valet drop, terminal side. Three to five minutes and a booth where you hand over the keys.

Long stay surface lot, south approach. Ten to fourteen minutes and the lowest daily rate in the set. The right answer from about five days upward.

Oversized and roof rack lot. Nine to twelve minutes, with bays sized for vans, trucks carrying racks and small trailers.

Electric charging rows. Six to eight minutes, on a covered level, with a limited block of charging bays. Ask a week ahead.

What a secure lot actually means here

The phrase gets used loosely on parking sites, so this is what stands behind it on the lots we place work with, and what does not.

• A perimeter fence with controlled entry and exit lanes.
• Lighting along the rows, not only at the entrance.
• Cameras covering the entry and exit lanes, and on the decks the stair cores as well.
• Drive rounds by staff during operating hours on the attended lots.

What it does not mean: a guard standing beside your car, or an insurance policy covering your vehicle's contents. Security is provided by the operator, under their terms, and it is worth reading those. VoyBeam provides none of it and does not insure your vehicle.

Towns the desk books from

Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Holly Springs and Garner. If you are driving yourself to the lot, where you live matters less than which approach you come in on, and the desk will say which lot sits on your side of the airport.

Where the edges are

Routinely booked: any of the six lot types above, for any length of stay from a single day to several weeks.

Possible with notice: stays beyond a month, and reservations for two vehicles arriving separately.

Not booked: parking at any other airport, on street parking, storage of a vehicle that is not travelling, and anything needing a lift or attendant for a vehicle to be moved.

Winter, briefly

Ice, not snow, is the local hazard. A covered deck is the difference between leaving the lot at once and spending twenty minutes with a scraper after a flight lands at eleven at night.

For January and February departures the desk will usually mention the deck even when you asked for the surface lot. Ignore that advice freely, it is offered rather than applied.