London Stansted named one of the world's most expensive airports for car parking

The world's most expensive airport car parking have been revealed and London Stansted has made the cut alongside airports in Turkey and Thailand

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Stansted Airport has been judged to have the second most expensive parking in the entire world according to a new study.

As anyone who's ever tried to drive their car to an airport knows, finding a place to put it while you jet away on holiday is no mean feat.

The new research by Zutobi has looked at the busiest airports in the world and compared how much they charge for a week's parking.

They found that the major airport with the cheapest parking was Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, where a full week costs the equivalent of £12.30.

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Right behind it in the rankings was Istanbul Atatürk Airport at £15.18 for seven days, and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand at £22.67.

Not a single UK airport makes the top ten list when it came to the cheapest, with the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome, Italy the cheapest European entrant at £26.24 for a week.

The most expensive airports in the world for parking costs were also unveiled in the study - and two made the list.

London Stansted Airport took second place on the list, with seven days' stay costing an eye watering £210.

That's more than the cost of a plane ticket for a family of four to many destinations from the airport.

Hamad International in Doha, Qatar, was in the top spot with a week's parking costing £233.34, while Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates took third place at £191.44.

The UK has another entry on the top ten most expensive list in the form of Gatwick, where a week's parking will cost at least £145.

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Given the sometimes gut-wrenching cost of leaving your car near to an airport, making sure you get as cheap a deal as possible is key to a happy holiday.

It may be better - not just for your purse strings but the environment as well - to ditch the car all together and get a train or bus to the airport.

If that is not an option for you, then booking parking as far in advance as possible maximises your chances of getting a good deal.

Make sure you shop around.

While the airport's main official car park is likely the one that will come up when you first begin searching, off-site car parks and local sites that may be a short shuttle or taxi ride away may prove cheaper.

If you're going for an unofficial car park, make sure that it is secure and safe so you don't get anxious leaving your vehicle for a week.

It's always worth checking out the reviews of a car parking service before you commit, to make sure other customers haven't had any issues that may also cause problems for you.

Stansted Airport notes that the ZUtobi reaches "uses our mid-stay car park's on-the-day turn-up price", and highlighted other, cheaper options if offers for car park stays.

"We offer a variety of options to suit every budget, and we advise to book in advance to guarantee a space and to get the best price," a spokesperson said.

"This is the case with many other purchases, such as airline and train tickets."