Logan has never been busier. The airport served nearly 44 million passengers in Massport’s 2025 fiscal year, the highest total in its history, according to WBUR’s report on Massport’s year-end figures. More travelers means fuller garages and longer lines at the curb, and for anyone driving in, a parking decision that can quietly add more to the trip than a checked bag or a seat upgrade.
Here’s how the main options compare, and what to look at before you book.
On-airport garages: convenient, and priced accordingly
Massport, the state authority that runs Logan, operates the on-airport parking. The Central Parking Garage connects to the terminals by pedestrian walkways, the Terminal B Garage serves that terminal directly, and the Economy Parking Garage sits farther out and relies on a shuttle. According to Massport’s published rates in autumn 2026, the drive-up daily maximum is $46 at the Central and Terminal B garages and $37 at Economy, with a limited number of advance reservations offered at around $29 a day.
Those numbers add up quickly. A seven-day trip at the Central garage drive-up rate comes to $322 before taxes, and even Economy runs to $259. For a quick overnight business trip, paying for a walkway to the terminal can be worth it. For a family week in Florida, it’s a lot of money for a car that will sit still the whole time.
Off-airport lots: where most of the savings are
Privately run lots in Revere, East Boston, Chelsea and along Route 1A typically charge a fraction of the terminal garage rate in exchange for a short shuttle ride. Some are self-park; others are valet operations where staff park the car and have it ready when you return. Price is the obvious difference, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you compare:
- Shuttle hours and frequency. If you’re on a 6 a.m. departure or a red-eye home, a shuttle that stops at midnight is useless. Look for 24/7 service and a stated interval between runs.
- Security. Gated entry, cameras, lighting and staff on site matter more when your car will sit there for two weeks.
- Vehicle size rules. Many lots charge more for pickups, large SUVs and vans above a set length. Check before you book, not at the gate.
- Total cost, not the daily rate. Taxes, fees and surcharges can change the comparison. Reputable lots show the full price before you pay.
- Reservation and cancellation terms. Flights change. Know what happens to your booking if yours does.
Valet and self-park each have their fans. Self-park lots let you keep your keys and leave on your own schedule, but you hunt for a space and carry your luggage to the shuttle stop. At a valet lot you hand over the keys at the entrance and step straight onto the shuttle, which is far easier with children, car seats or heavy bags. Either way, ask how the car is stored while you’re away and whether you’ll wait for it to be brought round when you get back.
It also helps to look at prices by trip length rather than per day. Comparing published Boston Logan parking rates for a one-, two- or four-week stay makes it much easier to see the real gap against the airport garages for your particular trip.
Sometimes the cheapest parking is no parking
For travelers who live near one of its suburban stops, Massport’s Logan Express bus is worth a look. The service carried more than 2.5 million passengers in 2024, a record, as Boston.com reported. Rideshare and the subway can also make sense for solo travelers on short trips. Driving becomes the better deal as trip length, party size and luggage go up, or when your flight leaves at an hour public transit doesn’t serve well.
Time it right
Massport recommends arriving two hours ahead for domestic flights and three for international, as NECN noted ahead of the holiday rush. If you’re parking off-airport, add time for check-in at the lot and the shuttle ride on top of that. Peak periods such as Thanksgiving, school vacation weeks and the Christmas holidays fill both the garages and private lots, so reserving ahead is the simplest way to guarantee a spot and lock in the price.
Small habits that save headaches
Photograph your parking level or row, or the lot’s claim ticket, before you walk away from the car. Save the lot’s phone number in your contacts rather than leaving it buried in an email. When you land, request the return shuttle as soon as you reach baggage claim instead of waiting until you’re outside. And if you’re leaving the car for more than a few days, take valuables and garage door openers out of plain view.
Airport parking rarely makes the travel highlight reel, but it’s one of the few trip costs that sits entirely within your control. Spend five minutes comparing before you leave, and that money can go toward the trip itself instead.