How much does “Kiss & Fly” cost for temporary parking at European airports and now also at El. Venizelos (pics) With a 10-minute margin in most cases, “Kiss & Go” or “Kiss & Fly” is charged in Paris, Lisbon Airport, Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, Rome, etc.,
At Madrid airport, drivers welcoming or saying goodbye to their loved ones can park for free if the stay is under 10 minutes and then full parking charges apply for vehicles exceeding 10 minutes from the time of entry. Similarly, in Barcelona vehicles have 10 minutes free in the car park to drop off or pick up passengers and then the Express Parking rate applies.
In Munich, the 5 minutes free for the so-called “Kiss & Fly” for departure and 10 minutes free for arrival apply, and if these times are exceeded, there are charges for the actual parking time.
In Brussels, the “quick goodbye” provides for a free stay of 10 minutes and then 12 euros + 3 euros for each additional minute, while “if you want a more relaxed farewell without rushing, park your car in the furthest car parks at a special rate of 3 euros for the first half hour”.
The new regime that has been in force for a few days now, since 7 June, at Eleftherios Venizelos for the system of parking for arrivals and departures for a few minutes may have stirred up reactions because of the charges foreseen after the first 10 minutes, but it is a fact that a similar situation is also taking place at airports in European cities that receive large numbers of passengers on a daily basis.
With a 10-minute margin in most cases, “Kiss & Go” or “Kiss & Fly”, depending on what each airport calls it, is charged in Paris, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, Rome, Rome, Zurich, Stuttgart, Warsaw and so on – with Athens now following suit at a time when the Greek capital’s tourist comeback is a reality. Eleftherios Venizelos has already surpassed its pre-pandemic numbers in the first five months of 2023, with 9.15 million passengers (+5.9% compared to 2019) and the May-June two-month period saw double-digit growth.
In the examples of other European capitals, the case of Lisbon is typical, where stopping just outside the departure and arrival halls in Terminal 1 is not allowed, but there are clearly signed “Kiss & Fly” zones in both terminals, “where you can stop for 10 minutes without charge. However, staying longer than that carries a hefty fee.”
Similarly, in Paris, parking at airports is strictly controlled for security reasons and stops in front of the terminals are prohibited outside the Terminal Parking or drop-off areas.
“The terminal disembarkation areas are open parking areas close to the departure and arrival terminals with a minimum of 10 minutes, and then 1 euro for every additional minute. Parking for more than an hour and a half is prohibited and may result in towing.” In Vienna, since the end of April, the departure ramp at the airport has been a restricted parking zone. The first ten minutes of short parking are free for all passengers, shuttle services and those picking up. “If you stay longer in this area, you can park for two euros per 15 minutes.”
In Madrid, free temporary parking is valid for up to 10 minutes and thereafter full charges apply, while for “illegally parked vehicles”, i.e. vehicles parked in unauthorised areas or situations, such as occupying up to two parking spaces or a street, a crane is available for cases in which users are charged for both the trailer service and the stay in the car park.
What applies in Athens
At El. Venizelos, as it is now officially stated on the airport’s official site in response to the question of why the need to change vehicle access in front of the departure and arrival areas was created, as noted, “as early as 2019, the unpleasant phenomenon of overcrowding was created in front of the Main Terminal Building due to the non-observance of regulations by cars that remained for a long time in the areas reserved exclusively for the disembarkation/embarkation of travelers.
The installation of controlled access points was done to avoid congestion and illegal parking, which caused a very unpleasant experience in these areas. Taking into account all users’ comments on the negative image, the Departures and Arrivals areas were configured to give everyone the opportunity to have 10 minutes of free time to say goodbye or welcome their travelers in comfort and safety.”
Motorists
What changes for IX drivers? The airport now has a new entrance/exit configuration at the road access sections of departures and arrivals, where automatic retractable barriers have been installed. The driver will receive a ticket upon entry, which will be cancelled upon exit and will have 10 minutes of free time on site to drop off/board the traveler.
- After 10 minutes the charge will be: EUR 5 for the next 10 minutes (10-20 minutes)
- After 20 minutes the charge will be 1 euro / minute
- The maximum time of stay on site is 1 hour
- After 60 minutes the vehicle will be removed
Payment in case of a stay longer than 10 minutes will be made when the ticket is cancelled at the exit machines. The free 10-minute stay is valid for 2 passages per vehicle per day. The 20 minutes free parking in Short Stay areas P1 & P2 still applies to all.
For passengers with reduced mobility and increased needs, special provisions apply and dedicated spaces have been provided. More generally, any amounts that may result from driver non-compliance and time overruns will be allocated by Athens International Airport for the planning, support and implementation of the Panos Milonas Road Safety Institute’s programmes.
Taxis, leased
For taxis, they will remain in the internal arrivals lane, with twice as many seats as before, while a new modern taxi waiting area has been created in the airport’s Commercial Park. To better serve passengers, the taxi flow from the waiting area to the main terminal building is managed through an e-system provided by the airport.
A new pick-up area for hired taxis/van has been created adjacent to Short Stay Parking P1 (100 spaces) and within Short Stay Parking P2 (50 spaces). In addition, a specially designed waiting area for 100 vehicles has been created in the airport’s Commercial Park.
According to Eleftherios Venizelos in Athens, with the new arrangement of the area, a total of 250 parking spaces are available for leased vehicles, compared to 66 previously. For the 100 spaces in the pick-up area next to P1, one hour of free parking applies, for the next half hour (60′ – 90′) 2 euros, for the next half hour (90′ – 120′) 5 euros and from 2 hours onwards the charge is 5 euros / hour.
For the 50 spaces within the Short Stay P2 parking area, 20 minutes of free parking apply, 5 euros for 1 hour and after 1 hour and up to 4 hours the cost will be 10 euros.