"School break is peak travel time, and as a result, there are really very few spots left in our parking garage," Tallinn Airport marketing and communications director Margot Holts told ERR on Monday. "We recommend all travelers arriving by car allow for more time than usual, as finding a parking spot may not go quickly."

The airport representative noted that in addition to the three-level parking garage located directly in front of the passenger terminal, the airport also has another two lots nearby where travelers arriving to catch their flights can leave their vehicles.

"As of today, we do still have parking spots left, but not in the parking garage anymore," she said. "I don't even really recommend people go there anymore in search of a parking spot. Someone might just be arriving on a flight and leaving with their vehicle — I suppose there's still a few individual spots — but right now we have more parking spaces available in our long-term A2 parking lot. That's located in the area between the airport's passenger terminal and Ülemiste Hotel and can be accessed both via the passenger terminal side and Lennujaama tee."

Parking in the airport's A2 parking lot is also slightly cheaper than in the parking garage.

Holts confirmed that a few spots are likewise still available in the A4 parking lot, located at the city center end of the airport's passenger terminal and where prices are the same as in the parking garage.

Lots packed by school break travelers

According to Tallinn Airport's marketing director, the airport's parking lots are so packed due to schools being on fall break this week.

"School break is the main reason why our parking garage is currently so jam-packed — the top, middle and ground floor alike," Holts said. "And we see this happen exactly twice a year."

She explained that Estonia's fall break is typically the one to pack the airport's parking lots the most. "People travel more with their families then, and more often take advantage of the convenience of driving to the airport," she added.

"We recommend driving out of the parking garage and parking in the long-term A2 lot, which is quite a bit cheaper than the parking garage," Holts said, and suggested that in case a family is traveling together, the driver can drop their family off in front of the terminal, then go park their vehicle in the long-term lot and walk back to meet their family.

Asked whether Estonia's main airport has considered expanding its parking options, the official said that this was already under consideration ahead of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and according to plans made two years ago, construction should have already been underway by now, but acknowledged that right now, nothing certain can be said about these plans anymore.

The first school break of the 2022-2023 school year runs from Monday, October 24 through Sunday, October 30.

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