paying more for the service
Driving around for ages, passing the same street for the third time already, these are all daily routines when looking for that available parking spot in the city centre. After having finally found a place, you will probably be astonished by the parking fees.
In the year 2018, the Netherlands had nearly 8,4 million privately owned cars, an increase of 2% compared to last year. Add another 2 million commercial vehicles to this number, and it goes without saying that the Dutch infrastructure receives a lot of burden. The growing amount of cars is putting more and more pressure on the Dutch parking facilities. This is often reflected by an increase in the parking fees in medium- and large-sized cities. A short while ago the city of Amsterdam released the following statement;
‘’Cars still place a huge burden on the available space. In its efforts to restrict traffic in the city centre, the City Council is proposing an increase in parking fees for visitors. Anyone who wants to park in Amsterdam will pay more for this service starting in April 2019’’ – City of Amsterdam
Parking your car is an expensive hobby, especially in the city centre. Therefore we devoted this article to find out: What are the most expensive Dutch cities for parking your car? Furthermore we will provide you with handy tips and tricks.
Amsterdam
To give a comparison to the rest of the world, the city of Amsterdam is in the top 10 of the global parking index. This index illustrates the rate of 2-hour parking on a weekday. Currently, in Amsterdam costing an average of €10,- per 2 hours but increasing this rate to €15.- as of April 2019. Finding a spot itself can be challenging due to the increase in cars and the stagnation of parking lots. However, there are quite a lot of parking garages. When visiting Amsterdam by car, check out this useful blog where you can find the 10 best parking garages in Amsterdam sorted by price and location.
Utrecht
When visiting the city centre of Utrecht by car be aware, it is difficult to reach, and it is expensive. Parking in the centre is divided into three different zones. The first one is Zone A1, due to minimal parking facilities this zone is the most expensive one with a price of €4,63 per hour. Secondly, Zone A2 is a bit cheaper, with a price of €3,50. Finally, Zone B1, starting at a rate of €2,47 per hour this zone is the cheapest out of all zones but is far removed from the centre. For the best location and parking fees to park your car visit the hoog catharijne p1 parking garage.
Haarlem
The historical centre of Haarlem has a small parking capacity on street. Most of the parking facilities are parking garages that are located right on the edge of the centre. Due to the limited supply and high demand of parking spots prices are high. With an average price of €4,20 per hour, Haarlem is rated number 3 most expensive Dutch city for parking your car. Haarlem tries to stimulate citizens and visitors to park their car further away from the centre by making the fees there relatively cheap. Do you still want to park your car in the centre? Visit the parking garage Raaks, with the centre only 5 minutes away by foot this is the ideal parking facility.
Rotterdam
The city of Rotterdam is very car friendly. Providing numerous parking facilities on- and off street throughout the city making it easy to find a parking spot. Another benefit, on Sundays, Rotterdam offers free parking in most parts of the city. If you want to park right in the heart of the centre, you will have to pay the price of €4 per hour. However, this price decreases significantly when you are removed further away from the centre.
Want to save money on parking, go to one of the several P&R facilities and park your car for free if you make use of public transportation.
Eindhoven
In Eindhoven, also know as the city of light, parking is relatively cheap compared to the other big Dutch cities. Paying ‘’only’’ €2,30 per hour in the heart of the city. There are numerous parking garages and enough availability for on-street parking. Be aware on the Keizersgracht and Stationsplein you pay a little more; €3,30 per hour. There is one more catch, for every parking transaction a mobility tax of €0,20 is charged.
The future of parking
The growth of owned cars doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. With most families owning more than one car puts the pressure not only on the cities but also on parking facilities within the residential areas. If there is a problem, there needs to be a solution. So what is the future of parking? Here are some examples:
- Making it more expensive to park your car therefor people would become discouraged to use their cars
- The use of mechanic parking spots where the cars go in height. Check out this video
- In the Japanese city Tokyo, you are only allowed to buy a car if you possess a privately owned parking space.
- In Rotterdam, they started a project run by the company Parkeagle where they placed smart parking sensors into the ground. Using the real-time information provided by these sensors they would guide drivers via an app to available parking spaces.
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