Getting to and from the airport

Have you thought about how you are getting to and from RDU yet? 

• Maybe you are lucky and have a family member or friend who will drop you off and pick you up!
• Or maybe you plan to drive yourself and pay for parking?
• Or maybe you are considering a taxi service?

If you are considering one of those last two options, I'll make a couple suggestions here, but would also like to hear from you, if you know of better ways to do this economically. Now- by mentioning specific companies, I am not necessarily endorsing those companies - they are simply options I am familiar with, to get you thinking on your own!

Drive and park yourself.

• You COULD use any of the airport parking lots, and of course, the further from the terminal you park, the cheaper per day it is. The cheapest rate is $6 per day. I used to do this, but got frustrated by how infrequently the shuttles seemed to run. That's an inconvenience on the way home, but if you are running a little late arriving at RDU, it can make anticipating checking in on-time a nail-biting experience.
• There are now a few companies that have private lots near the airport and operate frequent shuttle service, picking you and your luggage up at your vehicle, and delivering you back to it upon your return. Most also have a 'rewards' program, that give you a free day for every 8 or 10 days paid, and average about $5/day. Pre-flight charges a slightly cheaper rate if you do not use covered parking, Fast Park has all covered parking and offers a free car wash upon your return. Both often have coupons in the newspaper or in those coupon mailings.

Use a taxi/limo service.

Admittedly, I have little experience with this, but when I went to Italy 6 years ago, 6 or 7 of us parked at one couple's house and we all rode one van to and from the airport together. We used White Horse limo company and my foggy memory has it costing each person about $15, roundtrip. Their website has a place to punch in details and get a price quote. Of course, there are other taxi companies and rates vary depending on distance.

Calling you frequent travelers: what are your tips for getting to and from RDU economically?!