Most travelers assume parking at Logan is cheaper than car service. For trips over 3 days, the math is usually the other way around — and the time-and-stress cost makes it even more lopsided.

Logan's parking options

  • Central Parking Garage: $54/day, closest to terminals
  • Economy Parking: $18/day, 15-minute shuttle to terminals
  • Logan Express (off-site): $7-13/day plus round-trip bus ticket
  • Valet: $75/day

The real cost of driving yourself

Let's run a realistic Boston-suburb-to-Logan round trip:

  • Parking: 4 days at Central = $216
  • Gas: 30 miles round trip × 2 = 60 miles total, ~2 gallons = $8
  • Tunnel tolls: ~$4 round trip
  • Total cash cost: ~$228

Now add the time cost: 35 minutes drive each way + 15 minutes airport parking shuttle + 10 minutes walking with bags + the stress of remembering which row you parked in after a 5-day trip. Call it 90 minutes of unproductive time in each direction.

The car service math

A typical flat-rate Boston-suburb-to-Logan round trip runs $170-220 depending on exact origin. Your driver arrives, loads your bags, and you walk to your door at the end. Zero parking, zero shuttle, zero bag-lugging, zero "where did I park" panic at 11 PM after a red-eye.

For trips of 3+ days, car service is almost always equal or cheaper than Central Parking. For 5+ days, car service beats Economy Parking too, once you factor in the shuttle hassle.

When parking wins

Parking still makes sense for:

  • Short 1-2 day trips where Economy Parking is under $40 total
  • Travelers with very flexible schedules (early arrival, no ride coordination needed)
  • Households with one car where leaving it home strands someone
  • Frequent business travelers who value the walk to their own car

The hidden factor: arrival-side convenience

The real advantage of car service isn't the cost — it's the arrival. After a 10-hour international flight or a delayed red-eye, walking to a waiting car and being driven home is materially different than finding your own car, navigating the parking shuttle, and driving 45 minutes yourself while exhausted.

For flat-rate quotes on your specific route, request an instant quote or see our rate card.