Parking Tips: How do you find somewhere park?

19% of the road-trippers in our survey said they use Google Maps to help them find a parking space. You can look up places to park your car, save the location and take the stress out of finding it later.

It’s generally good life advice to plan ahead, so you should try to find your parking spot before you start driving. You’re not allowed on your phone under any circumstance when you’re in your car, unless it’s already parked… in which case, this tip probably isn’t for you!

Have you heard about the mobile phone detection cameras you might find in the UK? If you get caught even just holding your phone when you’re in the driving seat, you can receive six penalty points on your driving licence as well as a £200 fine.

This is what many drivers naturally do when they can’t find a space to park; search the back streets and hope a spot opens up. 14% of drivers in our survey say they try to park in nearby residential roads.

Beware of the yellow peril, though. That moment you think you’ve found your spot in record time, only to find parking restrictions such as yellow lines. If you’re tempted to park on a yellow but you’re not sure if you should, find out what’s allowed when parking on yellow lines.

Parking on single yellows outside the time zone displayed could help you save money on parking. Just be sure you understand what the lines and signs are saying before walking away!

There are a number of apps that help make parking that much easier. 3% of the drivers we surveyed use Parkopedia. Appy Parking uses colour-coded maps to help you find a space and compare parking charges in different spots.

You may have heard of RingGo and 2% of our survey say they use this parking app. While it can’t help you find a space, it makes paying for somewhere to park simple and the fact you can extend time on the app is useful when you’re out and about.