USDLast verified: October 22, 2026. Official rates, reservations and shuttles come from rdu.com; bus fares and schedules from GoTriangle; hotel parking terms from each hotel's own site; off-site prices from a live ParkingAccess search for November 6 to 13, 2026.
Disclosure: ParkingAccess sells reservations for the hotel lots priced on this page and earns a commission plus a $9.95 service fee on each booking. RDU's own lots cannot be booked through ParkingAccess.
RDU's drive-up daily maximums are $14.50 in Economy, $18.50 in Express, $22.75 in Central and $34 in Premier. For November 6 to 13, the cheapest hotel lot on ParkingAccess was the Sheraton Imperial at $66.85 for 7 nights, against $101.50 for a week in Economy. No hotel lot on this page is walk-in: each uses a shuttle.
Correction, October 22, 2026: an earlier version of this page, including its title, said the Embassy Suites lot was "walk-in" at $7.49. Hilton's own site lists a complimentary airport shuttle you call the hotel for and $12 a day for self-parking, 4 miles from the airport. $7.49 a day is the ParkingAccess reservation rate, not a walk-in rate.
What RDU charges at its own lots
RDU's drive-up rates are $3.65 an hour or $14.50 a day in Economy, $4.65 or $18.50 in Express, $5.70 or $22.75 in Central and $8.50 or $34 in Premier. Stays under 15 minutes are free in Central and Premier, and RDU charges no parking tax.
| RDU lot | Hourly | Daily maximum | Getting to the terminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier | $8.50 | $34 | Covered, ground level of the garage, steps from both terminals |
| Central | $5.70 | $22.75 | Garage between the terminals; nearly 10,000 spaces, covered and outdoor |
| Express, 1725 E. International Drive | $4.65 | $18.50 | Shuttle 24 hours, every 5 to 10 minutes; about 5 minutes to Terminal 2, 10 to Terminal 1 |
| Economy | $3.65 | $14.50 | Shuttle 24 hours, every 20 minutes; about 7 minutes to Terminal 1, 10 to Terminal 2; no covered spaces |
These are drive-up rates, and rdu.com says they are subject to change. The parking FAQ says online rates are for 24-hour periods and the lowest price on one day may differ from another. RDU offers no valet. It has no dedicated EV charging facilities. The airport is cashless: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, with cash-to-card kiosks in both terminals.
Reserving at RDU, the cell phone lot and Economy 3
RDU says to book at least 24 hours ahead to guarantee entry; reservations run from 6 months out, for stays of 4 hours to 60 days, and change or cancel free until 24 hours before.
The cell phone lot at 1000 Trade Drive in Morrisville is free, about 3 minutes from the terminals, and you must stay with your vehicle. Economy is expanding into Economy 3: RDU's May 8 update said almost half of 10,936 planned spaces were open, with about 7,500 expected by late summer and about 8,500 by late fall. The Terminal 2 curb work does not begin until mid-2027.
Hotel lots near RDU that ParkingAccess can book
For November 6 to 13, four hotel lots were bookable: Sheraton Imperial at $66.85, Embassy Suites at $70.54, Cambria at $81.34 and Quality Inn & Suites at $97.61, all for 7 nights. TownePlace Suites was sold out.
| Lot | Distance | Shuttle in search results | Reviews as listed | Live rate | 7-night total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheraton Imperial Raleigh-Durham Airport, 4700 Emperor Blvd, Durham | 3.0 miles | Every 1 hour, 10-minute transfer | None shown | $7.29/day | $66.85 |
| Embassy Suites by Hilton, 201 Harrison Oaks Blvd, Cary | 2.9 miles | On demand, 10-minute transfer | Good (3123 reviews) | $7.49/day | $70.54 |
| Cambria Hotel & Suites, 300 Airgate Drive, Morrisville | 1.7 miles | On demand, 10-minute transfer | Good (1445 reviews) | $9.95/day | $81.34 |
| Quality Inn & Suites, 1001 Aerial Center Pkwy, Morrisville | 2.0 miles | Not listed | Good (1128 reviews) | $9.95/day | $97.61 |
| TownePlace Suites, 1021 Carrington Mill Blvd, Morrisville | 3.2 miles | Currently unavailable | None shown | $5.95/day | Sold out for these dates |
Prices are what a ParkingAccess search returned on October 22, 2026, with taxes and the $9.95 service fee. Against a week in Economy at $101.50, Sheraton Imperial is $34.65 less; against Express at $129.50 it is $62.65 less. See live prices for November 6 to 13, 2026, then change the dates.
The hotels' own sites price walk-up parking differently. Embassy Suites lists self-parking at $12 a day (seven days is $84, which is $13.46 more than the $70.54 reservation), a complimentary airport shuttle you call the hotel for, and surface parking for over 550 cars. DoubleTree, which ParkingAccess does not list for these dates, runs a call-for-pickup shuttle from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Cambria lists Park and Fly at an additional charge and a shuttle van from 4:15 a.m. to midnight. Sheraton Imperial lists on-site parking at $10 a day, long-term parking at $15 a day and an hourly complimentary shuttle.
What a week costs at RDU
At the drive-up maximum, 7 days costs $101.50 in Economy, $129.50 in Express, $159.25 in Central and $238 in Premier.
| Option | 7 days |
|---|---|
| Premier, $34 a day | $238 |
| Central, $22.75 a day | $159.25 |
| Express, $18.50 a day | $129.50 |
| Economy, $14.50 a day | $101.50 |
| Quality Inn & Suites (ParkingAccess) | $97.61 |
| Cambria (ParkingAccess) | $81.34 |
| Embassy Suites (ParkingAccess) | $70.54 |
| Sheraton Imperial (ParkingAccess) | $66.85 |
Airport figures are the daily maximum times seven; RDU does not print how it charges a partial last day.
The GoTriangle RDU shuttle and Route 100
GoTriangle's RDU Shuttle runs between its Regional Transit Center and Terminal 1 every 30 minutes, with weekday trips from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Route 100 reaches RDU only on evening trips. Fares are $2.50 a ride with a $5 daily cap.
GoTriangle's RDU shuttle page and timetables were updated October 19, 2026, and its fares page lists a $1.25 discount fare. There is no rail to the terminal. RDU publishes no ride-app or taxi fares, so this page quotes none.
Original research: where the hotel-lot savings are
For November 6 to 13, the lowest hotel total was 34% under a week in Economy and 48% under Express, and every hotel total was below Central and Premier. Against Economy the saving shrinks to 4% at Quality Inn.
Method: we compared each lot's total from a Friday-to-Friday ParkingAccess search with seven days at RDU's published drive-up maximum. $66.85 is 66% of $101.50 and 52% of $129.50; $97.61 is 96% of $101.50. Hotel lots add a shuttle wait, and RDU's own Economy shuttle runs every 20 minutes around the clock.
Questions travelers ask about parking at RDU
How much is parking at RDU?
At the drive-up rate, $14.50 a day in Economy, $18.50 in Express, $22.75 in Central and $34 in Premier. Hourly it is $3.65, $4.65, $5.70 and $8.50.
What are the RDU parking options?
Four lots: Premier and Central in the garage between the terminals, and Express and Economy served by a 24-hour shuttle. There is no valet.
How much is RDU parking per day?
The daily maximums are $14.50 (Economy), $18.50 (Express), $22.75 (Central) and $34 (Premier).
Is parking free at RDU?
The cell phone lot at 1000 Trade Drive is free, and stays under 15 minutes in Central and Premier are free.
Does RDU have EV charging?
RDU's FAQ says the Airport Authority does not currently have dedicated charging facilities for electric vehicles.
Can I take the bus to RDU?
Yes: GoTriangle's RDU Shuttle runs from the Regional Transit Center to Terminal 1 every 30 minutes on weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., for $2.50.
Where the facts on this page come from
- Parking on rdu.com, read October 22, 2026
- Parking FAQ on rdu.com
- RDU Shuttle and fares on gotriangle.org
- Hotel pages on hilton.com, choicehotels.com and marriott.com
- ParkingAccess live search for RDU, November 6 to 13, 2026, run October 22, 2026
Related ParkingAccess guides
- Hotels near RDU with parking included
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport parking
- Airport parking rate index, official daily rates at other U.S. airports
