Plan to attend the Super Bowl? You expect to pay a lot for your tickets, your hotel room, maybe even an exclusive party or two. But a parking space? As Super Bowl veterans know, prime parking spots on game day can go for $300 or more. That's one reason experienced fans book their parking in advance, either through the NFL or online with a private parking lot or garage owner.
Every Super Bowl city is different. Some, such as Glendale, Ariz., have acres of parking lots next to their stadium. In those cases, the league makes the parking available for sale (still not cheaply, of course) to most verified ticket holders. Other stadiums are situated in urban areas, where parking lots and garages are owned by a diverse array of private companies. Recent examples include the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis, and the 2013 game in New Orleans.
Fortunately for attendees, online innovation and savvy consumers have brought free-market competition to the Super Bowl parking equation. In New Orleans, for instance, dozens of lots surrounding the Mercedes Benz Superdome offered real-time pricing in an online marketplace. The lots priced too high won't sell their spaces. The most convenient ones, with the most competitive prices, will sell out.
The winners: Football fans who now have a chance to compare parking prices, proximity and whether a lot allows tailgating or RV parking beforehand, avoiding a potentially frustrating exercise. It's nice to get a little peace of mind when you're paying, in some cases, upwards of $300 for a few hours of parking.
