where to park in a city?

[Mac B]

yes, I know this isn't about towing, but figured this topic fit here as well as any of the other catagories. What's the secret to finding a parking place in crowded cities? I know it can be nerve racking driving around trying to find adequet parking. I am headed out the middle of October, and I don't want to lose what sanity I have trying to find some more!


thanx

[Raya]

Mac,

Parking for what purpose? To camp or relax in the egg, or for shopping, or going someplace specific? Or...?

Raya

[Bill K]

Raya'
I tried to see Niagara Falls and could not find a place to park.
I even had some clown try to wave me in to a packed car park.

Bill K

Mac,

Parking for what purpose? To camp or relax in the egg, or for shopping, or going someplace specific? Or...?

Raya

[Gina D.]

it can be a challenge, but not a big one.... if you don't mind walking :-P

Just find a large grocery store (They are everywhere!) and park in the back of the lot. Most of the time you can find a "Pull thru" by taking two spots, front to back. If that fails, taking the very back row and parking across a few spaces doesn't seem to bother anyone.

Careful doing that tho. I recently had to wait in a Safeway lot when not only did some dope block my way out forward, someone parked behind too! and there were plenty of spaces in the lot they COULD have taken, if they just thought for more than a millisecond.

I used to park a schoolbus in downtown Portland when I was doing band PA. you kind of have to be a little evil and take more than one space if there isn't a loading zone.

[Raya]

Raya'
I tried to see Niagara Falls and could not find a place to park.
I even had some clown try to wave me in to a packed car park.

Bill K

I was just trying to find out what type of parking the OP was looking for, so that we could make more specific recommendations.

[Lex M]

Raya'
I tried to see Niagara Falls and could not find a place to park.
I even had some clown try to wave me in to a packed car park.

Bill K

There is a huge parking lot south of the falls (Canadian side) with free shuttle to the Falls.

[Bill K]

To be honest, I saw two different lots with RV's parked in them but could not find the entrance to either.
I found one way streets and the entrance to the Peace bridge.

Bill K

PS Donna I didn't see any big lots to pull into in Niagara Fall.

There is a huge parking lot south of the falls (Canadian side) with free shuttle to the Falls.

[Lex M]

To be honest, I saw two different lots with RV's parked in them but could not find the entrance to either.
I found one way streets and the entrance to the Peace bridge.

Bill K

PS Donna I didn't see any big lots to pull into in Niagara Fall.

[Bill K]

Lex,
I was on the US side.

Bill K

ps I am now back home, but thanks for the help.

[pjanits]

Sorry it didn't help you but I'm glad to see this, I'm planning to head that way within the next year or so and the info is most helpful.

[Mac B]

thanks for replies... my inquiry was parking for just a few hours or so to eat or shop. I had an experience in San Luis Obispo when I picked up my trailer.... after circling the area I wanted to visit a dozen times, making wider circles every time, I finally found a place... what an ordeal.

[pjanits]

Gotcha Macb,
Walmart is always good or a large food center or Home depot type place.
This would be good for a few hours I'm sure.

There is a sight for stealth camping. you can google it, not sure I would try it but you never know when it could come in handy.

[Lex M]

Sorry it didn't help you but I'm glad to see this, I'm planning to head that way within the next year or so and the info is most helpful.

We were very happy on http://www.riversidepark.net/
Recommended

[Mac B]

I'll remember to GPS a grocery store or walmart when I approach a city, instead of hopelessly driving around circles! honestly, it had me second guessing if I had made the right choice to get a little trailer. Am headed up to Oregon & Washington States in 2 weeks with my little burro.

will look up that stealth camping also. thanx

[Chrs P]

Parking in "the urban core" is usually not set up with tow vehicles in mind. Even delivery vehicles often have a hard time reaching their destination, so you have to think a little differently.

As pointed out above, box centres usually have far more parking than they need, however, these tend to be away from the areas that are most desirable to actually see and spend some time at.

Another idea is to make better use of commuter lots along the highways.

Usually a park and ride or commuter lot is serviced by public transit. The goal of the commuter lot is to get people from downtown and the 'burbs onto the highway without having more cars on the local roads. At night the commuter lots are mostly empty, through the day they fill, but usually they are designed with extra capacity.

Park in the lot (admittedly very far from downtown) catch a bus to the city centre and enjoy your day.

The advantage of this over parking at a box store, is that transit doesn't tend to serve box stores very well. So you find the parking, but can easily be stranded in suburbia. Of course if you carry bikes or don't mind a little walking that may not be an issue, and conditions vary from box-store to box-store and commuter lot to commuter lot.

[Mac B]

yes, I am carrying a bike so I can park out of the city centre. great advice, thanks