Valet or Self-Park at Midway: Which Should You Pick?

Updated July 22, 2026  ·  3 min read

We offer both, and we genuinely do not think one is universally right. It comes down to what you would rather spend: a bit more money, or a bit more time and effort.

Here is the honest comparison.

Self-park (EcoPark)

You drive in, park in a marked space, keep your keys, and take the shuttle to the terminal. On the way back, the shuttle drops you at your row.

Pick self-park if:

• Price is the main thing. It is our best value, consistently.
• You would rather nobody else drives your car — a real preference, and a fair one.
• You are traveling light and a short walk with a bag is nothing.
• Your trip is short and the weather is fine.

One thing to know: EcoPark self-parking is available at our North Lot only.

Valet (SpeedPark)

You pull up, hand over the keys, and get on the shuttle. That is the whole check-in. When you land, we have the car out and ready before you reach it.

Pick valet if:

• You are traveling with luggage, kids, or both. Not carrying bags across a lot is worth more than it sounds.
• It is January. Getting into a car someone else has already cleared is a meaningfully better morning.
• You are landing late and want the shortest possible path from shuttle to driving away.
• You are on a long trip. See our piece on two-week parking — valet earns its keep on longer stays.

Side by side

Checking in

Self-park: find a space, park, walk to the shuttle. Call it 5 to 8 minutes.

Valet: pull up, hand off keys, board. Call it 2 to 4 minutes.

Coming home

Self-park: shuttle drops you at your row, you load your own bags, you leave. Call it 5 minutes, plus whatever the weather adds.

Valet: car is waiting, bags go in, you leave. Call it 2 minutes.

Cost

Self-park is the cheaper option at every length of stay. Valet costs more per day, and still comes in well under Midway's on-airport garage rate.

What is identical either way

Both options get you the same fenced, lit, staffed lot monitored around the clock, the same free shuttle running 24 hours a day, and the same sub-five-minute ride to the terminal. Neither requires a credit card to reserve.

So this is not a safety decision or a convenience-of-the-shuttle decision. It is purely about whether you would rather hand off the keys.

Our rule of thumb

Trip under three days, decent weather, traveling light: self-park.

Winter, luggage, kids, a red-eye return, or a stay over a week: valet. It is the kind of thing you do not appreciate until the one trip you skip it.

Oversized vehicles are welcome at both lots — just note it when you book so we can set aside the right space.