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

If you have an existing Self-Park reservation, please follow the instructions provided in the SMS reminder you received.

If you need to make a new reservation, find an available space, park your vehicle, and request the shuttle.

Shuttle pickup is typically 10–15 minutes, but wait times may vary depending on how busy we are. You can track the shuttle here: https://shuttle.midwayspeedpark.com/?lot=north&service=selfpark

Please have your booking number ready when the shuttle arrives.

Valet: pull up, hand off keys, board. Call it 5 to 10 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.