4 nights ago I went into the city with a friend and had a meal. Getting back to my car, the fee was $22 for three hours
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Don’t worry Bret, your loaded.
Chortle, chortle, chortle.
No Imma not. 
I really baulk at paid parking which is why I really go into the city proper. 
In answer to the heading taking it literally. No it is free as I own my own drive, it is part of my property. Space for 4 cars and at least 3 more in my garage. The workshop takes up the other space
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worthy of another - Chortle Chortle Chortle
Very few areas are paid areas…I cannot think in 10 years I have been in an area that is a paid for one…
Crazy greedy land owners…I say I say
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We pay to park on the streets we pay for with our taxes. Now we pay to pay for the machines that tell us we have to pay for the parking that we paid for with our taxes. As it happens, the last free downtown parking was phased out just this week.
Worse, if you want to go to any beach, it costs $15. We paved paradise and now have to pay to park there too.
Time to dump some tea…make that coffee…rather… Starbucks. I am currently working on a declaration and will keep you posted.
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I’ve said it before, paying to park your car is unAustralian.
If I go to Sydney I always take the train even though it travels at walking pace and takes longer than it did in the days of steam but at least it clean and comfy.
The biggest culture shock when I visited Britain was that there was no free parking virtually anywhere except in the suburbs, even worse it was so outrageously expensive. I avoid the parking meters in Wollongong by never going there but even they are only $2 for 4 hours
At least the shopping malls are always free
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Free parking in my town
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Few restrictions here, apart from yellow lines where needed. The car park in town is reasonable, IMO. 30 minutes free, which I often use if dropping off library books. Then ÂŁ1.50 for 2 hours. Never gone beyond that. Often though I leave the car at home and get a free bus ride.
Where I lived in London up to 5 years ago, it is mostly all CPZ (controlled parking zone), with each road/area getting their own two letter code. Residents have to buy vouchers to display in the car, or use an app. But just read a post of someone expecting visitors, and they cannot find a parking solution for them!! So glad I left.
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In Eastleigh where I live, it’s £1. 60 an hour, £2.80 for two. Sunday is free. The traffic wardens are red hot around the town, so you have to beware. I’m lucky, I live within walking distance of the town. If I do use my car, it’s usually to the retail parks.Going into Southampton is a nightmare for parking, so I always take the bus with my free pass.
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If I’m on my own I have to pay and some places are quite expensive. A friend said he paid over £5.00 for a few hours parking at the local hospital.
We never drive to the hospital. There are free spaces but the traffic congestion can be bad. I have been going on my bike for check-up appointments/scans in the past. I should be OK to start doing that again.
When Mrs mart is with me, there are often (but not always) free Blue Badge parking spaces but parking in towns is always a pain whether it’s free or not. We use public transport whenever possible.
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In the last 5 years I lived in London I never took my car into the centre. The combination of congestion zone fees, parking costs, queues of traffic everywhere and the madness on Sunday of not being able to find a space (except hugely expensive multi-storey parking). So I used the monthly travel card that I needed for work - so travel in at the weekend was essentially free on public transport. I did not understand people who ignored a really good public transport network and still drove in.
But now I’m out in the country, pretty much no parking costs unless I go to the “big town”.
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Only in the city centre and hospitals,they really take the P.
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@Bretrick Being that I live in a south coastal resort town, the parking charges seem extortionate to me, but for just ÂŁ2 there is a residents parking permit for parking all year round everywhere except right on the sea front. The ÂŁ2 is to cover the paperwork and the actual permit display card for the windscreen.
Free parking around here. The only places I know of, that charge for parking, are the parking buildings but my truck is to tall to fit in them.
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Yes parking is expensive in most of my surrounding areas, so unless I can park free in a side road I go on the bus.
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Wow, that is really a good price. All year for 2 pounds.
ÂŁ6/hour here in Hammersmith or ÂŁ119/year
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I was looking at staying in a premier inn in Norwich and the going rate for parking is a minimum of ÂŁ12 a night, makes it an expensive hotel stay.
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