Parking downtown can feel like some kind of IQ test. Random parking garage closures, lots littered with $24 day rate signs and a series of one-way streets can make the process treacherous. But where are the cheapest places to park? Turns out there’s several ways you can nab a free spot if you plan your trip just right.
Oddly, city-owned garages are priced differently. Some will charge by the hour while others have a flat-rate fee which varies depending on the time of day or day of the week. But these are going to be your best bet if you’re looking for a space before 6 p.m. on a weekday.
As one might suspect, it’s the city-owned parking garages on the perimeter of downtown that are going to give you the most bang for your buck. The lot on the eastern edge of the city core, at East Houston Street and Elm Street near I-37, features parking fees that are only $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends. Though, that price jumps to $10 during special events, and it fills up quick.
The parking lots just east of I-35, along North Pecos Lane (in between West Martin and West Houston streets), has the same pricing. But event parking will run you $15, and you’ll have to traverse under the interstate to get into downtown – a dicey situation at times.
Most of the garages in the middle of the downtown action either charge a $10 to $15 flat rate, but you can get away with paying between $2 and $9 if you keep your trip under three hours. But the St. Mary’s Garage, located at 205 E. Travis St. right next to Travis Park, is a steal. You can park for several hours for a fiver if you wait until 5:01 p.m. That price is also in effect all weekend long.
If you really want to avoid shelling out to store your vehicle, you can with a little extra planning. San Antonio hosts “downtown Tuesdays” when parking at city-owned facilities is free at select lots. Or you can wait until 6 p.m. when meters are free, though finding an opening can be quite the challenge. Meters are also free all day Sunday.
No matter where you end up, just plan to walk a bit. San Antonio may not be known for its walkability, actually being mocked for it fairly regularly, but the whole area is about a half square mile. So, it really doesn’t take long to get anywhere on foot.
While technically not part of “downtown,” visitors of San Antonio’s urban core oft find themselves wandering into the King William district, Lavaca or other residential areas that have survived the commercial spread of the city hub. There are lots of streets in Southtown where you can find a tree-lined neighborhood road to park for free, shaded from the notorious Texas heat.
But beware, y’all. These historic neighborhoods don’t always take kindly to strangers parking in front of their homes, often littering and causing a late-night ruckus after a jovial downtown jaunt. And some of these neighborhoods have put a halt to this.
In Lavaca, officials have instituted year-round permitted parking for residents only. And you’ll find red signs towering over certain streets through King William and other Southtown hoods. Ignoring these signs will almost always result in a pricey parking ticket (we’ve learned the hard way over the years) that just isn’t worth the trouble.
So, be cool, be courteous, check closely for parking warning signs, don’t make a scene outside people’s homes, pick up your trash and respect the annoyed local’s trash can they placed in front of the curb to deter drivers – it may not be legally enforceable, but it’s an etiquette thing.