The airport can be an unnerving place. It's full of long lines, policemen with dogs, and cheeseburgers that cost slightly more than they should. Calling a cab or a ride-sharing service to drive you to this madhouse and spare you from dealing with airport parking on top of everything else is only natural, right? Wrong.

If you have a vehicle, the experience of driving yourself and parking by the sky-gate can not only be painless, but downright pleasurable. Valet parking, shuttle service, and even smartphone reservations can make finding offsite parking spots much swifter than the lot-circling ordeals that drove parents insane in the 1980s.

Here are four reasons to drive yourself rather than bum a lift:

1. Other People's Cars are Insane

A car is essentially an apartment on wheels, and it's especially true for cabs and ride-sharing services. Unless you're renting a limo every time you fly, you're going to see things. There may be fast-food wrappers, gurgling vents, pools of unidentified liquid, and white feathers everywhere. Stick to your own car, where the floors are as clean as you remember, and the noises made by the engine are as comforting and familiar as the voice of TV funnyman Ed McMahon.

2. Airport Parking Reservations are Easy

Some services let you reserve your own spot at an offsite lot with just a few taps of your smartphone. Then you can cruise into place without worrying about some jerk stealing your space. You'll also have an online record of where you parked the car, so you'll never be stuck searching up and down the endless rows of long-term parking, wailing like a figure from a Greek mythology.

3. Valet Parking Is Even Easier

Friends may give you a lift—and, in rare circumstances, park a car for you—but odds are they won't do it while smiling and wearing clean white gloves. Okay, so maybe valets at offsite lots don't wear white gloves either, but they do save you the trouble of parking your car, which is nothing to sneeze at. Some lots even wash your car when you're away—and when's the last time a so-called "friend" did that?

4. Covered Parking Means No Worries

A covered lot can shelter your car from driving rain, the scorching sun, and falling satellites. If you normally rely on city parking, a trip to an airport lot may be a vacation for your car as well, letting it pass the days in a safe, climate-controlled environment.

How do I find cheap airport parking?

Admittedly, the biggest barrier for some drivers when it comes to parking at the airport is cost—especially if they plan to be away for a while. Thankfully, there are lots of places to find great deals on parking, including our site! Here's a rundown of some of our best airport parking deals available right now: