Short-Term Parking

$4 per 20 minutes adds up fast, but you walk right into BNA’s Main terminal from Short-Term Parking in Terminal Garages 1 and 2.

Short-Term Parking in Terminal Garage 1 and Terminal Garage 2 sits about a 3-minute walk from the Main terminal doors, so you skip shuttles and curb chaos completely. Signs are clear as you follow the “Terminal Garage” markers off I-40, and you’re under cover the whole way from car to check-in. If you’re solo and juggling bags or kids, this is the least stressful option on airport property.

Rates start with a 20-minute free window, then jump to $4 per 20 minutes and cap at $33 per day for Short-Term Parking, which is priced a bit higher than the standard garage max of $26/day. That structure makes sense for tight pickups, quick drop-offs, and same-day business trips; push past about 3 hours and you’re flirting with the daily max anyway. Past that point, regulars pivot to economy or off-site apps.

Locals watching flight trackers often roll into the garage as soon as the plane shows “landed,” then use that 20-minute grace period to walk into baggage claim, meet their passenger, and exit without paying a cent. Some even treat the garages as a premium cell lot, accepting the risk that a delay pushes them into the $4-per-20-minutes bracket. It beats circling the arrivals loop ten times during rush hour.

Watch out for peak periods and ongoing construction, when both Terminal Garage 1 and Terminal Garage 2 can fill or back up at the entrance. Add 10–15 minutes to your timing on Friday evenings, holidays, and big-event weekends. Tip: if your plans might stretch past two hours, price out Terminal Lot A at $18/day or an economy/off-site option before you commit to Short-Term’s $33 daily ceiling.