Short and long stay parking sit right outside Terminal 1
Main Open-Air Car Park is the on-airport option at El Alto International Airport (LPB), directly in front of Terminal 1, so you walk a few minutes from your car to check-in. It handles both short and long stays in the same surface lot, with no shuttle bus involved at this altitude.
This is a basic open-air car park with marked bays and pay-on-site machines covering short-term and overnight parking. Since it’s on airport grounds at LPB, pricing runs higher than off-airport street options in El Alto, but you trade that for being within the fenced airport perimeter and in view of the main terminal building.
The car park works for quick drop-offs under a few hours as well as trips lasting several days, so you can leave a car during a weekend or a full week-long stay. Being open-air at over 4,000 meters elevation means cars sit in strong sun by day and cold temperatures at night, so bring a sunshade and avoid leaving electronics on the seats.
The entrance road to Main Open-Air Car Park feeds directly from the primary terminal access road serving LPB’s Terminal 1, and traffic can bunch up around early morning departures between 04:00 and 07:00. Build a 15–20 minute buffer to enter, find a space, and walk back to check-in before domestic or international flights.
Payment is typically handled at machines or a staffed booth near the exit, and many travelers report using local currency bolivianos rather than cards in La Paz. One practical tip: photograph your bay and the nearest terminal door number before you leave the car, as the rows in the open-air lot can look similar when you land late at night.