Where did I park? Finding your car and not overstaying paid parking

Why you forget where you parked#

It isn't carelessness. When you park, your mind is already on what's next: the meeting, the shopping, the children. And parking spots look alike:

• Big car parks at shopping centres, airports or hospitals have hundreds of identical spaces and several entrances.
• Multi-storey and underground car parks have levels that look the same, and your phone struggles to get a GPS signal.
• Cities you don't know have streets that look alike, especially in the evening.
• Streets where you park often blur together: you can't remember whether today you left the car on yesterday's street.

What to note when you leave the car#

It takes ten seconds and saves you a quarter of an hour of searching. Note, in this order:

1. The position on the map, while you're next to the car.
2. The level, zone or colour and the space number, if the car park has them.
3. The street and an easy landmark: a pharmacy, an entrance, a numbered pillar.
4. A photo that shows the landmark, not just the car: a picture of your rear bumper won't help.
5. The time you parked and, if you paid, the time it runs out.

In underground and multi-storey car parks#

Underground or between concrete floors, your phone may show an approximate position, sometimes tens of metres from the car. A few habits help:

• The level and space matter more than the map. Note them exactly as they're written on the pillar or wall.
• Photograph the level sign, not the car.
• Move the pin on the map if the position is clearly wrong, for example onto the car park entrance.
• Remember the exit you used: the lift or stairs you came out by is usually the shortest way back.

Paid parking: every city sets its own rules#

Zones, hours, prices and how you pay are set by each city, and sometimes differ from one zone to another in the same city. Depending on the place, you pay at a machine, by text message or in an app; check the zone sign or the city hall's website for your options and the price. Parking fees add up: they're worth logging with your car running costs.

• Read the zone sign when you park: the hours when you have to pay, the maximum stay and how to pay.
• Keep proof of payment: the ticket, the confirmation text or what the app shows.
• Set an alert a few minutes before the time runs out, not at the exact time: you need time to get there.
• If you extend, pay before the time runs out and note the new time.

Don't assume you “know” the rules from another city. Paying hours, the maximum stay and penalties are set locally: check the sign every time you park in a new zone.

What helps, depending on where you parked#

For deadlines counted in months rather than minutes, such as the ITP (roadworthiness test), RCA (compulsory motor insurance) or the tyre change, see the car calendar.

“Where I parked” in CariX#

In your free driver account, “Where I parked” keeps the spot and the timer on one screen, in your phone's browser:

• “I parked here” saves the position, a note (e.g. “Level -2, space 145”) and a photo only you can see. If the position is approximate, you see the accuracy in metres and can move the pin or pick the spot on the map.
• “Take me to my car” walks you back with Google Maps or Apple Maps, or takes you there with Waze.
• The paid-parking timer: choose how long you paid for, or until what time, and how many minutes before you want to hear, and CariX emails you before it runs out. If you pay for more, tap “Extend” and you'll get the email again.
• “I picked up the car” moves the spot to your history. Spots are deleted automatically after 30 days and nobody else sees them.

The honest limits: you save the spot yourself, with a button, and your exact position is taken only then. The alert comes by email, so allow a few extra minutes and keep email notifications on your phone. You still pay for parking the way the city requires.