Car hire in Abu Dhabi - self drive to Dubai - am I mad?
Discussion
Hi Guys, coming over to Abu Dhabi for the winter break - wondering if it's worthwhile hiring a car from the airport to use for the time I am here (1 week)...planning on driving in to Dubai a couple of time - is it worthwhile or am I nuts to even be thinking about it? If it helps I have drivin in Mumbai and Delhi before 
Also is there Sat Nav there in the UAE that I could rent or is it still vey haphazard and out of date? Thanks
Also is there Sat Nav there in the UAE that I could rent or is it still vey haphazard and out of date? Thanks
going by the title i'd say no. any question with - am i mad - at the end usually signifies that those asking should definitely not be doing.
if you can survive indian traffic without any panel damage then go for it, much more flexible for the family and you can still use cabs fr local trips. downtown abdab is a grid system but there are some major interchanges linking the islands that can be a right PITA at first. also the uae has this really neat thing where they put the road sign after the junction. get a local sim and data and use google maps. also note speed cameras are everywhere. fines aren't so bad in abdab but if you go 20kph over the posted limit in dubai thats £100 a go and there;s one every km on the main arteries.
if you can survive indian traffic without any panel damage then go for it, much more flexible for the family and you can still use cabs fr local trips. downtown abdab is a grid system but there are some major interchanges linking the islands that can be a right PITA at first. also the uae has this really neat thing where they put the road sign after the junction. get a local sim and data and use google maps. also note speed cameras are everywhere. fines aren't so bad in abdab but if you go 20kph over the posted limit in dubai thats £100 a go and there;s one every km on the main arteries.
A friend / colleague of mine has recently done this and it all worked out well enough, it seems.
You'll pay roughly 400Dhs for a taxi to Dubai from AD. Possibly less from the airport, though.
I agree about the roads and signage. What looked like a ridiculously easy junction on the way to the Emirates motor museum at the top of AD turned out to be huge roadworks, poor signage and much iPhone map looking, guesswork and a few wrong turns. It's all part of the fun, though...
Driving in AD is very easy. As has been said above, it's a grid system and it's easy to navigate your way around the place.
I have never used sat-nav, though I gather it is available from hire car companies. iPhone mapping sat-nav doesn't seem to work, even with a local SIM, but using the map and locator to get around has generally worked perfectly well for me.
You'll pay roughly 400Dhs for a taxi to Dubai from AD. Possibly less from the airport, though.
I agree about the roads and signage. What looked like a ridiculously easy junction on the way to the Emirates motor museum at the top of AD turned out to be huge roadworks, poor signage and much iPhone map looking, guesswork and a few wrong turns. It's all part of the fun, though...
Driving in AD is very easy. As has been said above, it's a grid system and it's easy to navigate your way around the place.
I have never used sat-nav, though I gather it is available from hire car companies. iPhone mapping sat-nav doesn't seem to work, even with a local SIM, but using the map and locator to get around has generally worked perfectly well for me.
Edited by SimesJH on Wednesday 16th December 03:40
XB, in my opinion, yes. Other people may differ.
The collection is remarkable in that the vehicles there all look pristine with very little evidence of them being museum pieces, despite their age. And I doubt you'd ever see a more eclectic mix anywhere else.
The drive there is easy enough. Just look on the horizon for a large, dark pyramid and that's the place. You can't miss it.
The collection is remarkable in that the vehicles there all look pristine with very little evidence of them being museum pieces, despite their age. And I doubt you'd ever see a more eclectic mix anywhere else.
The drive there is easy enough. Just look on the horizon for a large, dark pyramid and that's the place. You can't miss it.
XB70 said:
Sorry for the hijack but was thinking of this over the break - worth the trip from Dubai?
Cheers
Definitely worth a trip, a really eclectic mix of cars that only someone with lots of money would buy! Don't expect it to keep you busy for more than a couple of hours max, but it's worth seeing.Cheers
shirt said:
going by the title i'd say no. any question with - am i mad - at the end usually signifies that those asking should definitely not be doing
I said that as a few years back I would have thought it was crazy to hire a car in Dubai - this is when all the construction was ongoing and roads were a complete mess...guess things are better nowGassing Station | Middle East | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff