Dubai Trip in December

spike · Sep 27th, 2007, 01:02 PM

We are planning a trip to Dubai in December from USA on our way to Karachi. We will stay there in Duabi for a week.

Never been to UAE before, let alone Dubai.

I need a list of places to visit and advice about affordable accomodation and transportation. We are US Citizens carrying U.S Passports. Is rental car an option there? Will I be able to find my ways around using a map?

Thanks a bunch in advance.

Umer · Sep 29th, 2007, 08:42 AM

Since I have been living in Dubai for slightly more than a year now, I'll try to give you a few tips:

Rental car is definitely an option, but you need to have an international driving license to get one. Apart from that you need to have the nationality of the country that issued the driving license, which shouldn't be an issue for you. But for example a Pakistani national with a US license would not get a rental car in Dubai.

Weatherwise it will be very pleasant in December, so you can visit the various parks in Dubai, like Jumeirah Beach Park, Mamzar Park (which is also next to the beach) and Zabeel Park.

There is a very nice place that is called Global Village that only opens for 2 months in a year and it will be open in December, so that will be a nice option too.

Then there are the various shopping malls, like Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Batuta Mall, Wafi City, Deira City Centre, Lamcy Plaza, etc.

And of course the famous Burj Al Arab is worth a visit too.

You should reserve one day for a Desert Safari as well.

All in all: There's plenty to do there.

spike · Sep 29th, 2007, 07:12 PM

So I can't get a rental car with my regular U.S driving license and I have to get an international one? How about taxi cabs to visit places. Is that too expensive?

Also, please provide some info on accommodation.

Thanks a millions.

Umer · Sep 30th, 2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spike

So I can't get a rental car with my regular U.S driving license and I have to get an international one? How about taxi cabs to visit places. Is that too expensive?

Also, please provide some info on accommodation.

Thanks a millions.

No. With your regular US license you will probably not get a rental car. I don't know how it is in the US, but getting an international license based in your country is normally not really an issue.

Taxis are also an option and compared to the US they are quite cheap. In your case that might actually be a very good option since you haven't been to Dubai before and won't find your ways easily if you drive yourself.

I don't really know much about hotels in Dubai, but there are a lot of options from very basic places upto topclass 5-Star hotels.

Lucid Chaotic · Oct 1st, 2007, 12:19 PM

I was able to rent from Avis with just my Canadian Driver's License... they just kept a photocopy of my license and my passport. In terms of hotels, the Raddisson chain of hotels is decent in service and price.

Umer · Oct 5th, 2007, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umar Talib

I was able to rent from Avis with just my Canadian Driver's License... they just kept a photocopy of my license and my passport. In terms of hotels, the Raddisson chain of hotels is decent in service and price.

You must have visited before or in 2006 then. Because in January 2007 they introduced a new law saying that rental car companies are only allowed to give cars to people with either a UAE license or an international license.