We all know that the United Arab Emirates are known as one of the most modern and fast developing countries, but at least for the moment they have forgotten about one rather important thing in their development – good public transport. However, why bother with the establishment of regular bus and metro lines, when the price of gasoline is at least half the price compared to ones in Europe. This is perfect for locals who like to drive huge and especially greedy cars.
Tourists on the other hand have three options: rent a car, hire a taxi or waste precious time driving with public transport → specifically, there is a talk about transportation from one emirate to another. For that reason, we preferred to opt for the first option because we were driving from Ras Al Khaimah daily to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Let’s get to the point… to rent a vehicle, you need an international driving license. The providers and procedures for getting this license are different from country to country. However, have in mind that it takes some time to get it, so you have to order it a week or so before your journey.
For issuing of license you will need to submit the following:
– A completed application
– Passport or identity card
– A 35 x 45 mm photo
– Valid driving license
Now we are ready… if your rent a car in Ras Al Khaimah, you will be very limited in terms of providers. We have chosen company Budget, which has its own office in the reception of Hilton Al Hamra Golf and Spa Resort. We made a reservation from home via billiger-mietwagen.de, so that we could overcome the whole conditions of renting in peace. It’s definitely a wider choice when renting a car in Dubai.
When renting a car in UAE, do not be too surprised if he employees write down and draw every smallest burst in his record. Insofar as they taught us, it is apparent that even in the event of a minor accident or even for a slight impact from the door of another vehicle, it is necessary to inform the police about that »accident« to obtain all the necessary documentation. Otherwise, you pay for the damage yourself. Yes, much stricter than we were used to from US.
If you are not exactly a skilled driver, then you may rather avoid hiring a car. Driving on 8 lane highways can be really interesting and fun, a lot of things happen especially during the peak times, there is a lot of overtaking from all possible side. It’s just crazy 😃
On the other hand, you don’t need to worry about the parking. Most shopping centers have their own parking lot, which is free for at least for couple of hours. However, check it before you park your car, because paid hours are quite expensive.
Renting a car was a great decision and we would recommend it to anyone who will spend their holidays in the United Arab Emirates outside Dubai. For the time being, we saved a lot of money, as taxi rides between emirates are not the cheapest. Overall, we drove 1.200 kilometers and spend 165 € for 4 days rent, tolls (you must pay tolls in Dubai) and gas.
S & B
