If you want to see something from the metropolis of Dubai, then you need a means of transport. There are many different ones that you can use. Taxis and the Dubai Metro, for example, are very popular. But if you want to be very flexible then the car is of course the best choice. All of the major rental car companies have local offices in the city and there is plenty to choose from. So that you don’t get any problems, we have put together useful information here that is very useful for tourists. If you wish to know more, you can also refer to this detailed guide about how to rent a car in Dubai to ensure you have complete know-how about the topic.
Table of Contents
Where to reserve the rental car
The most important question of course is where you should rent the car at all. There you have the opportunity to do it comfortably from home with a tour operator. You can also do this on site and you only need to go to an office there. But in our opinion, it is always best to book a rental car with a reputable provider long before you travel to Dubai in your own country, click here to hire now. It is important here that you choose a tour operator who has been offering cars in Dubai for a long time. There you can always be on the safe side that everything works without problems on site and the rental car is paid for. Furthermore, all insurances that you need are usually already included there. You should therefore not only look at the price where it is cheapest.
Arrange hotel delivery
It is always very practical if you arrange a hotel delivery. There, an employee from the rental car company comes to the hotel at an agreed time. Then he brings the car with him and you get a short briefing there on site. Usually this is very handy when it works. But unfortunately, this doesn’t work as well as you might imagine. You also have to make an appointment if you want to return the car. If you are still pressed for time on the last day of your vacation and back to Dubai International Airport must then this is not ideal. With this type of Dubai car rental, many problems can arise that cannot be calculated beforehand. Therefore, we recommend not to do this.
Collection of the car directly at the airport
A very good option is to take over the car directly at Dubai Airport. Once you have gone through all the controls, there is a large multi-story car park opposite Terminal 3. The offices of the providers are located there. You only need to show the coupon you got from the tour operator. This usually only takes a few minutes and the offices are manned until late at night. There you have the advantage that the cars are only a few meters away and you can go straight to them. So, you don’t have to wait there and you can start right away. When the Dubai trip is over, you can return the car there. There you have the advantage that you are already at the airport and you are no longer under time pressure.
Can you pick up the car in town?
If you don’t want to do the hotel delivery or pick-up at Dubai Airport, you can also pick up the car in the city. Many rental car companies have offices there as well and most of these are located along Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina or in Downtown Dubai. The process there is usually the same as at the airport. You hand in the coupon there and the rental car is usually in a parking garage nearby. A good tip is perhaps that you pick up the car there, but the return is then at the airport. You can do all this when reserving the car and it is very convenient.
Check rental car before driving
It is always very important that you check the rental car for damage before you drive off. There you should walk around the car and see if there are any scratches or dents. If you notice something like this, you should tell the rental car company immediately and the employee will then make a note of it. In this way, it can be avoided that the provider complains about this when the car is returned. Customers can then incur high costs there and this should be avoided at all costs. However, if you have caused a scratch or dent yourself while using the car, then you must tell the provider immediately so that you do not have any problems later. As a rule, the car is insured and the insurance company will pay for the damage.
Check if the tank is full
Normally, when picking up a car in Dubai, the tank is full. But sometimes this is not the case and you might want to go to Abu Dhabi or Ras al Khaimah. Of course, there are also gas stations on the Autobahn, but maybe not when the tank is empty. Especially if you want to drive longer distances then you should check this. If you have booked the car with a full tank and it is not full then you should complain immediately.
Heavy traffic in the city
If you are driving a car in Dubai for the first time as a tourist, you will quickly realize that there is a lot of traffic there. Especially the Sheikh Zayed Road is very busy and you are immediately overwhelmed if you are not used to it. In any case, you should think beforehand whether you can cope with the traffic there. The Emirate of Dubai is now a metropolis of millions with many motorways.
tolls
Many roads in Dubai are toll roads and you have to pay a toll when you use them. This is called the Salik Toll and if you rent a car you don’t have to worry about it. That means the provider takes care of it and there is a small sticker in the car that registers where you drive along. When you return the car, the provider tells you how much you still have to pay.