What you should know before hiring a car in Doha
| Doha city centre | ||
| Hamad International Airport (DOH): 4 mi from city centre | ||
Car hires in Doha: practical information
Where to rent a car in Doha
On your way to Qatar? This incredible country is so much smaller once you’re behind the wheel of a Doha car hire. That’s the next essential step once you’ve booked your flights to Doha Airport. Compare the car hire deals in Doha before booking, to ensure you find the best price for your trip.
Picking up a rental at the airport is the easiest thing, just make sure you have an international driving licence before you depart. As Doha still doesn’t have an extensive public transpiration system, a rental really is the best and only way to get around.
Driving in Doha: parking and other tips
Driving in Doha is fairly easy once you get used to impatient drivers overtaking on both the left and the right. Drivers in Doha aren’t shy about using their horns either, but don’t let it get to you.
Parking in Doha is easy, except for the souq area where it’s an absolute nightmare. All hotels in Doha and large shopping malls have either their own car parks or car parking services. There is plenty of street parking in the city centre as well.
Road trips from Doha: what to do, what to see
Khor Al Daid
Located in the far south-eastern corner of the country, near the Saudi Arabian border, is the inland sea known as Khor Al Daid. It’s an enormous inlet from the Persian Gulf with massive soft sand dunes all the way around it. You can only reach it with 4 wheel drive across the sand but it’s totally worth it!
Dukhan
Doha is home to around 80% of Qatar’s population so cites outside of Doha tend to be quite small. Dukhan is no exception but it has a decent enough beach to the south of the city, which is a great place to watch the sun set.
Al-Khor
Al-Khor is about 50 kilometres to the north of Doha and features a beautiful cornice and well as a museum and several watchtowers to explore. It was once the centre of the now non-existing pearl trading industry. While the corniche in Al-Khor is no match for Doha, it’s a great place to relax and sunbathe.