Dubai Travel Forum

I am coming to Dubai in the next couple of weeks for a bit of business and a bit of pleasure as well. I am totally unfamiliar with the layout of the city. I am on a bit of budget, and from what I have seen the hotel prices are quite high. I am always looking for best value....., anyway I am arriving late
Tuesday evening, the 21st of May, coming in from the States via London.

I need to spend a couple of days in Sharjah, and a couple in Dubai. From what I have read, I would want to be in Dubai for Thursday PM and the weekend. I have a couple of options here, I could stay in Dubai and then possibly move to Sharjah on Saturday afternoon.

Or..another option would be to stay at the Hotel in the Airport (since I arrive at 10:30 pm) and then travel to Sharjah on Weds AM, spend one night and two days there and then go to Dubai Thursday PM and Stay until I leave.

Or..I could stay in Dubai and just travel to Sharjah.


I was thinking of taking VT Jess's recommendation and stay at the Rydges Hotel while in Dubai. It looks interesting.

Would this be a good location to do Sharjah, or should I pack up and stay in Sharjah for a night or two, or should I stay somewhere else in between?

Any suggestions?

Also,what is Saturday like in Dubai? Is there anything happening at night?

Thanks,

Ron

Hi Ron, here are some thoughts.
I guess it depends to a degree on where you need to be for your business. But, you could stay in Sharjah full time as Dubai and Sharjah are very close to each other, Sharjah is much cheaper and you could taxi in to Dubai at the weekend. (No alcohol in Sharjah though!)
If you can afford the hotel rates in Dubai you could do Sharjah Tuesday/Wednesday and then change to Dubai.
You don't need to stay in an airport hotel particularly by the way, the airport is only three or four miles from downtown Dubai and less than ten from downtown Sharjah.
Plenty going on in Dubai in the evenings, all week.

Thanks Colin,

I will have business meetings in both Sharjah and Dubai. I figure two days of business in each place.



Ron

The reason I asked is that the traffic is terrible in peak times. It comes from Sharjah into Dubai in the mornings - 7 to 9 are probably the worst times - and back again from about 5pm to 7 or 8pm, each day except Friday, with Saturday as not as bad as the rest of the week. If you can arrange business meetings to avoid that it'll help your time management enormously

COLIN GAVE A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION, maybe you can book a hotel in Sharjah and travel to Dubai when you have business meeting. The difference of rent could exceed 1000 AED for few days!!

Based on the traffic situation, I am thinking now that I will go directly to Sharjah after I land and then come back sometime Thursday PM before or after Rush hour. What is the best way to get to Sharjah at 10:30 pm from the Airport in Dubai.

Thanks again for your comments, they are most helpful.

Ron

I would just hop in a taxi. Plenty available, metered, air-conditioned, well managed.

Hey Thanks Guys for the suggestions.