Driving is the best way to experience Dubai. With the city’s ultramodern highways and relatively high speed limits, Dubai is an ideal place for driving a powerful luxury car. On top of that, there are some definite advantages of renting a van, in particular.
Benefits of Driving a Luxury Van in Dubai
For one thing, renting a van is a must if you come to Dubai with a large family or as a group of tourists. You will also need one if you want to go for a long-distance trip outside the city with your friends. A van is spacious enough to have room for all your luggage and camping accessories.
Moreover, luxury vans are more stable on the road, which will guarantee you higher safety than a regular coupe car does. And you will be able to drive off the road quite comfortably too. Plus, the size of a car means a lot in the UAE, with all the privileges in the traffic unspokenly reserved for larger vehicles. Driving a van, you will feel comfortable and in control – on the country roads as much as on the highways in Dubai.
Besides, Dubai is the city of shopping, and there are over 70 shopping malls in the centre alone. Lots of people come to Dubai to do precisely that, turning the place into the capital of shopping in the Middle East. Renting a spacious van, you can be sure of having enough room for all your purchases, whatever size and quantity they may be.
Things to Know Before Driving in Dubai
However, there are several things you should know before you choose a van to rent and get behind the wheel in this city.
Driver’s Age
According to the traffic regulations in the United Arab Emirates, you must be at least 21 years old before you can drive legally. And your age will be significant in the context of your driver’s license too: more specifically, your license must be valid for at least three years prior to the rental date if you are younger than 30.
Your Legal Status in the UAE
If you are a foreigner, be ready to prove to the traffic policemen and your car rental agents that you are legal in the country. You will need to have your passport with you to show them the entry stamp and a visa if you must have one.
Car Insurance
In addition, you will have to have your car insured for a variable amount, depending on the type of car you intend to rent. You can specify the amount with your rental agent, but remember that car insurance is obligatory by law in the UAE.
Salik Card
It is a prepaid toll gate card, and you may as well have it issued from the start and keep it with you at all times. Numerous toll gates in the country will let you drive through without the Salik card.
Traffic Rules
In case you are not a national of the United Arab Emirates, there are a few traffic rules in this country that you have to be aware of:
1. Depending on which country you come from, you may have to get used to driving on the right and reading the speed signs in kilometres, not miles.
2. The speed limits in the UAE are:
- 40 to 60 kilometres per hour in the residential areas
- 100 kilometres per hour on the freeways
- 140 kilometres per hour on the highways, which is a lovely bonus to the overall pleasure of driving in Dubai
In addition, some particularly hectic highways impose a minimum speed limit as well. In most cases, it is set at 60 kilometres per hour.
3. Driving in the state of alcoholic intoxication is strictly prohibited, and there is no legal alcohol level in this country. Furthermore, because it is a Muslim country, people’s attitudes to alcohol are negative to the extreme. Do not even think of getting behind the wheel, no matter how much alcohol you have had, be it even a small glass of beer only. The traffic policemen will not be on your side, no matter what happens.
Rental Prices for Luxury Vans in Dubai
Many car rental agencies rent their cars elsewhere to sub-rent them to their customers, which increases the rental price as they charge a commission for themselves. Yet, some car rentals own their vehicles, and you can get a much better deal at those places.
When searching for a van to rent, ask agencies if the cars in their fleet are, in fact, theirs. Paddock Car Rental, for instance, does not sub-rent its vehicles, which allows the place to offer the best car rental prices in Dubai. You can visit their page on luxury vans to choose the one that suits you best.
Popular Luxury Vans in Dubai
This city offers a fantastic selection of excellent luxury cars for rent, and your choice will depend on your tastes and budget. Currently, Mercedes and Kia seem to be the most popular brands of luxury vans for rent in Dubai, and Kia Carnival White is an undisputable champion to date.
What follows is a table of technical specifications of the currently most commercially successful models of luxury vans on the rental market in this city.
Final Word
Renting a powerful luxury car is a must if you want to get the best out of your time in the United Arab Emirates generally, and Dubai in particularly. And renting a van will give you additional benefits, due to its spacious interior and impeccable stability on the road. It is only a question of choosing the best van for your tastes and purposes in the right car rental agency, of which there is no shortage in Dubai.