Car & Van Hire - Dubai

Burj Khalifa is Dubai's most iconic attraction. The world's tallest building offers visitors upscale shopping, dining and wellness experiences, as well as panoramic city views from the observation deck. On the building's grounds, there are other tourist attractions, such as Dubai Fountain and Burj Park, where it's common to come across pop-up markets and music performances.

There's a cluster of cultural attractions located along the city's canal. These include Dubai's Heritage Village, Crossroad of Civilizations Museum and the palatial Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum house museum. Further down along Dubai Creek, you can explore the walls of Old Dubai and Dubai Museum. Also worth visiting are the city's beaches, which stretch from Jumeirah mosque all the way to Abu Dhabi. The most popular beaches with tourists are Jumeirah, Jebel Ali and JBR.

Dubai is a shopping mecca. The city is home to more than 60 shopping centres, including the world's biggest – Dubai Mall – and award-winning shopping venues like the Mall of the Emirates. Dubai Marina is a prime destination for luxury shopping, as is Burjuman Mall. Other shopping options include Dubai flea market (open on weekends only), located at Zabeel park near Dubai Frame. Alternatively, head for the Al Ras district, where you'll find Souq Madinat Jumeirah, a traditional Middle Eastern bazaar selling spices, gold jewellery, perfumes and more. Across the creek, more shopping awaits in the alleys between Bur Dubai Souq market and Al Fahidi Street, a good spot to buy textiles, electronics, souvenirs and décor items.

The city's malls and the streets around Dubai's souqs are great places to sample Emirati cuisine, but since Dubai is a global city, it also offers all kinds of gastronomic experiences, from upscale Indian restaurants to Middle Eastern cafes and street food. Gourmets will certainly enjoy visiting during Dubai's Food Festival, held in April-May.

Dubai is a family-friendly destination. Children will have a blast at the aquarium and underwater zoo and at the city's Experiential Play Museum. With a car rental in Dubai, you can drive the family to the Butterfly Gardens, Worlds of Adventure theme park and the Camel Farm. Other child-friendly attractions include the Museum of Illusions and Aquaventure Water Park.

Every year, the city hosts international sports events like Dubai World Cup (horse racing), Dubai Sevens (rugby) and Grand Prix Revival (car racing). Many sports-related events take place at Dubai Sports City. Other events of interest include the International Jazz Festival, Dubai Marathon, the International Boat Show and Art Dubai.

Dubai has an extensive road infrastructure. Eight-lane motorways and multi-lane roundabouts are not unusual, but road signage is well-placed and available in both Arabic and English.

Toll roads exist in Dubai, but unlike in other countries, there are no toll booths or any physical barriers that require you to stop your vehicle. The system is electronically managed via chip-enabled stickers called Salik. When you book a car or van rental in Dubai, ensure the vehicle has a Salik sticker on the windscreen. This automatically registers your car every time you drive past a toll, and it's common practice to settle final toll expenses when you return your rental car.

There are six motorways in the Dubai metro area. Visitors who drive in Dubai are most likely to use the E11 motorway or Sheikh Zayed Road. This is the main thoroughfare in the city, which takes you from the airport and over Dubai Creek into the downtown area. Motorway E44 is the eastern entry point into the city and provides access to national reserves and desert safari locations in Dubai's outskirts. Motorway E311 is handy for tourist attractions like Worlds of Adventure, the Butterfly Garden, Dubai Autodrome and Dubai Sports City.

Speed limits are enforced by radar and range between 100 and 120 km/h on motorways to 70 – 80 km/h on other city roads. When driving in residential areas, speed limits range between 25 and 40 km/h. Please note that you will be ticketed if your speed exceeds the applicable street limit by more than 20 km/h. More importantly, you can also be fined if you drive 20 km/h below the speed limit. If you're not comfortable driving at high speeds, avoid the far left lane of the road, as this is used by vehicles driven at or close to the speed limit.

Parking is free on Sundays and during official holidays. Otherwise, fees apply and vary depending on whether the area is commercial or residential. Parking charges can be paid at street machines or via an app. Free parking is available in most shopping centres, city beaches and tourist attractions.