Budget holidays in the UAE tips. Cheap holidays in the UAE: myth or reality. Ride the Dubai Metro

Having lived for some time in the UAE as a resident, and not just a tourist, I can confidently say: “A holiday in Dubai can be affordable for everyone.” How can you save money in times of crisis so as not to spoil your vacation experience and get pleasant impressions of the country? You will learn about this from our article.

The long-awaited time for rest has come. A beautiful suitcase, swimsuits and dresses have been purchased. The budget is planned and approved, but many of us have main question: “How can you have a good rest in times of crisis and not overpay”? Here are a few useful tips who will help you with this.

Flying is always a costly process. You should worry about purchasing air tickets in advance. There are large air carriers in the UAE - Emirates, AirArabia, Fly Dubai, which often organize various promotions and Special offers. Subscribe to airline newsletters and check your inbox so you don't miss promotions. The last time a ticket from AirArabia cost me $200. Route Kyiv - Dubai - Kyiv. Ticket prices without discounts for this route usually start from $400.

The Lent of Ramadan, which lasts almost the entire month of June, can pleasantly please you low prices for accommodation in hotel rooms. You have the opportunity to save a lot of money while enjoying luxury hotels in Dubai. Because hotel rooms are only 10-20% full, hotel management provides big discounts on accommodation and meals. They can even reach 70-80%. In addition, if you love peace and quiet, June will be the most optimal month for a holiday in the Emirates. The streets and shopping centers are calm and uncrowded.

Visiting cafes and restaurants in Dubai costs a decent amount. The average check per person can be $40.

If you want to save money and have a delicious meal, I recommend the following establishments. A budget option, as in many other countries, this is fast food. In the Emirates, most fast food outlets are located in shopping centers - malls (Subway, McDonalds, KFC, etc.)

Lunch costs from $10.

If you like soups, seafood, or just want to try our dumplings, great place there will be a Golden Fork restaurant chain. Large portions, reasonable prices.

Lunch costs from $15.

The country can also please lovers of spicy and vegetarian dishes, which will definitely not leave you hungry. Restaurants Chin Chin, Bombei, Mumbai will provide delicious food to those who want to try Thai and Indian cuisine. The variety of dishes will pleasantly surprise you.

Lunch costs from $9.

It is important to note that in the central part of the city (Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah, Dubai Marina) the cost of lunch will be much higher. The further you are from the center, the lower the cost of services and the average bill in restaurants. For example, visiting an Afghani cafe in the Old City area, you can have breakfast for $2 (omelet, coffee, fresh flatbread). The level of service will be significantly lower, but you definitely won’t go hungry.

Very often people fly to Dubai on vacation to buy fur coats and Jewelry. However, not everyone knows what time of year and in which stores it is better to make such purchases. In large shopping centers Dubai Mall and Emirates Mall, prices are much higher. Head to the Deira area for shopping. A huge assortment and affordable prices for fur, leather and jewelry will pleasantly surprise you. IN summer period the cost is significantly cheaper by 20-25%. For example, a mink short fur coat will cost from $1000. If you are an avid shopaholic and brand hunter, come in February. At this time, discounts on designer collections can reach 90%.

If there is no left on your refrigerator free space for new magnets, and you don’t know what to bring to your friends and relatives from the Emirates - bring dates! Here you will find more than 120 types for every taste: chocolate, almond, hazelnut. You won’t find dates like these in Ukraine. The cost of a small gift package is equal to the cost of a magnet - $3. Undoubtedly, your friends will love this souvenir.

Spice lovers should definitely visit the oriental spice bazaar “Spice Souk”. A large selection, reasonable prices and the opportunity to bargain will lift your spirits. You can pay for purchases at the market both in cash and with bank cards.

Let's summarize. Now you know how and what you can save on in times of crisis in the Emirates, and at the same time have a good vacation, full of new impressions, vivid emotions and unforgettable adventures.

How much money do you need to travel to Dubai in 2019? Find out all the prices: for tours, tickets, hotel, food, transport, excursions. We calculate the cost of a week's vacation for two people and find out what is more profitable - a tour or an independent trip.

Holidays in the UAE are expensive! Therefore, it will be useful for you to find out about prices in Dubai and plan your travel budget. In this review, I will tell you how much a holiday in Dubai costs and how you can go inexpensively.

Visa: not needed for Russians. Exchange rate: 1 UAE dirham (AED) ≈ 18 RUB.

Ticket prices

How much does a ticket to Dubai cost? Prices depend on the season (lower in winter and summer) and the city of departure.

Moscow. Tickets from the capital are the cheapest - usually from 14,000 rubles for a direct round-trip flight. For promotions or charters, you can buy tickets at a lower price.

The cost of tickets to Dubai from other cities of the Russian Federation is slightly higher. For 17-20 thousand rubles you can usually find tickets from Yekaterinburg, MinVod, Kazan, Samara, Ufa, Makhachkala, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg.

How to fly cheaper? Study ours - they will help you save a lot.

Dubai Mall. The famous aquarium can be viewed for free, but only partially, from the outside.

Hotel prices in Dubai in 2019

How much a trip to Dubai will cost depends primarily on the level of the hotel and the season. First, let's deal with seasonality.

When is it expensive? October-November and March-April are high season in the Emirates. At this time it is neither cold nor hot: the air temperature is about +30°C. During these months, prices for holidays in Dubai are the highest.

When is it cheap? The cheapest time to go on holiday to Dubai is from May to September, but not everyone can withstand the heat of +50°C during this period. If you want to save money and not get burned in the sun, come on vacation in winter. During the day +25°C, quite fresh and warm, however, not everyone swims in the sea in winter - the water temperature is +19°C. We flew to Dubai at the beginning of December - this is the perfect time.

The famous Parus Hotel in Dubai is one of the most expensive and luxurious in the world.

Hotel prices in Dubai(the price indicated is for a double room, excluding hostel):

Shared room in a hostel	from 600 rub. per person
Most cheap hotel with bad reviews and in the middle of nowhere	from 2,000 rub.
Decent hotel with a rating of 8 and above (we recommend in the Old Town - we stayed there)	from 4,000 rub.
Aparthotels	from 3,000 rub.
Hotel 5 stars	from 5,000 rub.
Residential complex Jumeirah Beach	from 9,500 rub.
Hotel on line 1	from 9,000 rub.
(Burj Al Arab)	from 110,000 rub.
in Burj Khalifa	from 38,000 rub.

Where to book:

- the most popular hotel search service, huge selection.
Roomguru - check current discounts and compare hotel prices in different booking systems.
Airbnb.ru - rent rooms, apartments and villas from owners at any price: from economy to real luxury. There are cool options, like rooms in skyscrapers or a yacht. Renting housing instead of hotels is especially beneficial if you are vacationing in Dubai with your family or company.

Tips for choosing a hotel:

Choose a hotel based on reviews and with a rating of at least 8 points.
Look on the map where the hotel is located: how far is it to the metro, beach, cafe?
Book a hotel with breakfast - save money and time.
Choose the right area of the city. For example, inexpensive hotels and cafes are in Deira and Bur Dubai. Find out, .

Orient Guest House is our hotel in Dubai. Authentic, located in the beautiful and quiet Old Town, hearty breakfasts and excellent staff. We recommend!

Interesting video! TV presenter and blogger Anton Ptushkin takes a video tour of the rich life in Dubai:

Prices for tours to Dubai in 2019

Last minute tours search on services and they will find best deals among different tour operators.

Cost of tours to Dubai from Moscow. A vacation for two in a 3-4* hotel in Dubai costs from 40 thousand rubles for 7 nights and from 60 thousand rubles for 11 nights. At full board the cost of trips to Dubai for a week starts from 80 thousand rubles.

Cost of tours to Dubai from St. Petersburg. The cheapest tours for 7 nights cost from 80 thousand rubles, a stay in a 5* hotel - from 100 thousand.

Beach in Dubai Marina in December. There are quite a lot of people, there is construction going on here and there.

Food prices in Dubai in 2019

How much money you will spend on food during your holiday in Dubai depends only on your gastronomic preferences and the thickness of your wallet. You can snack on Arabic shawarma or try a dish at a Michelin-starred restaurant - the choice is yours.

In the Emirates you will find a restaurant of any cuisine and any price category. You can eat deliciously and inexpensively in Indian and Pakistani establishments - a hearty lunch for two will cost 50-60 dirhams. There are many such restaurants in the areas of Bur Dubai and Deira.

Prices in inexpensive cafes in Dubai

breakfast - from 20 AED;
lunch and dinner - from 30 AED;
shawarma - from 10 AED.

Prices in restaurants in Dubai

breakfast - from 60 AED;
lunch - from 100 AED;
dinner - from 170 AED;
cost of drinks: classic cappuccino - 16 AED, fresh juice - 21 AED, imported beer (0.33 l) - 40 AED.

Prices for groceries in Dubai stores

Most products in the UAE are imported, so they are not cheap. Food prices in Dubai supermarkets:

milk (1 l) - 5.50 AED;
loaf of white bread (500 g) - 4.60 AED;
eggs (12 pcs) - 11 AED;
chicken breasts (1 kg) - 26 AED;
tomatoes (1 kg) - 7 AED;
potatoes (1 kg) - 4.50 AED;
onion (1 kg) - 4 AED;
cucumbers (1 kg) - 13 AED;
apples (1 kg) - 9 AED;
oranges (1 kg) - 8 AED;
watermelon (1 kg) - 6 AED.

In large supermarkets you can buy ready-made food: salads, meat, desserts, juice. Such a lunch for two costs 40-50 dirhams, but bringing the idea to life is not easy: finding a large supermarket in Dubai is incredibly difficult, and eating on the street is inconvenient.

(Photo © Kathryn Burrington / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Prices for attractions in Dubai

You won’t know how much a holiday in Dubai costs until you understand the attractions. Prepare to shell out some cash - they are quite expensive here. But don't be upset - free places and there is more than enough inexpensive entertainment in the emirate. Singing fountain, main mosque Jumeirah Mosque, Aquarium in Dubai Mall, Old city, gold and spice markets, beaches, a reserve with pink flamingos and.

All the most interesting things in Dubai can be seen for free or inexpensively. All sorts of wonders and entertainment are already expensive, most of them can be safely skipped. Exception - Observation deck the tallest skyscraper in the world, Burj Khalifa. I recommend visiting, it's an interesting experience.

Cost of visiting attractions:

Observation tower - adult ticket 135 AED, children 100 AED (read the link for our tips on how to save on buying tickets).
Safari park - from 20 AED for children, from 50 AED for adults.
Dubai Miracle Garden - 30 AED.
Wild Wadi Water Park - adult ticket 275 AED, children 220 AED.

How much do excursions cost in Dubai:

Six emirates - 330 AED.
Desert safari - 185 AED.
Boat trip around Palm Island- 367 AED.

Aquarium in Dubai Mall. There is a fee to enter this tunnel. Photo © Cazz / flickr.com.

Transport in Dubai

Public transport and taxis in Dubai are cheap.

If you are too lazy to understand the system of routes and travel cards, choose Taxi- for such a rich city it is cheap: a trip on average costs 10-20 dirhams. For a family or company, a taxi ride will cost even less than a bus or metro ride.

However, I still recommend that even the laziest people take a ride on the ultra-modern metro and trams at least once. Metro trains run without a driver and are controlled remotely. The stations are interesting and beautifully decorated. Also take a ride along Dubai Creek on national boats - abras. The fare costs only 1 dirham.

So, how much do public transport costs in Dubai?:

Taxi: boarding - 5 dirhams, kilometer - from 1.7.
Metro and tram: from 4 dirhams per trip, from 20 for a travel card.
Abras - from 1 dirham, water buses - from 2 dirhams.

From airport. Read our instructions. If you need a transfer, I advise you to book it in advance on a convenient service so as not to look for a taxi on the spot.

Recently, more and more offers have begun to appear to vacation in the UAE at a very cheap price - only 35 thousand for two for a week. At first glance, such options for tourists accustomed to inexpensive holidays in Egypt may seem quite attractive. The absence of the need to pay for a visa is also captivating. However, such hot tours threaten additional expenses, and the very attempt to compare the budget of a trip to the Emirates with Egypt is most likely doomed to failure. HL correspondent calculated how much it would cost additional expenses tourists.

Let's start with the fact that all cheap tours to the UAE are packages with breakfast. This means you will have to spend extra on lunch and dinner. The cost of the cheapest combo lunch at McDonald's for one person is about 25 dikhrams (or about 400 rubles), and if you want to go to a restaurant, then you need to be prepared for 1,500 rubles. per person. Let's add dinners to this: in Sharjah the average dinner bill for one costs about 700 rubles, in Dubai - 1,300 rubles. in a cafe and 2,600 rubles. in a restaurant. Here, for example, is the menu of the popular Wise Kwai in Dubai: salad plus hot food plus a drink.

That is, for the entire week-long vacation, one meal will cost at least another 15 thousand for two, and if you do not eat in eateries and enjoy the food, then it is better to focus on 25-30 thousand rubles. in Sharjah and 35–40 thousand in Dubai for two.

You should also add water to your food. In the UAE, water is more expensive than gasoline, and due to the intense heat, you are thirsty almost constantly. Tap water in the Emirates is not suitable for drinking, so you will have to spend about 100–150 rubles more to quench your thirst. per day per person, if you drink a liter or more per day (the cost of 0.33 liters of water is approximately 1.35 dihrams). That is, about 1 thousand rubles will come out in a week. per person.

There is a tourist tax in the UAE. It is different for each emirate and varies depending on the hotel category. If we choose, for example, a week-long tour in Dubai in a two-star hotel for 38 thousand for two, then the tourist tax will be 930 rubles. per person, and for 4 or 5 star hotels it will cost 1,400 or 1,800 rubles. respectively.

It is worth considering that if you choose the cheapest tours, then at best you will have to walk three kilometers to the sea, and in the worst case, take a bus for about 20 minutes. With such difficulties, you are unlikely to want to go to the beach every day and will only have to enjoy relaxing in the pool . Is it worth flying so far for this?

Relaxing on the beach all week usually becomes boring, and most tourists go on at least one or two excursions. Group excursion in Dubai will cost $45, and a day of entertainment in famous park Ferrari – $115. And if you add a water park to the Ferrari park, it will cost $125 per person. That is, if we want to go on at least two excursions in a week, we will have to pay about 10 thousand per person.

Many tourists want to bring souvenirs and gifts for friends from their vacation. Oriental sweets are most often brought from the UAE - dates, figs, nuts, vanilla sticks. The cost of one box of sweets will cost from 300 to 5,000 rubles. depending on the type and filling of the gift. Magnets, bracelets and small souvenirs cost approximately 80–300 rubles, products self made– from 7,500 rub. Of course, everyone decides for themselves how much they are willing to spend on souvenirs. For example, let’s take several packages of sweets and a couple of magnets - about 1,500 rubles.

Now let’s try to calculate how much such a “ inexpensive holiday» taking into account all additional fees and expenses. If you don’t deny yourself good lunches and dinners, go on at least two excursions and take a couple of boxes of sweets as a gift, you’ll get 28,500 rubles. per person in the cheapest emirate of Sharjah and 33,500 rubles. – in the most expensive emirate of Dubai. For two people this is already from 60 to 70 thousand rubles. accordingly, which is almost twice as much as the cost of the tour itself. So, if you analyze all the costs, a holiday in the UAE no longer seems so cheap and is unlikely to be an alternative Egyptian resorts. But now you know exactly how much money to take with you if you manage to “snatch” a hot offer.

What do people who have not been to imagine about this city? Luxury, wealth, oil, the tallest buildings and generally the best of everything, impeccable service and strict morals. The Dubai government spends a lot of money on advertising and marketing so that this is how it is presented throughout the world. Although this idea partly coincides with reality, it is rather superficial. Meanwhile, the east is a delicate matter, and when going on vacation to this wonderful city, it is important to know some subtleties, especially related to upcoming expenses.

- expensive city. for a week, breakfast is not so expensive (from 1000 – 1100 dollars for two from Moscow to a more or less decent “troika”, and from Kyiv it can sometimes be even cheaper), but here In Dubai itself you will have to spend a little (or a lot). So, in order:

Tourist tax

Since March 31, 2014, a tourist tax has been introduced, which is paid by guests at the hotel upon check-in. Its size depends on the star rating of the hotel:

1-2 stars, guesthouse – 7 dirhams ($1.92) per day per room
3 stars and apartments – 10 dirhams ($2.74) per day per room
4 stars and superior apartments – 15 dirhams ($4.10) per night per room
5 stars and deluxe apartments – 20 dirhams ($5.48) per night per room

IMPORTANT! The fee is paid PER ROOM, regardless of how many people live in it.

How to save money?

No way, you must pay and under no circumstances confuse this tax with a deposit. The tax is not refundable. Although you can simply choose another emirate for your holiday (for example, a hotel in Sharjah on the border with Dubai), since this tax exists only in and, fortunately, does not apply to other emirates.

Deposit

Let's call this a conditional waste, since when you check out of the hotel, if you did not use the minibar, did not order additional food from the restaurant or room service, and did not use paid services at the hotel, the deposit will be returned to you. In some hotels they are required to exchange it for dirhams, and accordingly they will only return it in dirhams; in some hotels it is possible to leave a deposit in foreign currency (as a rule, these are dollars, euros, currencies of some countries Persian Gulf) and they will return him in it. Why do we classify the deposit as an expense? Because this money is returned only on the last day upon check-out, therefore you will not be able to use it during your vacation only if you use paid hotel services, for which they will then be deducted from the deposit.

How to save money?

It is possible not to leave a deposit; you can almost always arrange this at the reception. True, 5-star hotels generally insist on leaving a deposit, as they offer quite a lot of services for an additional fee (both you and the hotel will be calmer if you leave a deposit). In all other cases, if you have agreed not to leave a deposit, the contents of the minibar will be removed from your room and you will need to always take either cash or a card with you in order to immediately pay for Additional services or food that is not included in your package. It is impossible to write an invoice to your room and pay upon check-out if you have not left a deposit in almost any hotel.

Extra bed for a child

If you are traveling with a child under 12 years old, be very careful when choosing a hotel and tour if it is essential that the child sleeps on an extra bed. As a rule, all hotels offer free accommodation for 1-2 children under 12 years old ON EXISTING BEDS. Do not be deceived by the low price and do not believe when they tell you that, if it is not written "without extra bed"(“without an extra bed”), then it is implied. It is in, and in the emirates in general, that it is considered quite normal that a child sleeps in existing beds with his parents, so by default, if you do not indicate that an extra bed is needed for a child, you will be booked a standard room with one double or two singles beds and everything. You will have to pay for the bed at the hotel. The cost of an extra bed on site generally ranges from 80 to 120 dirhams (21 – 33 dollars) per day for 3-4* hotels. As a rule, this is less profitable than booking a tour with an extra bed right away.

How to save money?

Accept on the spot or mentally prepare in advance that the children will sleep in the same bed with you. For greater comfort, it is better to take one double bed rather than two single beds. You can just politely talk to the reception and explain that you are with children, and if suddenly the standard hotel rooms are at least a little different from each other, ask for a room with a wider bed or just a little larger area (this happens if the hotel building is something round, wavy or other incomprehensible shape - standard rooms may vary slightly). You can do the Arab trick - bring an inflatable mattress with you, for example, feel free to ask for an additional blanket, pillow and linen (this is all free in almost all hotels) - and sleeping area ready. Some hotels (but not all) provide a free mattress for children. Another solution is to book apartments (fortunately there are more and more of them). The fact is that in the apartments the numbers are usually larger area than just hotel rooms, and very often among the furniture there is a small, even if not a folding sofa, on which a child up to 9-10 years old can easily fit. And don't confuse an extra bed with a crib. A baby cot is provided free of charge, but availability varies budget hotels It's better to check in advance.

Food

This is almost the main expense item. There are very few all-inclusive hotels (mostly only luxury five-star hotels), some other emirates have them, but the difference in price will still be huge. Therefore, it is better to book a tour with breakfast or half board (breakfast-lunch or breakfast-dinner), and you can have lunch or dinner in the city. Even though it will be cheaper than eating at a hotel, food is still quite expensive. For example, a serving of soup is 25-30 dirhams ($7-8); a portion of rice with chicken is about the same, with meat it is 1-2 dollars more expensive (in traditional Arab restaurants and cafes the portions of rice are huge, one may be enough for two); pasta – 40-60 dirhams ($11-16) per serving depending on the sauce (I don’t recommend it at all, I’ve never tried decent pasta in the Emirates, it’s a waste of money); small pizza – 20-30 dirhams (6-8 dollars); a cup of coffee - on average 15 - 20 dirhams (4-5 dollars), tea the same amount, and these will always be tea bags, even in an expensive restaurant (I know only one place where there is decent tea - the cafe at the Atlantis Plato’s Hotel); soft drinks such as cola – 8-10 dirhams ($2.5-3) per 0.33 l; desserts such as ice cream or a piece of cake average 25-35 dirhams ($8-10). It’s easy to calculate that even if you save and take the most inexpensive thing, one serving for two, etc., one full lunch or dinner will still cost at least $25 for two. We multiply 25 by 2 (if you only have breakfasts) and by 7 more, we get 350 dollars and at least a week only for food, and there will always be snacks, coffee, sweets, and various gatherings in the evening.

How to save money?

Don't eat (just kidding). You can book an apartment, buy food in the supermarket and cook yourself. Although this is very controversial, because no one wants to cook on vacation, and food prices are such that the savings are questionable (only if for a large family). Of course, you just need to know the places. For example, in traditional Arab restaurants (Yemish, Syrian, NOT LEBANESE - they are usually more expensive and the portions are smaller) you can triple the belly feast by taking half a chicken, which is usually narrower either with french fries or with rice and a separate portion of rice, in addition to this they will bring you bread , sauce, vegetables, with all the extra bonuses, two people can eat to their heart's content for about 40 dirhams ($11). There is an inexpensive Chinese food chain, Chowking, which, in addition to prices, pleases with a huge selection, no one has canceled fast food, although this does not mean that all fast food is cheap, but McDonald's is our everything, even in the emirates, Indian food is the cheapest, but with She needs to be more careful (you can spend half the holiday with an upset stomach).

Transport

- the city is big. If to the beaches and some shopping centers You will be picked up and picked up by free transfers from the hotel, then to explore the city and visit attractions you will have to use public transport or taxi. The metro is quite expensive. Ride around single ticket one way for one person within one zone – 6 dirhams (1.6 dollars). Taxi - 5 dirhams ($1.4) upon boarding (in other emirates - 3 dirhams), even if you drove less, the minimum amount is 12 dirhams ($3.3). Taxi drivers also love to pretend to be fools, as if they don’t know where it is (and sometimes they really don’t), driving around in circles so that your bill will run up more. There are also VIP taxis - white Lexuses. They will assure you that they are also taxis, only a little more expensive, but in fact their tariff is 2-2.5 times higher than a regular taxi.

How to save money?

Almost all attractions can be reached by metro. If you plan to ride the metro all the time, it is better to buy a silver NOL card, it costs 25 dirhams ($7), of which 19 dirhams ($5.2) go to the electronic account of this card, and you can use them for travel. With such a card, less money is withdrawn for the trip. For example, instead of a one-time ticket for 6 dirhams, if you use a silver card, only 3 dirhams ($0.8) will be charged. In addition, it is suitable for traveling not only on the metro, but also on city and even intercity buses. In the case of taxis, avoid VIP taxis and do not believe their stories that the prices are only slightly higher, a regular Dubai taxi is much cheaper. Take a hotel business card or a special map with the location from the reception, in this case the taxi driver will see the exact address and won't drive you around in circles.

Excursions

Yes, yes, excursions are quite expensive. Standard package – tour and safari. That's more or less acceptable prices- approximately $30 per person on average from both guides and local travel agencies. But even here, not everything is so smooth: the discount for children is usually minimal, an excursion for a child is almost always slightly cheaper than an excursion for an adult; entry tickets are not included in the price, except for the cheapest ones, like the Dubai Museum. For example, the program indicates a visit to the aquarium, in fact, it means that you just look at the part of the aquarium that is visible from the shopping center, and to go inside and see everything, you need to buy a ticket for 100 dirhams ($ 27), also and with the most tall building– Burj Khalifa – you can take a photo with the background, but to go up, you need to buy a ticket, or rather, book in advance for 130 or 200 dirhams (35 or 55 dollars) depending on the time of visit. A ticket to the water park for an adult is 285 dirhams ($78), children are counted by height - up to 110 cm, their ticket is “as much as” 45 dirhams ($12) cheaper. More unusual excursions are very expensive. For example, a helicopter flight costs 895 dirhams ($245) for 22 minutes, and this is only the flight itself; you can either travel on your own or transport for a fee.

How to save money?

It's difficult to advise anything. After all, prices for all tickets are fixed. But on excursions they may differ. Suggestions for excursions great amount. On the first day, it is better to check prices in at least three places: with the guide, at the hotel tour desk (if there is one) and at the beach, where many local agencies offer their services. After comparing, you can choose one where it is generally cheaper, because if you take at least three excursions in one place, they usually provide a small discount. You can plan your route in advance and visit everything on your own, especially almost all the attractions along the metro line. And yes, don’t forget to bargain, you’re in the east. True, you should be wary of excursions that are clearly much cheaper than in other places, especially safaris, since the quality and duration may vary.
A spoonful of honey – tip. In and in general in the emirates, there is no such thing as in or, when for a good number you need to put a certain amount in dollars in your passport. Most likely, the receptionist, when he takes your passport for scanning, will think that you simply forgot the money in it and will give it to you. It is customary and taught in all hotels that the customer is always right, and the service should be excellent for everyone, and not just for those who leave generous tips. Of course, if you liked the service, were friendly and helpful, it is your right to leave a reward for someone, but no one will expect or demand a tip. And it’s also incredibly nice for all hotel workers to receive small gifts like chocolates or souvenirs from your city.

I hope this article will be useful to everyone who is going to Russia and will help to avoid troubles, especially financially. If you prepare properly, even Dubai prices will not be scary.

Text: Nadezhda Trubach. Photo: flickr.com

Once we were traveling on a train from Moscow with a young man. He said that he vacationed in Dubai for about $800 for 10-11 days. Then this question did not bother me. And now I would like to visit this country, but we don’t have a lot of money. I would like to know if anyone has traveled to the Emirates to inexpensive hotels? Interested in a beach holiday, at least 10 days. The hotel is not necessarily on the shore. Thank you

800 - for one? For this money you can relax in a city hotel. More precisely, not to relax, but to spend time in Dubai. City hotels are not suitable for beach holiday, but there are free shuttles from them to the beaches. If the shuttle schedule is not convenient for you (it picks up people at lunch), you can take a taxi; there are beautiful Toyota Camrys with air conditioning, relatively inexpensive and on the meter. Generally speaking, holidays in Dubai are specific. Basically, city hotels are filled with people who plan to spend a significant portion of their time shopping. It’s not that there’s so much shopping there, but that’s the tradition. Those. It is of interest to you to be in a rather large and noisy city during your vacation; you do not expect that there will be any animators, all-inclusive meals, etc. Beach hotels in Dubai are luxurious, but for people with means. We really liked Dubai, we knew where we were going. We are planning again in October.
People advised Ajman - I don’t know. I didn’t really like Sharjah (the emirate neighboring Dubai), it seemed a bit boring, but we weren’t on vacation, we were just passing through. But if you have small children, there is definitely nothing to do in the city in Dubai, or in a beach hotel, or in Sharjah.

Really. The question is what do you get for this money. There are hotels in Dubai as city ones, i.e. located in the city, on the streets, without territory and with swimming pools on the roofs, and beach ones, located some distance from the city, on the beach, in the Jumeirah area. Beach hotels in Dubai are good, but quite expensive. I think for 800 per person 11/12 days will be unrealistic. Staying in a city hotel is not quite a beach hotel. Those. City hotels are quite shabby from intensive use, full of a variety of people (I have never seen such a variety of facial textures as in Dubai - yellow, black, etc.), including our “shuttles”. No one at the hotel will entertain you or be interested in you at all, as, say, in Turkey or Egypt. The hotel doesn’t have much infrastructure either - well, a sauna, a pool on the roof. Free hotel the bus is coming to the beach, say, around 9 am, and back around 1 pm. Those who didn’t hide, it’s not my fault - they go to the beach by taxi or city bus, in my opinion, No. 8 goes along Jumeirah Beach Road to the center. On the beach, however (both paid and free), there is volleyball and beach football. Shower. But sunbeds and umbrellas cost money. That is, it is assumed that you do not intend to stay at the hotel at all, there is nothing to do there, and upon arriving from the beach you go to wander around the city. Walk, wander around shops, bars (according to interests), etc. You can go on vacation for 2 weeks for $500 per person, but I’m afraid it will be a collective farmer’s house in Dubai. When we went for the first time, experienced acquaintances frightened us with the high cost of food - what do you mean, like for $15 - just to look at dinner. And for dinner - from 50. We, in general, people without big complaints, had dinner in Golden Fork (fast food) - $ 7-10 large dishes, meat, seafood, or in eateries where some local people eat, delicious, clean, fried meat with vegetables and fresh juice $4 per person. But in Dubai there is no limit to prices. Those. if you want to spend more on vacation and food, in my opinion, there are no limits at all. (Once we even took Thai Tom Yam soup - also tasty and inexpensive, in general). Taxi is inexpensive (compared to Moscow). Well, what else... Alcohol is expensive and only in hotel bars; we took so much with us at Dubai duty free that we took some back. We went to the Irish Village in Dubai, drank Guinness, ate pork, Guinness, if I'm not mistaken, cost 6 dollars a mug. They didn’t take sun loungers on the beach, they lay on the sand, it’s white and soft, very pleasant. Someone said on the forum that the free beach is dirty. Bad luck. Ours was clean, they cleaned it constantly, and in general there were no cigarette butts lying around. Towels (beach) are provided at the hotel and changed every day. We visited both the free beach and the paid Jumeirah Beach, but we didn’t get to Al Mamzar, so we want to go there this time. Don’t believe that the water in the ocean is lifeless; if you dive with goggles, you can see small sandy stingrays at the bottom.
SUMMARY. For 800 dollars, if you want to count travel allowances here, the hotel will be very simple, 2 stars, if the travel allowances are separate - the usual Emirati three rubles. Both are in the city. Or a beach hotel in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah, but I can’t say anything about Sharjah. You will have the same sea and beach in all cases, you will get there from a 2,3, 4 star hotel, you will go yourself or they will take you.
p.s. All of the above is my experience and does not claim to be the ultimate truth.

Another tip, if you please: take a 2-3 star hotel in the city ($25-30 per person per night, including breakfast and lunch, you can have dinner in the Deira area, there is a cafe there with real prices: 13 dirhams per person: you take a tray and fill yourself with food, the choice is normal, you take as much as you want, we sometimes took one tray, stuffed to capacity, for two of us and ate at the hotel!). My family and I were in Spectrum**, it’s not a “fountain”, but you can live: the room has air conditioning, TV, a shared bathroom, the staff is quite polite. Or COMFORT INN***, it is more expensive and therefore better. If you drive a car, rent a car (a Russian license is good, $25 per day for a new “Queen” or “Civic”, gasoline is a penny, the rules are as follows -same, but the drivers are very polite to each other). We always take a rent-a-car, we have traveled all over the country, we do not depend on the hotel bus to the beach, in addition, it is better to go to the paid beach (Al Mamzar, 30 dirhams per car), you can go to Indian Ocean, in Abu Dhabi, etc. In general, if you are interested in my advice, write, I will share my experience of an economical holiday in the UAE.

Just returned from the UAE. Were in Sharjah, Beach Hotel Sharjah 3*, $400 per week on half board basis. But these are, naturally, summer prices. Although we probably wouldn’t go there for a lot of money. The advantages of the hotel - it is located right on the shore, sun loungers, umbrellas, mattresses, towels are free, a large swimming pool, good rooms, we got a 2-room suite with a sea view for three people with a child, although I knew that some rooms overlook the road and was ready to change the room. Nice beach, sand, clear water, swimming is a pleasure. The food is quite varied, with themed dinners in the evenings. Free buses 4 times a day to Dubai, 2 times to Sharjah. In my opinion, it is better to live in beach hotel, unless, of course, you are going not only to the shops. In the morning we got up, swam, sunbathed and calmly went to Dubai. We took a 12 o'clock bus and walked there until the evening. As a rule, we returned by taxi. There are plenty of them there good cars. Drive 20 minutes without traffic jams. Only once, at around 7 pm, we drove for about 40 minutes with traffic jams. It seems to me that Sharjah is the best option if you need an inexpensive seaside holiday plus proximity to Dubai. If you need luxury hotels with beautiful grounds, this is not the place. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer.

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