Nine hour stopover in Dubai

theoldbreed

Hi all,

I know there are many threads about this but my query is my flight lands at 5 30 am. I would like to do a quick city tour or something like that to kill a few hours. Is there not much point considering I'm landing so early or does that not make a difference?

Thank you

thelad95

theoldbreed wrote: »

Hi all,

I know there are many threads about this but my query is my flight lands at 5 30 am. I would like to do a quick city tour or something like that to kill a few hours. Is there not much point considering I'm landing so early or does that not make a difference?

Thank you

Whereabouts are you heading? You may not actually be allowed leave the airport.

theoldbreed

thelad95 wrote: »

Whereabouts are you heading? You may not actually be allowed leave the airport.

I'll be coming home to Ireland at that stage.

emeldc

If you're making a connecting flight I don't think you can leave the secure area, otherwise you have to collect all your baggage, leave the airport and check it all in again later and go through the whole security thing again.

killbillvol2

emeldc wrote: »

If you're making a connecting flight I don't think you can leave the secure area, otherwise you have to collect all your baggage, leave the airport and check it all in again later and go through the whole security thing again.

That is absolutely incorrect. Why would you post something when you have no clue what you're talking about?

OP, the issue for you is the time of day - not sure there's a tour at that time. Check the airport website - they do push short tours during longish stopovers so I wouldn't be surprised if you could find something.

Also Emirates provide hotel accommodation for certain travel classes on longer stopovers.

Yourself isit

killbillvol2 wrote: »

That is absolutely incorrect. Why would you post something when you have no clue what you're talking about?

OP, the issue for you is the time of day - not sure there's a tour at that time. Check the airport website - they do push short tours during longish stopovers so I wouldn't be surprised if you could find something.

Also Emirates provide hotel accommodation for certain travel classes on longer stopovers.

Are you saying he doesn't have to go through security leaving and coming back? That would be odd.

His baggage would probably be automatically transferred. The rest is correct.

irelandrover

Yourself isit wrote: »

Are you saying he doesn't have to go through security leaving and coming back? That would be odd.

His baggage would probably be automatically transferred. The rest is correct.

You'll already be checked in and your baggage gone to your final destination. So all you have to do is go through security again.

emeldc

killbillvol2 wrote: »

That is absolutely incorrect. Why would you post something when you have no clue what you're talking about?

OP, the issue for you is the time of day - not sure there's a tour at that time. Check the airport website - they do push short tours during longish stopovers so I wouldn't be surprised if you could find something.

Also Emirates provide hotel accommodation for certain travel classes on longer stopovers.

Ok, so I'll just walk out of the airport pick up my suicide vest from Abdul, turn around, walk back in again, board my flight and blow the whole fuggin' lot of ye out of the sky. Which of us is talking the most sh1te do you reckon.

killbillvol2

Yourself isit wrote: »

Are you saying he doesn't have to go through security leaving and coming back? That would be odd.

His baggage would probably be automatically transferred. The rest is correct.

Of course you have to go through security coming back. You don't go through security leaving. Just immigration.

Layover tours are big business in Dubai.

emeldc

killbillvol2 wrote: »

Of course you have to go through security coming back. You don't go through security leaving. Just immigration.

Layover tours are big business in Dubai.

Have you a link to say the airline will babysit your bags while you go off on your sightseeing trip. After all if the OP get delayed or can't make the flight they wont fly with his bags on board so they'll have to look for them to take them off anyway. Not so easy when you're dealing with a couple of hundred bags. But I'll stand corrected on the bag thing if anyone has had experience with it.

kev_s88

We got the stop over hotel deal from Emirates on the way down to South Africa a few years ago. Arrived in Dubai at 1am, in hotel by 2.30am and back in the airport at 8.30am for connecting flight. Great service to be able to have a kip in a nice bed.

However we did have to bring our bags with us when we left the airport. Advantage was they were already checked in so we just had to bring them to the baggage drop and away we went through security.

emeldc

kev_s88 wrote: »

We got the stop over hotel deal from Emirates on the way down to South Africa a few years ago. Arrived in Dubai at 1am, in hotel by 2.30am and back in the airport at 8.30am for connecting flight. Great service to be able to have a kip in a nice bed.

However we did have to bring our bags with us when we left the airport. Advantage was they were already checked in so we just had to bring them to the baggage drop and away we went through security.

A big thank you from someone who has no clue what they're talking about :rolleyes::D

killbillvol2

If you're connecting through Dubai with Emirates (I'm assuming the OP is) your baggage is automatically checked through to your final destination if your connection is less than 24 hours.

Not only does the OP not have to collect his/her luggage, he/she couldn't collect it without making arrangements to do so in advance.

If you're availing of the free hotel stay you'll be given the option of collecting your bags.

redcup342

emeldc wrote: »

If you're making a connecting flight I don't think you can leave the secure area, otherwise you have to collect all your baggage, leave the airport and check it all in again later and go through the whole security thing again.

Nah, you can just go out of the airport and come back in again, you just get 2 stamps in your passport (Entering and Leaving Dubai)

Visa is free of charge.

Less than 24 hours is considered a connection so will be stuck on the next flight.

smurfjed

Assuming that you are Irish, you do not need a visa to enter Dubai, so enter the country by going past immigration and customs. There are companies such as Big Bus that do day tours of Dubai hop on / hop off. Then go back to the Irish village to have a beer to recover. Take a short tai ride back to the airport, go through security and immigration and head to the boarding gate for your flight. 
Your baggage will be checked in from departure to destination. If you don't get back on the flight your bags will be offloaded.

I dont think I have ever been on such a boring city tour as I was in Dubai. And I love those things!

But the airport is pretty boring too.

killbillvol2

bubblypop wrote: »

I dont think I have ever been on such a boring city tour as I was in Dubai. And I love those things!

But the airport is pretty boring too.

The morning desert tour might be marginally more interesting but I don't know.

I've transited through Dubai about 30 times and never left the airport (but I've been using the lounges).

smurfjed

I spent 45 days there a while back, boring and expensive come to mind.

J.pilkington

The Dubai mall (not to be confused with the mall of the emirates) would be a good option, its only about 15mins in a cab and I believe the largest in the world. Plenty of good restaurant options here and endless amount of shops (mostly western shops so can get boring). You can also check out the fountains (same designer as the Belagio in Vegas only bigger) and the burj khalifa which you can pay to get to the top floor and on a clear day have a decent view and appreciation that it is a city built on a desert (current tallest building in the world). If you are into exotic motors there is no end of them here (rolls, ferraris, lambos, mclaren etc) parked at the valet area.

As previously mentioned you would not be taking your checked in luggage as they would be checked to final destination so wouldn't be too uncomfortable.

redcup342

smurfjed wrote: »

Assuming that you are Irish, you do not need a visa to enter Dubai, so enter the country by going past immigration and customs. There are companies such as Big Bus that do day tours of Dubai hop on / hop off. Then go back to the Irish village to have a beer to recover. Take a short tai ride back to the airport, go through security and immigration and head to the boarding gate for your flight. 
Your baggage will be checked in from departure to destination. If you don't get back on the flight your bags will be offloaded.

No, Ireland is visa on Arrival (but it's free anyway)

Visa free travel is for all EU Citizens (Except from the UK and Ireland)

steve-o

redcup342 wrote: »

No, Ireland is visa on Arrival (but it's free anyway)

Visa free travel is for all EU Citizens (Except from the UK and Ireland)

To avoid confusion for anyone visiting, it is only a paper technicality. The process is the same as for any non-visa visitor, so there is no need to go to any separate visa desk. Just go straight to an immigration desk.

theoldbreed

Thanks for all your advice guys. You've helped me a lot, this is why I love boards 😊