Visiting for a week! Should female rent a car or hire a driver?

You should be able to use your Canadian License for 3 months : http://www.rop.gov.om/english/dg_traffic.asp#

Fofaz wrote:

I am heading to Oman for a week or so at the end of March. I am Canadian with a valid US driver's licence. Can I still drive in Oman without an international licence?? I am not interested in obtaining one because I live in Saudi and well, I highly doubt I could get one here.

I am planning on doing a lot of travelling within Oman. This is why I feel renting a car would be better. I don't want to be stuck in Sur, unable to head to Wahibi Sands, for example.

Is it easy to hire a driver in the towns? I'm mostly worried about finding one from the Sands to Nizwa.

Is it safe to hire a driver (single female)?

Any help would be appreciated!!!

Thanks

Hi Fofaz,

All taxi drivers in Oman have to be necessarily locals. There are also numerous non-Omanis (expatriates) who are into what is commonly known as the 'transportation' business - meaning plying a set group of passengers daily to and from work at fixed timings in their private vehicles.

This is primarily done so that those who do not drive can commute without having to put themselves through the ordeal of taking the poor public transport system locally, or move about in cabs which is usually a harrowing experience.

Now answering your query, it is best to avoid hiring a local driver. It is totally unsafe. I am not saying that all taxi drivers are questionable characters. But to find the few good ones amongst the pile would be near impossible, unless you have some reliable and trustworthy references.

Hiring a local driver on long journeys and to remote places would be nothing short of asking for trouble, which you should avoid at all costs, for your own personal safety.

Good luck.

Thank you Rammy87 so much, I have tried to browse the following titles in both languages:

1.Obtaining a new driving License
2.Renewing Driving License
3.Exchanging the approved foreign driving license
4.Vehicle registration
5.Renewal of vehicle registration
6.Transfer of ownership of vehicles

but but non of them is activated.

Please help us to see that links.

Cheers,
MAZ

Ok good to know!!! Thanks 

Mohamad MAZ wrote:

Thank you Rammy87 so much, I have tried to browse the following titles in both languages:

1.Obtaining a new driving License
2.Renewing Driving License
3.Exchanging the approved foreign driving license
4.Vehicle registration
5.Renewal of vehicle registration
6.Transfer of ownership of vehicles

but but non of them is activated.

Please help us to see that links.

Cheers,
MAZ

Dear MAZ.
The best thing is to create a serparate topic to discuss the above points. This post basically highlights none of the above.


Regards,

Fofaz wrote:

Ok good to know!!! Thanks 

I fully agree to what Mr. Sumitran has stated. In addition, I would suggest you to hire a "4x4 vehicle" on rent if you want to explore more of the mountains / wadis and such areas.

There is a facebook page, named as " Reliable drivers / transportation in Muscat" .  Many of the tourists have been benefited from there. You too could probably search over.