Dubai’s primary airport, Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic and often picks up the accolade as ‘Best Airport in the World’.
Dubai Airport (Photo: Ashim Silva via Unsplash)
Due to its sheer size, getting around DXB can take time, but it is extremely well organised with car rental counters located in terminal 1,2 and 3. It’s worth noting, however, that while all the major car rental companies are in terminal 1, not all of them are in 2 and 3. It’s also important to understand that international driving licences are mandatory for car rentals.
To determine which rental car companies offer the best vehicles across our three categories (Most Affordable, Best for Luxury, Best for Minivans), TravelMag.com carefully researched prices, availability, policies and customer reviews of the car rental companies. Here are our findings:
Most Affordable: Avis
For the best value, we’ve picked Avis which manages to offer numerous small and mid-sized cars at affordable prices. Avis’s best deals are on the Mitsubishi Attrage and Nissan Sunny which are both available for under €50 per day with unlimited mileage and a free cancellation policy up to 48hrs in advance if you book through rentalcars.com. With similar customer ratings and a range of vehicles at comparable prices, Dollar is our second pick at DXB.
Best for Luxury: Sixt
There’s something about Dubai that triggers overindulgence. If you’re going to splurge out on an expensive rental car, then this is probably one of the best places to do it. Unsurprisingly, we’ve selected Sixt as the most recommendable for premium cars. It’s certainly not the cheapest option at DBX but thanks to its customer service and outstanding selection of vehicles, it tops our list. If you’re a fan of SUVs, there are the BMW X2, GAC GS3 and Jaguar E-Pace to choose from. For lovers of sportier cars, they rent out a Maserati Levanti. And finally, for traditionalists, there’s a wide range of sedans and large premium cars from Mercedes Benz.
Best for Minivans: Dollar
With a number of full-sized SUVs and minivans in its fleet, Dollar is the best bet for a minivan rental at DBX. It also one of the top ranked car rental companies at DXB, receiving high marks for the helpfulness of its staff, and the speed of pickup and drop-off of its vehicles. In a region where car hire rentals are expensive, Dollar manages to keep prices reasonable with daily rates around €125 day for 7-seater vans. If Dollar doesn’t have availability on your chosen dates, then we’d recommend Thrifty which has similar offers and comparable customer feedback ratings.