Popular Airport | Santorini Airport |
|---|---|
Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 4 hour 20 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 2157 Miles |
Transportation to Airport from Muscat City Center
Muscat International Airport
Muscat, the capital city of Oman with a population of about 1.5 million, is a large port city in the Gulf of Oman stretching along the Arabian Sea. The road connections between Muscat International Airport, a busy airport, and the city center are quite extensive. These routes, which are linked to both the other cities of Oman and the neighboring cities outside the country, are close to Muscat Airport.
It is recommended for you to have a guide map with you at the taxis or rental cars that you can use to get to the airport from the city center of Muscat.
Because the city has many districts, you must find the roads or the means of public transport leading to Muscat Airport on the internet.
Bus
There are 60 bus stops serving permanently in Muscat. The rapidly growing population of the city and its reputation for tourism has created the need to expand public transport in the city. Sixteen of the forty new buses built under the leadership of the Oman National Transportation Company (ONTC) have replaced old buses on the route of Ruwi-Wadi Kabir.
With the new modernized buses, the new Ruwi-Wadi Adai line was opened. As a result of increasing the number of stops, there has also been an increase in urban public transport usage. New buses connecting to Ruwi and Muscat Airport started service at the end of 2015.
Busses serving between 6 am and 10 pm pass through the Sultan Qaboos motorway to reach the airport, just like any other means of transport.
Taxi
There are few taxis in some places in Muscat, while there are more in some other place. Where there are plenty of taxis, the prices are lower because of the competition.
Muscat city is both the capital and the biggest city of Oman, so you can come across taxis very often. At least if you are familiar with the following information, it will be easier for you to bargain with the taxi drivers: if the distance to your destination is below 2 kilometers the average you would pay is 0.5 riyals, and it is 2.5 riyals if the distance is about 5 kilometers. From Ruwi, one of Muscat's most important settlement centers, it costs around 8 riyals to go to the Muscat Airport by taxi.
There are two varieties of taxis in the city; one is white, and the other is orange. The vast majority of taxi drivers are Omani. Orange taxis are local, while white ones are a bit more upscale, airport taxis. You often find orange taxis in the city. If you are going to the airport from the city center, we suggest you prefer the orange car in terms of being cheaper.
Car Rental
As a foreign visitor, you can use your driver's license for 1 month within the boundaries of Oman. You can rent a car from the offices of car rental companies in the airport or at Muscat city center. Although the daily car rental fee is about 40 riyals, this price may vary depending on the characteristics of the car and whether or not you negotiate a bit.
To reach the airport from any point of the city, you have to enter the Sultan Qaboos motorway. If you are coming from the city center, you can follow the signs of the airport by entering this highway on the west side of the city and continuing from the right lane. Do not forget to rent also a navigation device while renting your car. The car rental option, which offers much cheaper opportunities than the taxi, is also the type of transportation preferred by tourists because oil is cheap in the country.
Airport Information
The name of Muscat International Airport, opened in 1973, was originally Seeb Airport until 2008because it was located in Seeb region. Located 30 kilometers west of Muscat city center, the airport's annual passenger capacity is approximately 6 million. Muscat Airport, Oman's largest airport, is also the primary airport of Oman Airlines.
The airport has airport shuttle buses with a capacity of seven people operated by the airport which are more expensive than public transport. You can visit the official website of Oman Airlines travel agency and contact the company. Oman is a country with high levels of cars in the traffic. Therefore, Muscat Airport has a parking area with a capacity of 396 vehicles.
On the first floor of the airport is the Tourist Information Office. There is a mosque in an area very close to the airport terminal. There is a free Wi-Fi service, a currency exchange office serving 24/7, ATMs, a clinic providing health services that you can find open all the time in the airport. Showering areas, smoking areas, travel agencies, car rental companies, retail stores, playground for children are other platforms can also be found in Muscat Airport.
You can shop at duty-free where the perfume, jewelry and other things are cheaper at the departure terminal of the airport. The airport is home to world famous eating and drinking areas such as Coffe & More, Costa Coffee, Subway, DQ Grill & Chill, The Irish House (Bar), Automatic Restaurant (Gulf region regional cuisine), Curry Kitchen (indian cuisine) and idli.com (South Indian food).
Transportation to Thira City Center from Airport
Santorini Airport
Santorini is one of the most popular island of Greece with its volcanic structure, extraordinary architecture, magnificent beaches and panoramic sea view. It is one of the places taking the attention of tourists. It is possible to reach Santorini by sea. However, those who are looking for a more practical transportation alternative can benefit from the planes flying to Santorini Airport, which is located on the island.
There are 14 villages on Santorini island. Fira is known as the settlement that forms the central region of the city. In addition, Imerovigli and Oia (or Ia) are also among the popular villages visited by tourists. Although the buses form the backbone of the public transportation in the city, there are not frequent services.
It does not take long to travel around Santorini, which is a small island. For this reason, you can also visit certain regions by walking or renting a bicycle. Apart from these, you can get on a taxi or rent a car to travel around the island.
There are also boats that provide transportation services between certain villages although they do not offer transportation service to the city center from the airport. It is possible to use the cable car line to reach the higher parts of the island.
For the transportation to the city center from the airport, only buses offer service as the means of public transportation vehicles. Some hotels and companies can organize private services for their customers. Apart from public transportation, you can use a taxi or rent a car to reach your destination more quickly.
Bus
The buses departing from the airport carry passengers to Fira. The general bus station is located near the city square in Fira. Passengers arriving at Fira can transfer to other buses from this station according to their destinations. The ticket prices of the buses may vary according to the destination in the city. These buses operate every thirty minutes or one hour. Sometimes, however, there may be delays and some passengers may experience problems with bus drivers. In general, it is not possible to travel between border regions by using only one vehicle.
Buses operate between short distances; so, you need to transfer in order to reach your destination. In Santorini, there are seven bus routes frequented used by tourists. For the passengers who consider travelling at night, there are buses that operate between major villages when the season is busy.
However, you need to remember that the buses don’t operate after midnight on weekdays. It is possible to run into express bus routes travelling to Perissa and Perivolos regions during busy seasons.
Private Service
Passengers who do not want to experience the crowd of buses or other problems such the low-quality services offered in the buses can benefit from private shuttle services organized by many hotels or companies in order to reach the city in a comfortable way. Some of these services can provide transportation to the city center from the airport.
Car Rental
You can rent a car from various car rental companies that you can find at the airport, or you can reserve your car in advance by making an online reservation. There are a variety of vehicle options you can rent in Santorini. Apart from standard cars, renting an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) is among the options commonly preferred by travelers.
You can travel around Santorini, which is a small island, by renting an ATV. In addition, they are affordable and comfortable when compared to a standard car.
There are also offices in the city where you can rent a bicycle in certain regions. Santorini is a small island that can be travelled with a bicycle. However, because many roads are closed for bicycles, bicycle is not a commonly used option in the city.
Taxi
When you arrive at the airport, you will see many taxis waiting for their customers. In some cases, using a taxi is more affordable when compared to the private services of the hotels. We recommend that you agree with the driver about the fare beforehand.
