Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Oman Travel International

AIR: The national airlines of Oman are Gulf Air (GF) (website: www.gulfairco.com), which it jointly owns with the governments of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar; and Oman Air (WY) (website: www.oman-air.com). Other airlines serving Oman include British Airways, Emirates, KLM and Lufthansa.

Approximate flight times: From Muscat to London is eight hours 10 minutes, to Singapore six hours 30 minutes and to Sydney 16 hours.

International airports: Muscat (MCT) (Seeb International), 40km (25 miles) west of the city (travel time – 15 to 30 minutes). Airport facilities include bank/bureau de change, duty-free shops, bar and light refreshments, restaurants and tourist information as well as post office and car hire (Avis, Budget and Hertz). Taxis and buses to the city are available.

Departure tax: 5OR for all departures (this has usually already been collected at ticket issuance). Children under two years old are exempt.

SEA: The main ports are Mina Raysut and Sultan Qaboos. Traffic is mainly commercial.

ROAD: Travel into Oman by land is only possible with prior government permission. The best route is the north–south road from Muscat to Salalah, a journey of some 10 to 12 hours. Road travel through Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is extremely limited. There is no access from Yemen.

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