Hi there,

We will be in transit in Dubai airport next Monday between 07.30am and 12.40 (about 5 hours) and then again on March 10 between 11.15pm and 08.20 am (9 hours nighttime). So we were wondering:

* Are we allowed to exit the airport? (Belgian residents, flying from Amsterdam to Port Sudan and back.)

* Is 5 hours enough to leave the airport to see something of Dubai (we would like to see a skyline of the city and the manmade islands at the coast or visit an artisanal market maybe, or is there anything else you can recommend doing in that time?)

* Where do we go to exit the airport and approx how much time does it take to get out/back in?

*How do we get into the city? Bus/taxi/sightseeing bus departing from airport?

* On our way back we are stuck at Dubai for 9 hours at nighttime. I guess everyting is closed in Dubai at night?

* As we saw that the facilities in the airport to get a few hours rest are extremely expensive, maybe we could book a room in a budget hotel near the airport. So here also we would need to get out of the airport (around midnight) and to/back from the hotel. Any suggestions?

*In another forum I read that starting from 4 hours transit, we should get a voucher for a free meal at the info booth nearest to the Burger King. Does this still apply?

Thanks in advance for all your help!
Warm regards,
Katrien