Q: I will visit Dubai during 4 days in October 2008, with a friend of mine. We are both students, so we are quite low on budget. I looked for some cheap hotels and I found some mainly in Sharjah costing no more than $30-$35 a day per person: 1/ Youth Hostel in Dubai 2/ Youth Hostel in Sharjah 3/ The Suites Hotel Apartments, Al Corrnich Street, Sharjah 4/ Green House Resort Corniche Road, Sharjah, 2 km I am asking : - Is it convenient to stay in Sharjah while I mainly want to visit Dubai ? I heard about the traffic jam, but if I take the bus at 6a.m. will the traffic be also horrible ? - Any opinion/experience with the above-mentioned hostels/hotels? - Are Hotel Apartments a good choice ? - Are there any other possibilities ?
A: Sharjah is very convenient if you want to visit Dubai; traffic is a little tight in the mornings but its very close to Dubai so it is not a serious issue. Be advised, though, that Sharjah is known to be a little more strict in its laws than Dubai or the other emirates (though it is hardly noticeable). Im not familiar with the spots you mentioned, but I once stayed at a place called the Eureka Hotel (in Deira). It was only $80 or so per night, not bad when split between 2 people. It seems you are trying to stay under $35, but the extra $5 (each) would serve you well. I think there were 4 nightclubs attached to the hotel... If traffic is burdensome in the mornings, there are plenty of taxis running and they are all very cheap...usually around 15 UAD (about $4) total, depending on where you are trying to go of course...