Getting Around in Qatar

Public Transport- buses and taxis in Doha

Private cars are the mains means of transport in Qatar. If not, taxis are the next best option. Distance and time of travel play an important part of the cost using a taxi. Typically early afternoons are the cheapest with rush hour being the most expensive.

You can expect long queues of people waiting for a taxi during busy times. There are however numerous “limousine services” in Doha and most residents will be able to recommend a reliable one to you. Be prepared with many streets having no name it’s most likely you will be the one directing the driver if you are going somewhere a little off the beaten track! There are also older orange taxis where the car models are older. They offer cheaper rates starting at 2 QR.

Qatar has a state operated taxi and bus service called Mowasalat, which have very reasonable rates and taxi’s and can be hailed from the road. Their taxi service is called Karwa.

Mowasalat provides two types of taxis, the normal taxi and airport service. All Mowasalat vehicles are brand new, air conditioned, fitted with the latest communication and navigation equipment to best serve the clients driven by highly trained drives, and are connected to their call centre which is equipped with high technology monitoring system

Mowasalat is the green taxi operator- their taxis are referred to as ‘Karwa’. The taxis are basically new air-conditioned cars. All are equipped with GPS navigation systems and the starting rate is about 4 QR. One tip is to make sure that the meters are always on and set to I for "inside Doha" if it is set to O that means you should be going outside of Doha and the rate is higher.

There are about six bus routes running for the public bus service, which is very limited. You can now get a Karwasmartcard to for cashless payment for bus trips. Visit their website to find out more www.karwasmartcard.com.qa they also have a great map of the bus routes on the website.

The public bus services are operated by Mowasalat- bus stops are situated along Doha’s main section and the rate is about 3 QR.

You can call the Karwa call centre on 4588888. You can also hire station wagon type taxis for up to 6 people for airport trips.

Karwa Taxi Tariffs as of March 2012

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Car Hire & Rental

Car hire companies can be found at the airport and at all major hotels, as well as around Doha. Don't be afraid to barter.. ask 'what's your best price?'

All the major international car rental firms are in Doha like Hertz, Avis, Budget, National as well as local firms. Make sure you get the correct insurance cover and you may have to convert your licence to a qatari one if you are looking at this as a long term option. Car rental costs anything between 2500 QR and 4000 QR per month.