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Oman's mountainous coast

© www.123rf.com / Haider Yousuf

Travel to Oman

Flying to Oman

The national airline of Oman is Oman Air (WY) (www.omanair.com), which flies direct from London Heathrow to Muscat. Other carriers with flights to Oman include British Airways (www.ba.com), Gulf Air (www.gulfair.com) and Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com).

Air notes:

There are two main airports in Oman at Muscat and Salalah. Both are undergoing major upgrades to accommodate an expected increase in domestic and international passengers. Oman is planning to build a new international airport in Muscat by 2014 which will increase the number of passengers it can handle from 4.6 million to 9 million a year. A new runway will be capable of landing the large Airbus A380. Both upgrades will cost US$3 billion. Four additional regional airports are also being built in Duqm, Sohar, the southern city of Adam and at Ras Al Hadd, where the rare turtle breeding grounds are a major tourist attraction.

Flight times:

From London to Muscat is 7 hours 15 minutes. From New York is 14 hours 45 minutes including a short stop in Doha, Qatar.

Air passes:

Visit Oman Arabian Pass: valid on Oman Air’s domestic flights between Muscat, Salalah and Khasab and on its international flights between Muscat and Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Damman, Doha, Kuwait, Ras al Khaimah and Riyadh as well as the service between Salalah and Dubai. Available to travellers buying an international flight through Oman Air. You must buy at least two sectors (US$100 per sector). Visit www.omanair.com for further details.

Departure tax:

None.

Travel by rail

A Gulf Railway project linking six Arab Gulf Cooperation Council member states, including Oman, is due for completion in 2017. It will have regional connections in Oman.

Driving to Oman

The road network covers most of the country and there are good road connections with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it is possible to drive a hire car over the border with additional insurance. There is a road between Yemen and Oman and one linking Oman with Saudi Arabia. The Oman National Transport Company (www.ontcoman.com) operates buses between Muscat and Dubai in the UAE.

Getting to Oman by boat

Main ports: Port of Salalah (www.salalahport.com), Port of Sultan Qaboos (www.pscoman.com), Port of Sohar (www.portofsohar.com), Khasab Port and Port of Shinas. The Port of Duqm is currently under construction and will be one of the country’s largest ports upon completion.

Cruise ships:

An increasing number of cruise lines call at Oman’s ports, particularly Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, Salalah and Khasab in the north. Visas for cruise passengers are free for visits of up to 24 hours and £10 for stays of up to 96 hours.

Ferry operators:

There are no international ferry routes into Oman.

River routes:

There are no river routes in Oman.

Recommended Sites:

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