Layover in Muscat
Jun 24th 2019, 3:41 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 40
Layover in Muscat
Hello,
I appreciate this is not a travel forum but question targeted at Muscat residents, We are have a 8 hour layover in Muscat airport in early January after flying from India back to the UK. We are planning to book a hotel ideally with a swimming pool as kids (6 and 8 years) will not be too happy with that layover. Do you think we will have enough time to get out of the airport go into Muscat city centre and kill a few hours by relaxing in the hotel pool and get back to the airport. We land in the evening around 530pm and our connection is around 230am in the morning? Any suggestions for things to do or hotels will be appreciated.
I appreciate this is not a travel forum but question targeted at Muscat residents, We are have a 8 hour layover in Muscat airport in early January after flying from India back to the UK. We are planning to book a hotel ideally with a swimming pool as kids (6 and 8 years) will not be too happy with that layover. Do you think we will have enough time to get out of the airport go into Muscat city centre and kill a few hours by relaxing in the hotel pool and get back to the airport. We land in the evening around 530pm and our connection is around 230am in the morning? Any suggestions for things to do or hotels will be appreciated.
Jun 24th 2019, 11:03 pm
#2
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Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Posts: 1,160
Re: Layover in Muscat
There are a couple of hotels which may suit - Sundus Rotana and Hormuz Grand, both around 10 minutes or so from the airport. Whether it’s worth leaving the airport is up to you as, by the time you get through Immigration and bearing in mind having to be back at the airport 2 hours before departure, you’ll only have perhaps 5 hours. Muscat doesn’t really have a city centre, either. It has developed in a linear fashion along the highway (much like Dubai) and the airport is around 35km from Muttrah Souk and the Corniche. Muscat City Centre Mall is about 10 minutes from the airport. There’s a Magic Planet children’s play area there, as well as Funtazmo Kids, along with the usual food court which is another alternative. Or you could just book into the Aerotel in the Departures area.
If you have passports from the ROP Country List 1 you should apply online for your visas. This will cost OMR5 per person. Whilst there is, apparently, such a thing as an air travel transit visa, I don’t know if anyone has ever successfully applied for one. Most people on a long layover simply apply for the 10 day tourist visa which costs the same. At the moment, if you have a Country List 1 passport, you can still get a Visa on Arrival (OMR6 per person) but there’s no knowing if this will still be possible when you travel.
Royal Oman Police Website - Country List 1
https://evisa.rop.gov.om/
If you have passports from the ROP Country List 1 you should apply online for your visas. This will cost OMR5 per person. Whilst there is, apparently, such a thing as an air travel transit visa, I don’t know if anyone has ever successfully applied for one. Most people on a long layover simply apply for the 10 day tourist visa which costs the same. At the moment, if you have a Country List 1 passport, you can still get a Visa on Arrival (OMR6 per person) but there’s no knowing if this will still be possible when you travel.
Royal Oman Police Website - Country List 1
https://evisa.rop.gov.om/
Jan 9th 2020, 5:50 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 40
Re: Layover in Muscat
We ended using the Aerotel which was inside the airport. It was very conveniently located and priced reasonably notwithstanding that the price was for a maximum of a 6 hour stay. Swimming pool was great for kids.
Rooms were reasonably sized but smelt of cigarette smoke and they could not change our rooms despite complaining as hotel was fully booked.
For a sub-10 hour layover with kids feels like a decent option.
Rooms were reasonably sized but smelt of cigarette smoke and they could not change our rooms despite complaining as hotel was fully booked.
For a sub-10 hour layover with kids feels like a decent option.
