Generally most budget travelers shy away from renting a car to do the bulk of their sightseeing. And, in a relatively expensive place like Bahrain, the imagination of what the costs may be are enough to scare many away for considering it. Personal transportation in Bahrain however is inexpensive, the cost of fuel nearly negligible, along with very navigable roads giving you access to a number of remote sites.
Competition For Business Working In Your Favor
The large number of car rental companies in Bahrain helps to put a constant downward pressure on the costs and complications of getting your personal ride. A foreign license is all that’s required for an innocuous process and some light negotiating can realistically get you a car for 8-10 Bahraini dinar (~$21-26) per day.
Gas Won’t Kick Your…Gas
In general, around Bahrain when you pick up your rental car it will have a nearly completely empty gas tank. Your first stop, as was mine, is a mandatory straight shot to the closest gas station (as you don’t want to have to push your vehicle all over Manama). Gas is pumped by attendants at the stations and after a short wait behind a fairly long line of cars I was greeted by one of them.
Having a long day of driving all around a country that exports nearly 49,000 barrels of crude oil a day, I rolled to a pump looking to fill the tank full. As I handed over 15 Bahraini dinar (~$40), the young Pakistani man’s eyes widened as he wandered into confusion. “You don’t need that,” he said, “unless you want to buy gas for everyone waiting in line.”
Gas costs roughly 29 US cents per liter, or approximately $1 for a gallon.
Getting To Remote Places
In and around Bahrain’s capital city Manama, public transportation consists primarily of taxi and small buses that crisscross town. The bus routes aren’t the easiest to navigate and don’t visit many popular attractions in Bahrain while taxis between all of the country’s spread out attractions can get pricey fast. (Taxis can be hired for an entire day at around 25 Bahraini dinar ~$67 however.)
- One good example is the Tree of Life, which is located in the middle of a vast expanse of oil fields in central Bahrain’s desert. Buses don’t go anywhere near it and in a taxi you might miss the life within the temporary villages of oil workers all around. Getting lost, as I often do, I got to watch a soccer game between two groups of workers who lived on either side of a dirt road. Nearby to ask directions again, I also spent some time chatting with a young group of guys who were barbecuing and smoking shisha in an spontaneous picnic area in the desert sand.
Whereas in many other parts of the world a rental car can act as a barrier for travelers looking for that ever-elusive connection with a place, in Bahrain an automobile can put you in direct touch with an entire nation. The country’s main island is small enough (~750,000 square kilometers) that you can literally get anywhere in the country within an hour or two.
Places In Bahrain That Will Make Glad You Rented A Car
Aside from the previously mentioned Tree of Life and Bahrain International Circuit, you’ll thank yourself when you pull up just south of Zallaq Beach or the Al Areen Wildlife Sanctuary close by. You may even come across Al Fateh Fort (built by the Persians during the 17th century) which overlooks Bahrain’s famous golf courses, stroll through the side streets near Askar’s coast, or watch the spectacle of modified cars that make Arad Fort’s parking lot look like The Fast And The Furious on many evenings.
Driving in Bahrain, except for the occasional tricky roundabout, is relatively orderly and the speed limits seemingly a strong suggestion but not much more. It’s rare when a private vehicle can work for you on so many travel levels including your wallet, watch, and wanderings; something travelers should consider taking advantage of in Bahrain.
Anil your stories are changing the way I perceived Bahrain. Now that I think of it, my perceptions were never based on facts or stories from people – it was all just a work of imagination. I wonder how many of us are perceiving and judging and oblivious to it. Anyway, 29 cents is indeed cheaper than water, isn’t it?
Hi Priyank, I’m really glad to hear that – so often when I leave a place there are a few strong points that impact what I take away and focus my writing on. For Bahrain it has a lot to do with my perceptions being off or just baseless before I arrived. It surprised me in a good way and glad I can help give it some color for you and others as well 🙂
29 cents is incredibly cheap, I couldn’t get over it. Funny enough, it’s the highest it’s been there in ages! Hope nobody’s complaining though.
I had never even thought of Bahrain before- and now you have made it so appealing! I love driving- and visiting countries- so this post was especially intriguing. 29 cents indeed!
With those gas prices alone it would be hard not to drive 🙂
I’ve always loved traveling in my car. That’s how you get to see whatever you want to see. In countries where there are lots of sights and life outside cities, you will miss a lot if you don’t travel by land.
Rahman Mehraby
Destination Iran Travel & Tours
Would you recommend seeing a lot by rental in Iran? I’m curious as to what the rental and fuel prices might be.
Well, renting a car and driving in Iran is a huge adventure because of the driving code dominant here. It doesn’t mean I’ve not seen anyone doing that, but it’s a lot of hassle. Maybe a motorbike or even bicycle is less dangerous.
If you want to rent a car, I must say it’s not so common and such companies are not well-prepared to let their cars hired by foreigners. You can just rent it with a driver. In that case, you have to pay for his food and accommodation as well. As a result, you will have to get a tour package with a driver or driver-guide.
Fuel prices has gone up in recent months. As you cannot get a card issued for subsidized oil, you have to buy the non-subsidized, and pay a bit higher. Of course, we Iranians can get only 60 liters of lower-priced oil per month, not more. And it’s not sufficient for us either.
You have to pay 700 Iranian Rials, meaning you have to pay 6.36 USD for 10 liters of gasoline.
Rahman Mehraby
Destination Iran