Oman - Choosing the Right Type of Vehicle for Different Places to Visit

Hi there, I’m planning a 3-week trip to Oman this coming November. As I list the different places I’d like to visit, I’m trying to match each one with whether: - a basic sedan is enough - a small SUV with higher ground clearance is really necessary - a 4x4 is absolutely essential.

This is to keep costs down and avoid renting a vehicle that’s too expensive for the whole trip.

Would you have any thoughts on the vehicle choices in the attached file?

Thanks for your insights, and have a great evening! Christophe

Good evening,

Thanks for your insights

We could give you better advice if we had access to the 'attached file'.

Oops, here we go! ;)

Hi Christophe,

Well, would you believe it—I was trying to decide which travel journal to share to celebrate VF’s return (since I’ve done six since 2020), but thanks to you, it’ll be the one about the Sultanate of Oman, which my husband and I visited independently in November 2023.

The question you’re asking? I agonized over it for *months* before finally renting this:



And it let us do all this:



And honestly, it was amazing—I’d do it all the same way if I had to start over.

First off, something I didn’t even consider before getting there: even with a 4x4 and Google Maps, navigating the desert is *totally* impossible if you don’t know the area. You’re in the middle of sand, no trails, no signs, nothing—good luck figuring it out! 😅

Of course, we didn’t see everything, but for 15 days on the ground, our route was more than enough.

Happy to answer any other questions if you’ve got ‘em!

See you soon! 😊

Hi Christophe

Well, imagine this: to celebrate VF’s return, I wasn’t sure which travel journal to share (since I’ve done 6 since 2020), but thanks to you, it’ll be the one about the Sultanate of Oman, which my husband and I visited independently in November. 😄

Alright, let’s get to work—we can’t wait! 😅😄

Be patient, Bruno 😄. I saw you’d been to Oman too. When did you go? Did you love it 😊?

Be patient Bruno 😄. I saw you also went to Oman. When was that? Did you love it 😊?

Yes, it was in March 2022, 5 days but in a work context 😐. I loved it!!

Hi Christelle, and thanks for your feedback! For Wahiba Sands, I think with a 2WD, you’re really limited to the part of the desert very close to the main road. Unless you joined a group that went deeper into the desert in a 4WD? For Jebel Shams, how far were you able to drive comfortably before starting to walk? Did you rent from Thrifty based on your photo? Thanks

Hi Christophe, For Wahiba Sands, we kept it simple: booked through Booking.com and they picked us up in their 4x4 while our rental car stayed in the nearest town (crime is almost non-existent in the country, so no worries normally). We slept in a small setup of 8 tents—really nice and super welcoming!

For Jebel Shams, you can drive almost all the way up with a 2WD.



Might as well go all the way to the top 😱. The track up is no problem when it’s dry.

For car rental, we booked through Auto Europe and ended up with Thrifty. All good, no issues at all.

Have a great evening! 😊