Getting from Hamad International Airport to the city

The metro

Qatar built a metro for the 2022 World Cup and the airport sits on it, which makes Doha one of the cheapest wealthy-city arrivals anywhere.

• About 25 minutes to central Doha.
• A standard fare of around QAR 2, with premium Gold Club carriages at a higher rate.
• The station is at the terminal.
• Trains are frequent, air-conditioned and spotless - Doha's metro is genuinely excellent.

The travel card

• A standard reusable travel card costs around QAR 10 and must be loaded with credit before use.
• Buy it from the machines at the station.
• It works across the metro, the tram and Karwa buses.
• There is no cash fare and no paper single, so this step is not optional.

When the metro is shut

• The metro does not run around the clock. Doha's flight schedule is heavily weighted to the small hours, so a great many arrivals land when it is closed.
• Karwa is the official metered taxi and waits at the rank.
• Uber and Careem both operate.
• Many hotels include an airport transfer - worth checking before you book a car, particularly for a 03:00 arrival.

Stopovers

Doha is a stopover airport more than a destination for many travellers.

• The metro makes a short stopover genuinely usable - you can be in the Souq Waqif area in half an hour for the price of a coffee.
• Check the visa position for your nationality before planning to leave the airport; see the Qatar guide, where the waiver is three different regimes wearing one name.