sharjah - cheap place for a rest

Hi everybody!

I have a twelve hours stop over in Sharjah (day time) and I wonder where I could find a cheap place to get some rest before my flight to Sri Lanka late in the evening (flying Air Arabia). Maybe it will sound silly, but even lying on the grass in a public park or something like that would be ok, but I am not really sure if this is possible in Sharjah! Any idea?
Besides that, what do you advise to visit in town as far as possible from the predominant Disneyland style? Any "old" quarter or souk?
Thanks in advance for any advice
Isabelle

There is at least one hostel in Sharjah, and when I stayed there four or five years back they were willing to give a day-rate (I arrived early in the morning and had a flight out that evening).

Sharjah is fine to wander around--not Disney at all though a lot of construction has been done in the last couple of years. There are a few nice streets around the waterfront area.

CK

Thank you for quick answer!

Op - is the 12 hours stopover your choice OR because the airline connections don't allow an immediate turnaround? IF it is the airline - the 'plane arrives and the same 'plane is not departing for 12 hours and there was no option of the airline putting you on another company's flight (ths is called code sharing) the airline is obligated under IATA to provide you with accommodation, meals and transport IF it is off site of the airport. You don't pay for anything and are issued with vouchers to give to the hotel and transport. BTW - did you book this online rather than with a human being-aka Travel Agent? I would strongly recommend that you speak to the airline OR a travel agent and get it sorted.

Air Arabia is a budget airline. They dont do complex tickets. As with all budget airlines, if you choose to buy two tickets in close succession, thats your choice, and at your risk. They have no requirement to provide stopover accomm or meals etc.

#6 - correct - I hadn't checked the IATA webpage for membership (http://www.iata.org/membership/airline_members_list?All=true) and unfortunately as you state Air Arabia is not a member. I know it is past the point now, but did you do a serious price comparison for airline prices with IATA membership? There is a bonus to flying an airline who is a member of IATA and this is one of them.

My itinerary is Athens-Sharjah-Colombo (and back). Air Arabia price in September was 400 euros for the whole trip compared to 660 euros proposed by the air company coming next (Air Jordania).

Concerning IATA rules about providing accommodation etc., i really don't know when and how it applies. I flied with Emirates to Nairobi in the past and had an eight-hour scheduled wait in Dubai airport between connecting flights. No accommodation was provided.

Isabelle