Getting Around Lusail
Lusail is a planned city on Qatar's coast, just north of Doha, and it is built around a modern transport network rather than an old street grid. For a visitor, that is mostly good news: the city is served by the Doha Metro, its own tram system, public buses, and taxis and ride-hailing apps. The main practical challenge is that the city is spread across many separate districts, so it pays to know in advance which mode connects the places you want to visit.
Rail: The Doha Metro and the Lusail Tram
The Doha Metro is the backbone of public transport in the Doha–Lusail area. Its Red Line runs from Lusail in the north down to Al Wakra in the south, or to the airport depending on the train, which makes it the most useful line for visitors travelling between Lusail, central Doha and the airport. The network also includes the east–west Gold Line, which stops at the National Museum, and the Green Line, which focuses on educational institutions and includes a stop at the National Library. Msheireb serves as the transfer station between every line, so if you need to change lines, that is where you do it.
Lusail itself has its own tram, and the Stadium District — home to the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final — is reachable by both the Lusail Tram and the Doha Metro. That combination of metro and tram is the simplest way to move between Lusail's districts and to connect onward to Doha.
Buying tickets is straightforward. You pay by tapping a card when you enter and exit the system, and cards can be purchased at any station. A one-way trip costs QR 2, or QR 10 for the premium VIP car, which offers better seating and a higher price. A day pass costs QR 6, or QR 30 for VIP. You do not need to do anything special to get the day pass: after you pay for three rides, the system will not charge you for the rest of the day.
Every metro station has a restroom with a baby changing table and an ablution room, located right after the turnstiles and next to each other. The women's rooms are indicated by a person wearing black clothing, and the men's rooms by a person wearing white clothing.
Buses and Last-Mile Connections
The public bus system is operated by the government-owned Mowasalat, which runs a wide network of routes catering for most of Doha along with adjacent and surrounding towns. Fares within the city cost between QR 3 and QR 9 and are payable with exact change, or with a Karwa Smartcard, which is available for purchase at the bus station. For visitors, route maps can be cryptic, service on some routes is fairly infrequent, and buses are frequently behind schedule. Timetables are available online, some as downloads, but route maps are available only at the main bus station. Dedicated sections at the front of buses are reserved for women and families; in practice, some routes — particularly those to and from industrial areas — are used predominantly by male labourers and are best avoided by women travellers.
For reaching areas the Metro does not serve, there are free "metrolink" feeder bus services providing last-mile connectivity; schedules and routes are published separately. There is also a free ride-sharing service called "metroexpress", free with a Metro trip, but it only serves two stations (West Bay and DICC) and requires registration and a separate account.
Mowasalat also operates a free shuttle bus service aimed at easing traffic congestion, with two routes in the West Bay downtown area; plans are underway to offer more routes. It runs daily from 06:00 to 00:00 roughly every 15 minutes, and a route map in Arabic and English is available for download. On Fridays this service is "family only", meaning solo men are not permitted.
If you want a sightseeing-style option, Doha Bus offers a hop-on, hop-off tourist service with stops at various locations between the Marriott Hotel and the Pearl-Qatar, with buses arriving at each stop every 20 minutes. Tickets are QR 180 for adults and QR 90 for children and are valid for 24 hours; bookings can be made online, by telephone or by email. If you are doing this on your last day, they will arrange to pick you up at one of the main stops along the route and transfer you back to the airport for QR 50.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Aside from public transport, taxis are the main alternative to renting a vehicle. There are many taxi services, two of them operated by Mowasalat: Karwa and Al Million. Uber is also a popular alternative to these two. Note that TaxiF services are, at the time of writing, illegal, so do not book a ride from them. The other main option is "Limousine" taxis, which are unmarked, much more expensive — often two to four times the cost of a Karwa — and may not carry a meter. If you feel sure about the fare you can negotiate it up front, but it is advisable to insist on a meter.
Some precautions are worth taking. For nearly all journeys within Doha the tariff should be set to '1', and for journeys at night or outside of Doha it should be set to '0'. Airport taxis have a single tariff, which begins at QR 25. Reports of tampered meters are on the rise, so look for black tape or paper over the meter, and be aware of reports of drivers locking doors or refusing to open the trunk without extra payment. If the driver refuses to use the meter, the ride should be free, though you may have trouble exercising that right; if you have problems, you can call the police at 999, at which point the driver will usually become very cooperative.
Demand for taxis far exceeds supply and waiting times vary greatly. During morning business hours, companies usually require 24 hours' notice if you need a taxi, and even then the scheduled taxi often does not show up. At other times an on-call taxi may take upwards of 90 minutes to arrive, and hailing one may be impossible in many places. The only places where you are guaranteed to find a taxi — normal or limousine — are at major malls, the airport and international hotels. This shortage has led to a thriving market for unlicensed or unofficial taxi services, most with a steady clientele; for visitors, the best way to find a reliable driver is to ask around, since many residents, particularly expats, hire such drivers regularly and will share contact information.
Occasionally a local driver may stop and offer you a ride if you look lost on the side of the road. It is customary to offer some money at the end, though sometimes they will refuse it. If a driver slows down and flashes their headlights, they are usually signalling they are willing to give you a lift; beckon them over with a wave in response. Hitchhiking always carries risks, however, and is not advisable for solo women.
Walkability
Lusail is a purpose-built city of distinct districts — residential areas, waterfront and commercial districts, a golf district, an energy business hub and the stadium district among them — rather than a dense, continuous urban core. That layout means walking works well within a district or along the waterfront, but it is not a realistic way to cover the whole city. For getting between districts, plan on the Metro, the tram, a bus or a taxi rather than on foot.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Most travellers arrive at Hamad International Airport (DOH), the primary point of entry and the hub and base for Qatar Airways. The airport is served by the Doha Metro: the Red Line runs from Lusail in the north to Al Wakra in the south or to the airport depending on the train, so depending on which train you board you can ride directly between the airport and Lusail. If your train is not the airport-bound one, you can change at Msheireb, which serves as the transfer station between every line.
Public Wi-Fi is provided free of charge throughout the airport, which makes it easy to arrange a ride or check schedules on arrival. Taxis are also an option: airport taxis have a single tariff, which begins at QR 25. Car rental agencies are found in and around the airport, though the rental desks are not that easy to find and the signs to them are poor; they are on the lower floor in the car park area. Popular agencies include Hertz, Avis and Budget, and it is best to reserve in advance to ensure a good price and minimise wait times.