The Hyundai Staria umrah taxi. Sliding doors, a flat floor and a deep boot. The vehicle most families end up in once they count the bags rather than the people.
In pictures
The class you book. Where a photograph shows a cabin and nothing else, that is what the caption says it shows.
The Staria on the road into Makkah
The second and third rows, with a flat floor between them
Sliding doors on both sides
The front cabin
The cabin and the seating, laid out
Why this one
Three reasons people pick it, and the one reason they sometimes should not.
In a hotel bay with cars parked either side, a sliding door opens where a saloon door cannot. That is the difference between helping an older passenger in and asking them to squeeze.
The deepest boot of anything under eleven seats. Count the cases rather than the people and this is usually where a family lands.
Four hours where a saloon would mean two cars, two drivers and a family split between them for the whole road.
Seven seats. If you are eight, the Hiace is the next one up and costs less than two saloons.
Who takes it
The honest answer is usually one size up from what you first thought, because luggage takes more room than people expect.
Ten bags, so the cases go in the back rather than on a lap.
Four hours where the difference between a saloon and this one is the whole journey.
A sliding door and a low step beat a saloon door in a tight hotel bay.
What you are paying for
One figure for the whole vehicle. Nothing on the left is charged for separately, and nothing on the right appears on a bill without you agreeing to it first.
The whole vehicle, for your party only
Fuel, tolls and parking
Luggage up to 10 large bags
Waiting while your flight lands and you clear customs
A meet inside the arrivals hall with a name board
Prayer and rest stops on the longer runs
A child seat, if you ask for one when you book
Air conditioning running before the driver reaches you
A stop added on the day, which is charged at the hourly rate
Hours beyond a tour, once the vehicle has waited its time
Anything you buy on the way
A second vehicle, if the party turns out larger than booked
There is no booking fee, no card fee, no night surcharge and no deposit. You pay the driver at the end.
How it works
Five steps, and nothing is taken from you at any of them.
Pick-up, drop-off, date and how many of you there are. The form prices it against this table before you send anything, so you see the figure first.
Usually within the hour, on WhatsApp, with the fare and the vehicle class written down. If your journey is not on the published list we price it by hand and say so.
The day before you travel you get the driver name, his number and the vehicle. Ask and we will send a photograph of the car.
Inside the arrivals hall with a board showing your name, not at the kerb. We watch the flight, so a delay costs you nothing and the Hyundai Staria waits.
Cash or bank transfer to the driver when you arrive, at the figure agreed in writing. Nothing is added at the door.
Fares in Saudi Riyal
For the whole vehicle, not per person. Fuel, tolls and parking are in the price.
| Route | Fare |
|---|---|
| Airport transfers | |
| Jeddah Airport to a Makkah hotel | SAR 300 |
| Jeddah Airport to a Jeddah hotel | SAR 250 |
| Jeddah hotel to Jeddah Airport | SAR 180 |
| Jeddah Airport to a Madinah hotel | SAR 550 |
| Makkah hotel to Jeddah Airport | SAR 280 |
| Madinah Airport to a Madinah hotel | SAR 200 |
| Madinah hotel to Madinah Airport | SAR 150 |
| Between cities | |
| Makkah to Madinah | SAR 500 |
| Madinah to Makkah | SAR 500 |
| Jeddah city to Makkah | SAR 300 |
| Makkah to Taif and back return included | SAR 550 |
| Jeddah to Taif and back return included | SAR 800 |
| Ziyarat and meeqat | |
| Makkah ziyarat tour return included | SAR 300 |
| Madinah ziyarat tour return included | SAR 250 |
| Madinah ziyarat with Wadi Jinn return included | SAR 400 |
| Makkah to Masjid Ayesha meeqat return included | SAR 150 |
| Makkah to Masjid Ju'ranah meeqat return included | SAR 200 |
| Haramain railway | |
| Makkah hotel to Makkah station | SAR 150 |
| Madinah hotel to Madinah station | SAR 150 |
| By the hour | |
| Hourly hire, per hour | SAR 100 |
Booked together
Each package is every journey in it at the published fare, added up. Nothing is hidden in the total: check it against the table above.
Package 1
The commonest Umrah trip there is. Land at Jeddah, do your Umrah, take the road north, fly home from Madinah.
Anyone flying into Jeddah and out of Madinah
Ask for package 1Package 2
The same trip run backwards: Madinah first, then Makkah, then home from Jeddah. Popular with groups who want the Rawdah before the Haram.
Anyone flying into Madinah and out of Jeddah
Ask for package 2Package 3
Package 1 with the sites added in each city, so the days between the Harams are planned rather than improvised.
A first Umrah, where you want to see the sites properly
Ask for package 3Package 4
Package 2 with the sites added in each city. Madinah first, and the Makkah loop once you are settled there.
Madinah first, with the sites in both cities
Ask for package 4Package 5
For a return ticket into Jeddah. Up to Madinah in the middle of the trip and back to Makkah before you fly.
A return flight into and out of Jeddah
Ask for package 5Package 6
The longest of the ten. Everything in package 5 with the sites in both cities, which is the whole trip covered in one booking.
A full trip with nothing left to arrange on the day
Ask for package 6Package 7
Makkah then Madinah, then the long run south to Jeddah Airport rather than back through Makkah. Fewer hours in the car than package 5.
A Jeddah return where you finish in Madinah
Ask for package 7Package 8
Package 7 with the sites in both cities added.
A Jeddah return with the sites in both cities
Ask for package 8Package 9
You take the train from Makkah to Madinah and we do both ends of it. Cheaper than the road, and about two hours instead of four.
Anyone travelling between the Harams by train
Ask for package 9Package 10
Package 9 the other way round: land at Madinah, train down to Makkah, fly home from Jeddah.
Madinah first, then the train south
Ask for package 10A package can be changed. Add a meeqat run, a Taif day or an extra night and we requote it from the same table before you agree to anything.
Side by side
The journey most people book first, priced across the whole fleet so the difference between one class and the next is a number rather than an adjective.
| Vehicle | Seats | Bags | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Camry | 4 | 3 | SAR 250 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 4 | 3 | SAR 250 |
| Ford Taurus | 4 | 3 | SAR 250 |
| Hyundai Staria this page | 7 | 10 | SAR 300 |
| GMC Yukon | 7 | 8 | SAR 400 |
| Toyota Hiace | 11 | 16 | SAR 350 |
| Toyota Coaster | 19 | 30 | SAR 600 |
| Coach | 44 | 50 | SAR 800 |
Every other journey follows the same order. The full table is on the price list.
Questions
You get the class you book. If we send something larger because of availability, you pay the fare you were quoted, not the higher one. If you have asked for a specific model for a reason, say so when you book and we hold it rather than sending whichever is closer.
That is the number we will carry, with everybody in a proper seat and the luggage in the luggage space. Where a model is built in two layouts we quote the smaller one, so a group is never sold a vehicle one seat short.
Tell us the real number when you book and we will say plainly whether it fits. If it does not, the Toyota Hiace is the next one up and we quote both so you can choose.
Per vehicle. A full car pays what an empty one pays, so the more of you there are the better the fare works out.
Nothing, as long as we have the flight number. We watch the arrival board and the driver comes in when you land rather than when you were scheduled to. Waiting at the airport is in the fare and there is no night surcharge.
Ask on WhatsApp and we send a photograph of the vehicle and the name of the driver assigned to you, usually the day before you travel.
Yes. Tell us how many containers when you book, because five litres each fills a boot faster than anybody expects and it changes which vehicle we send.
To the driver at the end of the journey, in cash or by bank transfer, at the figure agreed in writing beforehand. No deposit, no card details and nothing taken in advance.
The rest of the fleet
Every other vehicle, what it carries and what it costs on the same journey, so you can move up or down a size without leaving the page guessing.
Saloon
The quietest way for two or three people with light bags.
One size down · 3 fewer seats, 7 fewer bags, SAR 50 less from
Saloon
The same fare and the same space as the Camry, whichever is free.
3 fewer seats, 7 fewer bags, SAR 50 less from
Saloon
A longer wheelbase than the Camry, so more room in the back.
3 fewer seats, 7 fewer bags, SAR 50 less from
SUV
The highest seat and the easiest step in, which matters with elderly parents.
2 fewer bags, SAR 50 more from
Van
One vehicle instead of two saloons, and usually cheaper than both.
One size up · 4 more seats, 6 more bags, SAR 50 more from
Minibus
Group travel quoted as one figure rather than several vehicles added up.
12 more seats, 20 more bags, SAR 150 more from
Coach
A full coach for a delegation, with hold luggage under the floor.
37 more seats, 40 more bags, SAR 250 more from
Tell us the journey and the date. Most quotes come back within the hour, and nothing is taken from you now.
