Why Sharjah airport suits a Ras Al Khaimah trip
The queues that slow most Sharjah airport pickups sit at the Sharjah-Dubai border, and this trip runs the other way. Of all the UAE airport transfer routes we cover, it’s one of the simplest.
Distance helps too. Al Marjan Island is about 61 km by road from SHJ and about 79 km from Dubai International, so for a RAK beach week Sharjah is often the better landing if your airline flies there. If it doesn’t, our Dubai airport to Ras Al Khaimah page covers the longer drive.
Send your flight number, hotel and suitcase count on WhatsApp and we reply with a fixed fare. The driver tracks the flight and waits with a name board in the meet and greet area, as our Sharjah airport transfer page explains.
The road north: E311 through Ajman and Umm Al Quwain
From the airport the driver joins the E311, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, for most of the trip. It runs inland through Ajman and Umm Al Quwain before it reaches Ras Al Khaimah, so in about an hour you cross four emirates.
For RAK city the car leaves the E311 for Khuzam Road on the last stretch. Al Marjan Island and Al Hamra lie on the coast south-west of the city, which is why they’re the shorter drive.
Emirates Road (E611) runs parallel, further inland. It’s the road for Jebel Jais: from RAK city the Jais Flight area is about 51 km more via Al Rams Road, the E611 and Jais Road, close to an hour.
No tolls from Sharjah airport to Ras Al Khaimah
There’s nothing to pay on this road. Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah charge private cars no tolls, so the trip has no Salik and no Darb. Head for Dubai or Abu Dhabi instead and the gates start, as our Salik and Darb toll guide explains. Here the fare comes down to distance and the car you choose.
Where RAK drop-offs usually go
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism lists three beach hotel clusters, and the distance from SHJ changes with each, so send the hotel name, not just “RAK”.
| Drop-off | What’s there | From SHJ by road | Plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Marjan Island | Movenpick, Banan Beach; Wynn due September 2027 | about 61 km | 60-80 min |
| Al Hamra | Al Hamra Golf Club and exhibition centre | next to Al Marjan | 60-80 min |
| Mina Al Arab | InterContinental (opened 2022), Anantara | send the hotel name | confirmed on WhatsApp |
| RAK city | National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, Al Manar Mall area | about 85 km | 61-80 min |
| Jebel Jais | Jais Flight zipline, viewing deck park | RAK city plus about 51 km | add about an hour |
Allow extra time near Al Marjan on RAK Half Marathon day each February (14 February in 2026) and for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Timing by time of day
OpenStreetMap’s clear-road routing puts SHJ to Al Marjan at about an hour, which is what you’ll get late at night. The first few kilometres are the risk. On the 6 January 2026 back-to-school morning, Gulf News reported queues on Sharjah Ring Road and Al Dhaid Road, the airport’s own road, as drivers diverted around the border jams. Land at 7.30am on a school day and the start can crawl even though you’re heading away from Dubai. On Fridays, prayer is at 12:45, so allow a few extra minutes near mosques at midday.
Air Arabia coach, Sharjah taxi or a private car?
The coach is the budget option at AED 30 single, and for one person with a backpack it’s good value. The catch: it stops at Air Arabia’s sales shop in Ras Al Khaimah, not at your resort.
Sharjah Taxi works the rank around the clock, on the meter plus an AED 20 airport surcharge. Sharjah resets meter rates against fuel prices, so we won’t quote a per-km figure.
Our advice: a couple with two cases and a midday landing could take either. A family of five with beach luggage, or anyone landing after the midnight coach, should book a car, the same fixed-fare way as our other intercity transfers between emirates.
The return trip to Sharjah airport
Southbound, the drive stays north of the Dubai border queues, so 60-80 minutes plus check-in time is a fair plan. The coach back to the airport only runs from 10am to 10.30pm, which rules it out for early and late flights.
Which car for a RAK beach week
A couple with two large cases fits a business sedan such as the Lexus ES. A family of five with a pram and four or five cases needs a Chevrolet Suburban or a Mercedes V-Class, both six seats with room for five large cases. A golf group bound for Al Hamra with full bags is better off in a Toyota HiAce, which seats ten and takes seven cases. Children under four must ride in a child seat under UAE law, so tell us their ages when you book.
Once you’ve settled in, our chauffeur service in Ras Al Khaimah covers days out to Jebel Jais or the National Museum.
