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The road distance between Makkah and Madinah is 275 miles. There are a number of options to get from Makkah to Madinah and vice versa during your Umrah trip.
1. Taxi
Cost: Approximately 550 Riyals for a four-seater (£ 115).
Time: 4 ½ - 5 hours
Pros: Taxi will take you directly from A to B. You won’t need to take out time to get to an airport terminal or railway station.
Cons: Taxi drivers tend to drive rough, so taxi isn’t always the safest option. Taxis vary too, so you need to make sure that the vehicle you’ll be travelling is clean and comfortable.
2. Coach
Saudi has SAPTCO coaches that provide cheap travel around cities. SAPTCO stands for Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company and is owned by the Saudi government.
Cost: VIP service costs 85 Riyals (£17) for a one-way journey. An economy seat costs 50 Riyal (£10).
Time: 5 hours
Pros: Cheapest way of travelling between the two holy cities. With the VIP coach, you will have a comfortable chair and free refreshments. Drivers are on time and drive carefully.
Cons: You won’t have the freedom that you’d enjoy in a private mode of transport such as a taxi. You’ll have to make separate arrangements from the bus station and hotel in both parts of your journey.
You can purchase tickets from Makkah or Madinah coach stations a few days before you travel.
You can also book online two weeks in advance on the SAPTCO website. If you plan to travel at peak time, we recommend that you book beforehand.
3. Haramain rail
Cost: A one-way economy ticket costs 157.5 Saudi Riyal (£33). A one-way business class ticket costs 263 Saudi Riyal (£55). Children pay half price.
Time: 3 hours
Pros: Comfortable, safe and fairly cheap if you are travelling solo or in a small group.
Cons: There are luggage limitations (only allowed one suitcase and a medium sized bag). It can be costly if you are travelling with more than three people.
Check out our detailed blog on the pros and cons of the Haramain rail here.
4. Plane
Cost: Approximately 245 Riyals (£50) one way
Time: 1 hour
Pros: Quickest travel option between Makkah and Madinah.
Cons: You would need to take out time to get to the airport. If you are going from Makkah to Madinah, you’d need to get to Jeddah airport, which takes around 1 hour 20 minutes. From Madinah airport to the Masjid Nabawi area, where your hotel will be, takes around 25 minutes. Travel to and fro the airports, alongside time to check-in and collect luggage will add another 3 hours to your journey – making the total journey time over 4 hours.
NOTE: If you are landing at Jeddah airport and plan to fly directly to Madinah, you will need to collect your luggage, go to the domestic terminal and complete check-in again.
If you plan to fly from Jeddah to Madinah, you need to make sure that your Jeddah-Madinah leg has a similar luggage allowance to your UK-Jeddah leg. Domestic flights tend to offer lower luggage allowance.
5. Private car / van hire
There are private companies that you can rent a car or van from for a day or week.
Cost: Dependent on company, length of hire and size of car.
Time: 4 ½ - 5 hours
Pros: You can travel at your own pace. Saudi highways are good, and there is plenty of signage in English.
Cons: Drivers in Saudi Arabia don’t tend to follow road traffic rules. You may feel uneasy driving in Saudi if you are accustomed to driving in a country where road traffic laws are abided by. Also bear in mind that the driver’s seat will be on the left side.
So, the choice is yours…
If you need any assistance in planning your Umrah journey, get in touch, and we will assist you the best we can.
TIP:
If you plan to travel to Makkah first to perform Umrah, then plan to go to Madinah, consider booking your return flight from Madinah airport in order to avoid the long journey from Madinah to Jeddah. It may cost a bit more, but you’ll be paying to make the 295 mile journey from Madinah to Jeddah anyway. Similarly, if you fly into Madinah, try and fly out from Jeddah.
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