Yes, sleep in a car is a great option when you have only 18 hours to explore a city and the cheapest hotel cost 100 USD. After booking my flight ticket from Cairo to Nairobi with a stop-over in Doha, I booked my car. This was the best option giving me flexibility to explore Doha and saving money with accommodation at the same time. I rented online a Mitsubishi Lancer for 20 USD. There are no hostels in Qatar and the cheapest hotel was 100 USD for a room. So I had the idea to sleep in the car, why not?
It was all organised and when I arrived in the immigration officer the first question was: “Which hotel are you staying sir?”. I thought for a few seconds with my car booking in hands and answered with a smile in my face: “Mercure'”. The policemen typed a few things in the computer and stamped my passport. The stamp was like a freedom allowance. After I crossed the border I went to the car agency in the airport to get my car. The question about my accommodation again, and I repeated Mercure. They had no idea I was going to sleep in their car that night.
I end up getting a Hyundai Accent automatic for 40 USD because the other car wasn’t available.
The car gave me lot of flexibility in my 18 hours. The only issue I had was to find a safe and non-paid place to stop. I parked nearby a police station in a huge open area and I saw a few cars there as well. I had a bad sleep afraid of being controlled of robbed.
I put the seat down and slept from midnight to five in the morning. I woke up and went for some sunrise pictures in the coastal walk.
And after a few shots with the skyscrappers and the car.
Sleep in the car? Totally recommend!