Yas Island in a day, without buying every ticket

Yas Island is designed to sell you a multi-park pass, and for a certain kind of trip that is exactly right. For everyone else, here is what the island offers to people who are not spending the day queueing.

The parks — Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World — are genuinely good and genuinely expensive, and the multi-park passes only pay off across two full days. One park properly beats two in a rush, and the indoor parks are the summer answer for obvious reasons.

Yas Marina and the circuit are free to walk around outside race weekends, and the marina's restaurants sit right on the water with the track behind them. On the right evening it is the best-value hour on the island because the view costs nothing.

Yas Bay Waterfront is the newer development and the one that has changed how residents use the island: a promenade, a concert arena, and a run of restaurants that includes the casual openings that have arrived over the past year. No ticket required.

The beach on the island's north side is public and well kept.

A planning note: the island is bigger than it looks on a map and walking between attractions in summer is not realistic. Budget for taxis between clusters, or hire a car — Yas is one of the few parts of the Emirates where the free parking is plentiful and close.