How to get around Dubai and the UAE

Dubai is well set up for transport: the metro reaches the main tourist points, taxi and Careem/Uber work everywhere, car rental is easy for tourists with international permits. Between emirates — car or intercity bus. For far points (Hatta, Northern Emirates) our organised transfer with a guide is easiest.

What to know up front:

• Distances are bigger than they seem. From DXB airport to Marina — 35 minutes without traffic, 1 hour at rush. Dubai to Abu Dhabi — 1.5 hours
• Rush hour — weekdays 8:00-9:30 and 17:00-19:30. If you plan to move at that time, +20 minutes
• Metro doesn't run Saturday morning early (9:00 weekend opening — Friday after 13:00)

Dubai has two airports: Dubai International (DXB) — main, 10 km from Downtown, and Al Maktoum International (DWC) — second, low-cost and cargo, 35 km southwest.

From DXB:

• Metered taxi — 60-100 AED to Marina/Downtown. At the exit — DTC Taxi station, no markups. Time — 30-50 minutes
• Careem/Uber — 70-120 AED, app-based, parking in a designated zone. Better with kids and luggage
• Metro Red Line — 8 AED, direct line from Terminal 1/3 to Marina (45 minutes). Cheapest but inconvenient with big luggage
• Our transfer — fixed price per car (from 150 AED), name-board pickup, child seat on request. Book on Telegram

From DWC:

Only taxi/Careem (130-180 AED to Downtown) or intercity bus F55 to Ibn Battuta Mall (10 AED). Metro hasn't reached yet.

On the plane:

No immigration card needed — eGate works for most passports. Free airport WiFi (DXBfree). Local SIM — Du and Etisalat, kiosks at arrivals, 50-150 AED for tourist data plan, 7-30 days.

Dubai Metro — 2 lines (Red and Green) plus Route 2020 to Expo. Covers Downtown, Marina, Mall of Emirates, JBR (via tram), Old Dubai. Doesn't fully cover: Palm Jumeirah, La Mer, City Walk — needs extra transfer.

Cost: by zones, 3-8 AED per ride. Nol card mandatory, sold at every station (25 AED including 19 AED balance). Silver Nol (most riders) and Gold Nol (premium car, 2x price).

Hours:

• Sun-Thu: 5:00-00:00
• Fri: 5:00-01:00
• Sat: 8:00-00:00

Dubai Tram — surface line through Marina and JBR. Useful if you stay in Marina and want to reach Mall of Emirates without a car. Same Nol card.

Buses (RTA Bus) — covers everything but slow and complex for a tourist. Use only for specific connections (DWC airport → Ibn Battuta).

Dubai Water Bus / Abra — traditional wooden boats across Dubai Creek, 1 AED per crossing (cash). Touristic must-do, especially with an Old Dubai guide.

Careem — local #1 (acquired by Uber but operates separately). 10-20% cheaper than Uber, drivers often speak Russian in tourist areas. Card or cash. Women-only Careem Kids/Careem Care available with female drivers.

Uber — works in Dubai, prices a bit higher than Careem but the interface is familiar to Western tourists. Accepts international cards without issues.

Dubai Taxi (RTA) — official cream cabs with coloured roof. Meter starts at 12 AED daytime (24 AED night 22:00-6:00). Hail on the street or call via the Hala app.

Price comparison: Marina → Downtown:

• RTA Taxi (meter): 50-70 AED
• Careem GO: 45-65 AED
• Uber X: 50-75 AED
• Careem Hala (RTA): 40-55 AED

Tips:

• At the airport — only DTC Taxi at the official station, never street 'private' drivers
• After 23:00 in malls — Careem is better, fewer RTA drivers around
• Tipping not required, 5-10 AED is enough if you got there well

For tourists from RU/CIS — international driving permit (IDP) mandatory in addition to national licence. From EU/UK — national licence accepted without IDP.

Where to rent:

• At DXB airport — all international chains (Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Europcar) + local (Diamondlease, Dollar Thrifty). From 100 AED/day for an econ
• In the city — same chains plus dozens of locals, slightly cheaper (from 80 AED/day)
• Premium and supercars — Lamborghini Urus from 4500 AED/day, Rolls-Royce Phantom from 6000 AED/day, Bugatti from 30000 AED/day. Huge deposit (up to 50000 AED), Visa/Mastercard required

Important:

• Salik (toll roads) — automatic system, 4 AED per pass. Added to the bill automatically, nothing to buy
• Parking — paid in Downtown/Marina/JBR, free at malls. Pay via mPay app or meter
• Fines — go to your Emirates ID/passport, must pay before leaving (otherwise blocked at exit). Speeding 60+ km/h over — car impounded for 60 days (even rentals)
• Road capacity — Sheikh Zayed Road has 7 lanes each way, jams at peak. Alternative Al Khail Road — usually freer

The UAE is small, inter-emirate trips fit into 1.5-3 hours. Distances:

• Dubai → Sharjah — 30 km, 25-45 minutes. Border invisible
• Dubai → Abu Dhabi — 140 km, 1.5-2 hours. The most popular inter-emirate trip
• Dubai → Ajman — 30 km, 30-40 minutes
• Dubai → Ras Al Khaimah — 100 km, 1.5 hours. To the mountains and Jebel Jais
• Dubai → Fujairah — 130 km, 2 hours. To the Indian Ocean
• Dubai → Hatta — 130 km, 1.5 hours. Mountain Dubai

Transport options:

1. Car rental (recommended for freedom). All emirates connected by toll highways. Salik payment automatic.

2. Intercity bus (E100/E101 Dubai-Abu Dhabi). From Ibn Battuta or Al Ghubaiba to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station, 25-30 AED, 2-2.5 hours. Convenient if only Abu Dhabi.

3. Long-distance taxi. RTA Inter-Emirate Taxi from 200 AED to Abu Dhabi. Careem can do inter-emirate but at 2-3x intracity price.

4. Our organised transfer. Fixed price per car/minivan with guide, flexible route, child seats and on-board WiFi. Especially for family groups and far points (Hatta, Northern Emirates) — recommended.

What to know:

• Border between emirates is invisible — no document checks, like between regions of one country
• Salik works across all UAE — 4 AED per highway pass
• Friday prayer (12:30-14:00) transport runs, but many places closed, including Sheikh Zayed Mosque for tourists until 14:30