Getting around
Dubai is very spread out – it’s around 25km from the city centre down to Dubai Marina – but getting around is relatively straightforward and inexpensive, thanks mainly to the excellent metro system. Taxis are also plentiful, while there are also buses and boats, as well as cheap car rental. Full information about the city’s public transport is available on the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) website at 
rta.ae. The RTA also provide an excellent online travel planner at wojhati.rta.ae.
By metro
The Dubai Metro (rta.ae) offers a cheap, fast and convenient way of getting around, with state-of-the-art driverless trains and eye-catching modern stations. It consists of two lines: the 52km-long Red Line, running from Rashidiya, just south of the airport, down Sheikh Zayed Road to Jebel Ali; and the 22km-long Green Line, which arcs around the city centre, running from Al Qusais, north of the airport, via Deira and Bur Dubai and then down to Dubai Healthcare City. Trains run every 4–8 minutes, with services beginning at around 5.50am daily except on Fridays, when the metro doesn’t start running until 1pm. Last trains leave at around 11am (or around midnight on Thursday & Friday).
All trains have a dedicated carriage for women and children (look for the signs above the platform barriers) plus a Gold Class compartment at the front of/back of the train – these have slightly plusher seating and decor, although the main benefit is that they’re usually fairly empty, meaning that you’re pretty much guaranteed a seat.
Fares are calculated according to the distance travelled, ranging from 1.80dh up to a maximum of 5.80dh for a single trip (or from 3.60dh to 11.60dh in Gold Class), or 14dh for an entire day’s travel (excepting Gold Class). Children under 5 or shorter than 0.9m travel free.
Nol cards
Almost all Dubai’s public transport services – metro, buses and waterbuses (but not abras) – are covered by the Nol system (nol.ae). To use any of these forms of transport you’ll need to buy a pre-paid Nol card or ticket ahead of travel; no tickets are sold on board metro trains, buses or waterbuses. Cards can be bought and topped up at any metro station; at one of the machines located at 64 bus stops around the city; or at branches of Carrefour, Spinneys and Redha Al-Ansari Exchange.
There are three types of Nol card; all three are valid for five years and can store up to 500dh worth of credit. The Silver Card costs 20dh (including 14dh credit). The Gold Card (same price) is almost identical, but also allows users to travel on Gold Class compartments on the metro. The Blue Card, aimed squarely at residents, costs 70dh (including 20dh credit). An alternative to the three cards is the Red Ticket (a paper ticket, rather than a card). This has been specifically designed for tourists, costs just 2dh and is valid for 90 days, although it has to be pre-paid with the correct fare for each journey and can only be recharged up to a maximum of ten times.
By taxi
Away from areas served by the metro, the only way of getting around Dubai quickly is by taxi. There are usually plenty of cabs around at all times of day and night (except in Bur Dubai and Deira during the morning and evening rush hours and after dark). Fares are pretty good value: there’s a minimum charge of 10dh per ride, with a basic flag fare of 3dh (or 3.50dh 10pm–6am), plus 1.71dh per kilometre. The exception is for taxis picked up from the airport, where a 20dh flag fare is imposed; there’s also a 20dh surcharge if you take a taxi into Sharjah. You’ll also have to pay a 4dh surcharge if your taxi travels through one of Dubai’s four tollgates. Tips aren’t strictly necessary, though many taxi drivers will automatically keep the small change from fares unless you specifically ask for it back.
To book a cab, call any of the following: Arabia Taxi (
800 272 242); Cars Taxi (800 22 77 89); Dubai Taxi/Ladies Taxis (04 208 0808); Metro Taxi (600 566 000); or National Taxi (600 54 33 22).
By abra
Despite contemporary Dubai’s obsession with modern technology, getting from one side of the Creek to the other in the city centre is still a charmingly old-fashioned experience, involving a trip in one of the hundreds of rickety little boats – or abras – which ferry passengers between Deira and Bur Dubai.
There are two main abra routes: from Deira Old Souk Abra Station to Bur Dubai Abra Station, and from Al Sabkha Abra Station to Bur Dubai Old Souk Abra Station. The fare is just 1dh. Boats leave as soon as full (meaning, in practice, every couple of minutes), and the crossing takes about five minutes. Abras run from 6am to midnight, and 24hr on the route from Bur Dubai Old Souk to Al Sabkha.
By waterbus
A more sedate but much less atmospheric way of getting across the Creek is aboard a waterbus – worth considering if you might have problems hopping on and off an abra, although they otherwise don’t have much to recommend them. There are four different routes, mainly using the same “stations” as the city’s abras, but following slightly different routings, with departures every 30 minutes daily from around 7am to 10pm. The fare is 2dh per trip, payable by Nol card or ticket; tickets aren’t sold on board.
By bus
Dubai has a well-developed and efficient network of bus services, though it’s mainly designed around the needs of low-paid expat workers so is of only limited use for tourists – most routes cover parts of the city that casual visitors are unlikely to want to reach. Most services originate or terminate at either the Gold Souk Bus Station in Deira or Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai (many services call at both). Stops elsewhere are clearly signed. Buses are included in the Nol ticket scheme, meaning that you’ll need to be in possession of a paid-up Nol card or ticket before you get on the bus; tickets aren’t sold on board.
Buses to neighbouring emirates all leave from Al Ghubaiba bus station in Bur Dubai, with regular services to Sharjah (every 20–25min; 45min–1hr 15min depending on traffic; services operate 24hr; 7dh), Abu Dhabi (every 30min, 5.30am–11.30pm; 2hr–2hr 30min; 15dh) and Al Ain (hourly 6.30am–11.30pm; 1hr 30min–2hr; 15dh). These buses aren’t covered by the Nol scheme, and you’ll need to buy a ticket at the relevant kiosk in the bus station before boarding.
By car
Renting a car is another option, but comes with a couple of caveats. Driving in Dubai isn’t for the faint-hearted: the city’s roads are permanently busy and standards of driving wayward. Navigational difficulties are another big problem, given the city’s ever-evolving layout.
For car rental contact any of the following: Avis (avisuae.ae); Budget (budget-uae.com); Europcar (europcar-middleeast.com); Hertz (hertzuae.com); Sixt (sixt-uae.com); Thrifty (thriftyuae.com).