Getting around Dubai: public transport, cards and passes

Dubai is a destination with futuristic and cosmopolitan appeal, but it may be disorienting at first glance due to the tall skyscrapers, multi-lane roads, large neighborhoods and long distances. This is why it is essential to understand how to get around and which are the fastest means of transport.
Here's everything you need to know about getting around Dubai!
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Useful tips

Dubai is a city that cannot be visited on foot, both because of its enormous size (with attractions tens of kilometers apart) and because of the high temperatures and humidity. For this reason, it is necessary to use transport.

One of the best solutions is the taxi. Use official taxis or Uber, a convenient service with an app to manage all transfers and payments.
The metro is also one of the best means of transport. Fast, efficient, and punctual, it consists of two lines and connects most of the attractions.

On the other hand, buses are not recommended as it is difficult to get acclimatized. Instead, we recommend the sightseeing bus ideal for settling in and moving easily between the main attractions.

Finally, a car is absolutely not recommended, both for getting around in the city and the surrounding area, rather prefer a guided tour in an air-conditioned van. If you want to do some excursions, always rely on authorized guides, such as for the desert safari.

Recommended solutions and means of transport: taxi, uber, metro, tourist bus

• Solutions and means of transport not recommended: on foot, bus, car

Transport cards and public transport passes: which one to choose?

Photo by Vito Mandina. To use public transport, you need the Nol Card, a rechargeable card that you swipe on the scanner every time you board a vehicle (see official website). This is a convenient and fast method of getting around without any problems.
There are different types of Nol Card, and the fare varies according to zone. Certainly for tourists, the best is the Nol Card Red, where you pay for the rides you actually make. It has a fixed issuing cost of AED 2 (€0.46) to which the fare must be added depending on the route. This ranges from about AED 4 (€0.90) for travel within one zone, AED 8.5 (€1.95) for travel between two zones. Remember that children under 5 years (or 90cm) travel free of charge.
If you are staying for a week, we recommend purchasing the weekly pass (from AED 50.00/€13.40).

How to get from the airport to downtown Dubai
Dubai International Airport is the largest airport in the Middle East and is located in the Al Garhoud district, about 13 km north of Downtown Dubai, the heart of the city, where the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall are located. You can reach Downtown Dubai, or one of the other districts where you have decided to stay, such as Dubai Marina, by choosing between several options: taxi, metro, bus and private transfer.

Dubai International Airport

• Distance from the centre: 13 km / journey time: 15 min;

• By train: red line / ticket cost: from 4.00 AED (€1.10);

• Bytaxi: average cost 25.00 AED (€6.70) + 1.96 AED (€0.53) per km / travel time: 15 min;

• By bus: average cost AED 2.00 (€0.55) / routes 33, 34, 44, 402, 64, 4, 48, 401 (to Deira) and C01 (to Gold Souk);

• Private transfer: private transfer to/from Dubai Airport.

Getting around on foot

Getting aroundon foot alone is impossible. This is primarily due to the distances involved, high temperatures and high humidity.

Above all, the attractions and iconic districts are far apart. Between Downtown Dubai, home to the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall, and Dubai Marina, there are a good 20 km! For this reason, a great way to get around without hassle is to join a guided tour in an air-conditioned van that will get you to the main landmarks quickly.

Of course, you can also discover individual areas of the city on foot. This is the case of the wonderful and fascinating Old Dubai, where the famous gold and spice markets are located, or Dubai Marina itself. In this case, a walk on the Dubai Marina Walk, along the waterfront from the Burj Al Arab to Jumeirah Harbour, on the artificial palm tree and along the water canal is not to be missed. A walk in the City Walk area, with murals and open-air exhibitions, in the Design District pedestrian zone is also a lot of fun.

In general,however, travelling from one area to another is mostly by taxi.

With the sharing services

Also in Dubai, as in most major European cities, you can find numerous sharing services. You can rent cars and bicycles for a few minutes, hours or an entire day via an official app, which requires registration and the creation of an account. Beware, however: this is different for electric scooters, as a licence is required to use them, a rule that is not yet in force in Italy. In addition to this, rules and guidelines have been implemented for their use, so it is a means that we do not recommend using, especially as a matter of practicality. Instead, let's see how it works for cars and bikes:

• Caarem: Dubai's bike sharing service launched in partnership with Roads and Transport Authority, a transport management company. Using the app, it is possible to locate bicycles, unlock them, use them around the city and then leave them at an authorised station. Payment is made at the end of the ride via the method selected in your account (credit or debit card). Membership 1 Day 20.00 AED (€5.40);

• Udrive: Dubai's largest car sharing service. Through the official app you can find your car, lock it in and drive it around the city streets, then find parking areas to drop it off at the end of the ride. You will have to create an account, where all personal details, international driving licence, visa copy and passport are required. Minimum age to drive 23 years. Payment is made via app automatically once the ride is over (credit or debit card). Choice of different models, from AED 0.99/min (€0.27).

By public transport

Getting around Dubai by public transport is a must. The network, operated by the Roads and Transport Authority, is efficient, punctual and clean. It consists of buses, trams, metro and ferries. Taxis are one of the most convenient and fastest ways to get around Dubai.

In order to use the company's public transport, you need a Nol Card, a rechargeable card to be swiped over the scanner every time you board a vehicle. This is a convenient and quick method of getting around without any hassle.

To understand fares and how to get around, however, it is important to know that Dubai is divided into 7 fare zones. From a tourist point of view, the zones that most interest tourists are 2 and 6: zone 2 includes Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah, zone 6 Downtown Dubai.

To best acclimatise yourself in such a large city, but also to move easily between the main attractions without having to worry about using public transport or haggling over taxi fares, we recommend boarding the sightseeing bus and enjoying the beauty of Dubai.

Metro

The Dubai Metro is one of the best in the world. State-of-the-art, modern, efficient, punctual, it consists of 2 lines: the Red Line and the Green Line. Constantly monitored by cameras, with dedicated cabs for women and children only and working WiFi on board, it is one of the best means, if not the best along with taxis, to get around the city. Above all, it runs all along Sheikh Zayed Road, with stations close to attractions such as the Dubai Mall, the Burj Khalifa and the Mall of the Emirates.

• Downloadable map: metro-dubai

• Hours: Mon-Thu and Sat 5am-00pm, Fri 5am-1pm, Sun 8am-12pm

• Ticketprice/single journey: from AED 3.00 (€0.80)

• Ticket/carnet cost: weekly from AED 50.00 (€13.40)

Is the Dubai metro safe at night? Yes, the Dubai metro is very safe, as is the whole city. You can move around safely even at night without worrying. All stations, as well as the vehicles, are constantly monitored. In addition, there are also carriages for women and children only.

Buses

The bus network is very extensive: there are more than 1,500 buses and 119 lines. All vehicles are air-conditioned, as are the stops, which are also constantly monitored by security systems. It is, however, not used by tourists: the difficulty of the language (although there are often directions in English), the large number of lines and the numerous stops make this means of transport difficult to use. Prefer the metro and, where the metro does not arrive, taxis.

• Downloadable map: bus-dubai

• Times: daily 4am-1pm, line C01 24h

• Ticketprice/single journey: from AED 3.00 (€0.80)

• Ticket/carnet cost: weekly from AED 50.00 (€13.40

Tram

The tram in Dubai can only be found in the Dubai Marina district: it consists of a single line running between Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road and connecting the metro station to the Palm Monorail, the scenic monorail which in turn connects Dubai Marina and The Palm Jumeirah.

• Downloadable map: tram-dubai

• Hours: Mon-Sat 6am-1pm, Sun 9am-1pm

• Ticketprice/single ride: AED 3.00 (€0.80)

• Cost ofticket booklet/subscription: weekly from AED 50.00 (€13.40

Ferries

In addition to transport by land, you can also find transport by sea in Dubai. In addition to water taxis, which are very expensive, there are in fact 6 ferry lines in the city, connecting the districts along the coast and along the Khor Dubai canal. Along the canal you can also try the experience of boarding an abra, a typical Dubai boat, which travels along the Creek and connects the two banks (AED 1.00/€0.30).

Thereare also water taxis in Dubai: certainly more comfortable and faster than the ferries, but definitely more expensive! If, on the other hand, you want to enjoy an overview of the city from the sea, the best option is to take a speedboat ride from Dubai Marina.

• Downloadable map: ferries-dubai

• Times: generally 11am-6pm, varying according to the lines

• Cost of ticket/single ride: AED 25.00 (€6.70)

Taxi

Finally, we must also look into the subject of taxis, as this is the best means of getting around Dubai. There are different types of taxis in the city, but we definitely recommend that you rely on the official taxis, i.e. taxis run by the state and The Dubai Taxi Corporation. The taxis of reference are the public taxis, but there are also vehicles dedicated exclusively to women and children or families(Ladies and Family Taxi), easily recognisable thanks to their pink roofs, or dedicated to people with disabilities(Special Needs Taxi), with a driver who helps with boarding and alighting.

Aswell as for single journeys, taxis offer complete sightseeing tours, reaching Dubai's main attractions, which can last half a day or a whole day, with prices varying from around €60.00 to €100.00. In this case, always remember to haggle! It is certainly more convenient to book a guided tour online in an air-conditioned van, which will also allow you to already have a precise itinerary and be better prepared.

Download the official app: in order to get around smoothly and book your ride in real time from anywhere in Dubai, we recommend downloading the official DTC app.Official website info

• Hours: 24 h

• Cost of ticket/single ride: fixed fare AED 5.00 (€1.35) + AED 2.19 (€0.60) per km

By car

Dubai is a very large city, and although having a car might provide more autonomy, driving in Dubai is really not recommended. The roads are wide, with many lanes, the locals drive very fast and acclimatising to such a large city is really tricky.

Also not to be underestimated is the traffic factor, which is really chaotic and often congested. Moreover, the roads are all fast-flowing and the inhabitants of Dubai have a fairly reckless driving style. Beware also of speed bumps, they are much bigger than the ones we are used to!

Thereare no LTZs in Dubai, and parking costs are also very low, but don't let that fool you. Driving in this city is a decision that needs to be really well thought out and if you have never driven in an environment similar to this one, it's best to travel by taxi.

Is Uber used in Dubai? Yes, there is also an Uber service in Dubai. This is a very convenient way to get around, given the distance between the main attractions. All you have to do is download the app, choose your departure and arrival point and book your ride. You will immediately see the price you are going to pay, as well as the driver ratings given by other travellers. Definitely one of the best ways to get around Dubai, also to keep track of all your payments and see how much you've spent at the end of your trip.

Stops and parking

There are plenty of car parks in Dubai. They are located near attractions and large shopping malls. This certainly makes finding a parking space easier, although remember that driving in Dubai is not one of the best choices. The costs are also not excessive: they vary depending on the tariff zone you are in, certainly near the main attractions they cost more. It starts at an hourly cost of AED 2.00 (0.55).