From the airport to Dubai: getting there in comfort
How to get from Dubai Airport to the city center From Dubai Airport to the city center you can get by metro, buses and taxis. Buses will take approximately 1 hour 20 minutes depending on the distance of your hotel, tickets cost from $2. The metro to the center of Dubai moves faster – 50 minutes including the wait and costs from $2.
When going on vacation to the sunniest and most magical corner of the world on the shores of the Persian Gulf, think about how to get from Dubai airport to the city in the most suitable way for you.
For wanderers, all the best options are provided, and the only thing missing is a flying carpet.
| Transport | Travel time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Metro | 40 minutes | 2 dollars |
| Bus | 60 minutes | 2 dollars |
| Taxi | 45 minutes | from 36 dollars |
Dubai Airport Infrastructure
It is worth mentioning a little about the internal structure of the air hub. Dubai Airport is the largest in the United Arab Emirates, and is located in the Al Garhoud area in the southeast, 5 km from the city center. Its capacity, after expansion in 2001, increased from 60 to 80 million travelers per year. Having a developed infrastructure, it resembles a small comfortable island where people, enjoying all the amenities, can wait to board their flight.
There is no shortage of restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets, for example the familiar McDonald’s, some of which are open around the clock. If you fly with Emirates airlines and have to wait more than 4 hours for a transfer, you can count on free meals. But Wi-Fi at the airport is available to everyone free of charge.
A walk through the three spacious halls of the flower exhibition center, where amazing, exotic plants are presented, will help you spend your time pleasantly.
If you have plenty of time and money, you can go shopping, visit the jacuzzi, gym, swimming pool and freshen up in the shower, just bring your own towel, since they don’t provide one here.
Services are paid for in local currency – dirhams, which can be purchased at 24-hour exchange offices near gates 12, 22 and 8.
There are places to go and where to spend money, and while parents are busy with their adult affairs, the younger generation will happily go frolicking in the playground, which is located between gates 12 and 14.
If Dubai Airport is just a transfer base, while staying inside it, you do not need a UAE visa to move freely between the three passenger terminals and other points on its territory.
More about terminals
Since there is a considerable distance between the terminals, it is best to use shuttle buses that run from one to another every 10 minutes.
Terminal No. 1 (with a distribution hall – concourse D) receives many flights from different parts of the world, including well-known companies: Ukraine International Airlines, Aeroflot, AirBaltic, Air France, KLM. In addition to shops, restaurants and exchange offices, there is also a dutyfree and a first aid center nearby.
Terminal No. 2 serves neighboring countries and flights from Finland.
Terminal No. 3 (with concourses A, B and C) is the largest, and part of it is underground. Airplanes served by the popular airline Emirates arrive here. The network of shops and all kinds of cafes is also impressive.
Buying a pass for public transport
No matter how wonderful Dubai airport is, you didn’t come to the UAE for it. To open new horizons by seeing the beauty outside the air harbor, you will need a document permitting travel on public transport. It is called the “Nol Card”, and is sold through machines or at public RTA ticket offices, and the cost depends on the type of card.
The higher her level, the more privileges she gives. Tourists are recommended to purchase a red card – Red, which has an entry level. The other will be a waste of money, since you are unlikely to plan to ride the metro every day when you come to relax at one of the wonderful resorts.
This card costs 2 dirhams ($0.54), but it still needs to be topped up through the terminal by depositing funds for one or a maximum of 10 trips. An alternative is a silver card – Silver Card for 24 dirhams ($6.80), which allows for 5,000 movements.
They are valid on the metro, bus, tram and water transport, and the cost of each trip is calculated depending on the number of zones visited (there are 5 in total). Having descended from the Red Nol Card into the Dubai metro, you will pay 4 dirhams ($1.10) to cross one zone; if the road passes through two zones, prepare 6 dirhams ($1.63); starting from three zones – 8.50 dirhams ($2.31).
To pay for the trip, you need to place your card against the reader at the entrance to the vehicle. When the beep sounds and the green indicator lights up, the process has been successful and you can proceed.
How to get from Dubai Airport by metro?
Having become the happy owner of a travel card, it’s time to set off on the “big voyage”. The metro at Dubai Airport is so easy to use that it is even unusual. There are 2 branches in total – an almost straight red one and a winding green one, intersecting only at two points.
It is difficult for travelers to know which station they need, since the names are duplicated in English and are called “Airport Terminal 1” and “Airport Terminal 3,” which means that they are located on the red line at terminals No. 1 and No. 3. True, you can still use the Dubai Airport Free Zone station on the green line, but it is some distance from terminal No. 2, and this is not very convenient.
In terms of time, covering the distance from the metro to the center of Dubai takes approximately 10-30 minutes, depending on the landing location. The metro’s operating hours also have their own characteristics. Every day it carries passengers from 5 am to midnight, and only on Friday it starts running from 13:00.
The carriages are designed for three types of passengers: regular passengers, gold card holders, and there are also separate carriages for women with children. Those who are traveling to the land of fairy tales, sun and sweets for the first time should be reminded that the East is a delicate matter, and therefore it is better to refrain from chewing gum while on the local metro if you do not want to run into a hefty fine.
- Schedule: from 05:50 to 00:00 (Friday from 13:00 to 01:00)
- Travel time: 40 minutes
- Price: 2 dollars
To Dubai from the airport by bus
Buses at Dubai Airport depart from all three terminals to different parts of the city. For example, at No. 1 and No. 3 you can take bus 11, 44, 15, 33 or 4, and from terminal No. 2 there is bus 2. Also from terminal No. 1, bus No. 55 leaves in 10-15 minutes, and every 30 minutes – No. 401, taking us to the Deira region, and No. 402. At night, the frequency of movement increases slightly.
In fact, there are too many buses around the city to go into detail about each one. It’s easier to study the route sheet yourself, which clearly shows which number moves between which points.
By choosing this type of transport, the trip will cost approximately 3 dirhams ($0.82) and the journey will take from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the destination. Some buses wind through the streets, calling in different areas, which makes the road stretch out, but I’m glad that air conditioning is installed inside, and you won’t have to swelter too much from the heat.
According to the rules, entry to the salon is only through the front doors, and men should not occupy seats in the front rows.
As for payment, you won’t be able to buy a pass from the driver. When entering, you should already have the same Nol Card that has already been mentioned.
If you intend to live in an expensive hotel during your stay in the UAE, you may be offered a transfer from the airport.
- Bus schedule: 24 hours a day
- Route: No. 401: Airport – DNATA Airline Center – Al Mak-um Road – Deira Taxi Station and Al Sabkha Bus Station.
No. 402: Airport – Deira City Center – Al Karama – Golden Sands – Al Mankhool and Al Ghubaiba Bus Station. The fare is 3 AED.
Night routes: Airport – Al Rashidiya bus station – Gubaiba bus station – Al Qusais bus station – Jabel Ali Free Zone bus station – Gold Souq bus station – Satwa bus station (also pass Al Karama area, Airport Terminal 2, Dubai Marina and Greens) . - Travel time: 60 minutes
- Price: 2 dollars
Comfortably by taxi
The most attractive and fastest way to get to your hotel is to take a taxi from Dubai Airport. If you are planning to stay at the Palm Jumeirah hotel, which is 37 km away, or at the Burj Al Arab, 25 km from the airport, it is more pleasant to travel in a cozy taxi with air conditioning than to travel extra kilometers by bus or find your own way from the metro to your accommodation .
Airport Taxi and Emirates Taxi offer their services, and finding them is not a problem. Payment is made in dirhams, so take care in advance to purchase local currency at exchange offices.
The cost of a Dubai Airport taxi is higher than public transport, but you have to pay for convenience. Just for landing you will have to pay 25 dirhams ($6.80). Add to it 1.96 dirhams ($0.53) for each km, and you get the cost of the trip. For example, they will take you to the center of Dubai for 35 dirhams ($9.53), and to the mentioned hotels for 74-97 dirhams ($20-26).
Each machine is equipped with a POS terminal, which allows you to pay for the service not only in cash, but also with any card.
If you can’t find taxi stands on your own or have other problems, look for employees with a badge that says “May I help you.” These employees are specially placed here so that tourists can get free help from them.
- Schedule: 24 hours a day
- Route: to the hotel or to any address
- Travel time: 46 minutes
- Price: $36
How to rent a car in Dubai?
Near each of the terminals there are counters where you can rent a car. This service is preferred if you plan to travel frequently around the city, but you don’t want to depend on public transport schedules or experience difficulties communicating with taxi drivers in a foreign country.
Having decided that you also need to rent a car at Dubai Airport, you can go to the website of the selected company and fill out a form. Indicate the country and city, as well as the points where you are going to pick up and drop off the vehicle. Then select your end dates, times and your age. After this, the system will show the available options.
Having sent a request for the selected car, wait for a confirmation voucher to be sent to your email address. Print it out and show it to the employee at the rental office along with your driver’s license and credit card.
Look carefully to ensure that all the data in the documents matches, and also examine the body, glass, mirrors, interior and wheels for scratches and other defects. All this must be indicated in the papers so that upon return of the property the company does not have to pay a fine for unmarked damage.
Prices for rented cars are quite reasonable. For example, an economy class car starts at $52, and if the price doesn’t matter to you, you can go crazy and take a Mercedes SLK for $550 or a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV for $805.
EconomyCarRentals has an excellent fleet of vehicles, and prices are often presented with a full insurance package and there are often promotions. Similar conditions are offered by Cars-scanner, OrangeSmile and Economybookings, working with the best rental companies. But if you decide to rent wheels, remember that refueling (gasoline costs about $0.46), parking and fines are additional costs. If you are ready for this, the best rental companies are at your service.
By the way, using a car on the roads of the UAE is a pleasure – smooth, as if ironed. The D-89 highway leads to Dubai and, leaving the aircraft port, you can easily get to any point in an hour.
Actually, these are all the current options that will help you get from Dubai airport to the city, marking the beginning of your acquaintance with the famous oriental hospitality.