Getting around in Dubai

Traveling around Dubai

Dubai is a vast city and when you want to see all the attractions and sights you depend on good transport. You do not get far in Dubai by foot and in any case it is often too hot to walk long distances. Fortunately Dubai has a very good and reliable public transport system, which is very cheap. In addition, there are other ways of transport to reach places where public transport does not come.

Public transport in Dubai

To travel by public transport in Dubai you need a so-called Nol card, a travel chip card. You can buy this card at the vending machines at the stations and at the bus stops. You use the NOL card to check in and out when or before you enter the way of transport. The Nol card can be used for the metro, tram, bus, ferry and abra (water taxi) and you can use it to pay for parking as well. With the Dubai metro you can travel quickly from one side of Dubai to another and you will reach many of the major attractions and attractions in Dubai. For example, you travel quickly between the old Deira center, the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and the Dubai Marina. However, the metro does not get to the coast and the Palm Jumeirah. So if you would like to go to the beach you have to use the tram or the bus. The Dubai bus runs along the entire coastline along all the beaches and you can use the bus to reach other neighborhoods in Dubai as well. The Dubai tram takes you to the JBR beach at the Dubai Marina. And if want to go to the Palm Jumeirah you can take the Palm monorail.

All public transportation in Dubai has got air-conditioning and the stations and even bus stops are air-conditioned as well. In addition, there is wifi on board but that only works with a local telephone number.

Water transport in Dubai

In Dubai you will find a lot of water such as the sea, the Dubai creek and the Dubai Marina and therefore there is also a lot of (public) water transport available. Traveling over water is not only comfortable, because you avoid the traffic jams, but it is also a nice way to view Dubai. In the old center you will find the abras, water taxis, which take you from one side of the bank to the other side of the bank for a small fee. In the Dubai Marina you can use the water bus, which serves different stops in the Dubai marina. And the Dubai ferry offers several routes, including a route between the old center and the Dubai Marina. In addition, you can take a tourist cruise with the Dubai ferry at an attractive rate.

Other transport in Dubai

In addition to public transport, the taxi is very popular in Dubai. Taxis are very easy to obtain because you see them everywhere and they are cheap compared to Europe and the US. When you travel with several people, a taxi is often even cheaper than public transport and you are taken from door to door. For shorter distances you can rent bikes in some places to explore the area and you can also rent a car in Dubai. If you want to see all the attractions and sights in a short time, you can opt for a tour with Big Bus tours or CitySightseeing for example. You can hop on and off whenever you want with these hop-on hop-off buses.