Transport links from Dubai Airport are provided by metro, buses and taxis.
Taxi
Taxis operate throughout Dubai strictly on a metered basis. When travelling from the airport, the starting rate is 25 aed and then for each kilometre travelled 1,96 aed. So to the city centre (to Dubai Mall) you will pay around 70 aed, and when travelling to the Dubai Marina district around 90 aed.
Taxis in Dubai accept cash and credit cards.
It may be cheaper to get a ride via Uber, which is common in Dubai. So we always recommend checking the price through this app as well. On the other hand, Uber prices can be higher at night when Dubai Airport is at peak times.
Metro and buses
Terminals 1 and 3, which are served by the metro, are easily accessible by public transport. Terminal 2, on the other hand, is only served by buses.
Use the rta.ae/portal transport search engine to plan your journey.
Public transport tickets
When using public transport (metro and buses are the same), you will need a Nol card to pay the fare.
It is sold in 4 variants - red, silver, gold and blue. You can use either the single red one for 2 aed, or the pre-loaded silver one for 6 aed (the sale price is 25 aed, which already includes 19 aed travel credit).
You can charge the one-time Red card up to 10 times for a single ride (1 ride = maximum 3 transfers within 180 minutes) or for 5x day passes.
Prices then vary depending on the route and card type as follows:
- All-day for all zones - 20 aed, for Gold Class 40 aed + price of RED card, to which the all-day ticket can be loaded
- 1 zone - red 4 aed, silver 3 aed
- 2 zones - red 6 aed, silver 5 aed
- 3 or more zones - red 8,5 aed, silver 7,5 aed
Tickets can be purchased from machines at the metro station or in the arrival halls of all terminals, where you can pay with both card and cash. The bus driver does not sell tickets!
When travelling from the airport, you can travel for two or three zones at most. For more information on public transport, visit rta.ae or our Dubai guide, and for a map of the zones in Dubai, follow this link.
Transportation to/from Terminals 1 and 3
The Red Line metro only goes to terminals 1 and 3. It operates daily from 5:30am to 1:00am, except on Fridays, which is a weekend in the UAE, and runs from 8am. The metro runs at intervals of 2 to 4 minutes.
It takes 8 minutes to reach the centre and the Deira Hotels district, and 25 minutes to reach the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa Tower at the same time. However, an additional 15 minutes walk from the metro to the exit is to be expected.
Although the metro is by far the fastest and most straightforward form of transport, you can also use the red public transport buses from terminals 1 and 3, but you need to buy your ticket in advance from the machine in the arrivals hall.
Most bus routes follow the metro route to Deira and the outskirts of Dubai (see map below), but bus 32C can be well used to get you to the Creek Park area, where some hotels are located. However, it only runs once every 30 minutes.
Transportation to/from Terminal 2
Terminal 2 is not accessible by metro, but only by bus. You must buy tickets from the ticket machine in the arrivals hall. Look for the Bus RTA stop, which is right outside the arrivals and departures hall.
- To the nearest Abu Hail green line metro station: lines 13B, 43, C26
- Direct buses to the Deira district: line 43
- Direct buses to Sheikh Zayed Road: line C26
Rent a car
If you want to travel around the UAE, a rental car can be a convenient mode of transport. The vast majority of multinational car rental companies are based at all terminals, and you can hire a standard car for around 900 aed per week.
To rent a car, you must have an international driving licence in addition to your Czech driving licence.