As I have already told you in all the previous posts, Dubai is a very large city. In this post I am going to tell you about the best means of transport and how to get around Dubai.
Dubai a city not very suitable for walking
For starters, erase from your mind any city with a historic center or pedestrian areas that you have gone for sightseeing. Dubai is a different concept. It has been created from scratch on a vast expanse of sand where sidewalks and zebra crossings are not the main element. Its length is more than 50 kilometers. Getting around on foot in Dubai can be mission impossible. I was the first to say “sure it’s not that bad.” The first day I tried to walk to a point that was only 2 kilometers in a straight line, I ended up walking 6 kilometers between construction sites, sandy roads and roads without sidewalks to get there. Thinking that I had done something wrong, I chose another route back with which I added 7 more kilometers of uncivilized road.
After this and some other experiences, I know what Dubai is like. Despite the fact that Dubai is not a city adapted for the pedestrian, do not worry, you will walk a lot. It is simply that there are no (yet) connections to walk from one area to another. However, within each zone you have long enough walks to tire you. If you are going to come to live, I recommend that you get a car as soon as possible and if you come on tourism, here I will tell you all the options to move in Dubai and the best means of transport from my point of view.
Public transport
Before starting your excursions in Dubai, I recommend that you put everything you want to see on a map and plan your day based on distances so that you don’t waste a lot of time on trips. As I have already said, it is a very large city and you can easily do 40 kilometers from one point to another.
Dubai has a multitude of means of public transport: Metro, bus, taxi, boat-bus, boat-taxi, tram, monorail … And you will not only use one means of transport, but a combination of several. I’m going to focus on the most important ones that you should know, how to get around Dubai and the best means of transportation.
Cab
This is the means of transport par excellence. Honestly, the one that works best for money in this city since it takes you from door to door and if you go several times it will surely be cheaper than a trip by metro. Normally you “cannot” take a taxi in the middle of the street, you must do it in the places designated for it, the taxi stands. If you are staying in a hotel, you will have several waiting at the entrance. They can only stop where they do not interfere with circulation.
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Bus
Like the metro, the Dubai bus has its quirks. The most striking are its air-conditioned stalls. This means of transport is little frequented by tourists since it is not as easy as the subway and it does not have the stops so well located. It works from 6:00 am to 00:00 am and there are 5 night lines. The price varies depending on the route but it is usually AED 2 = € 0.50. Like the metro, you can use the NOL Card or pay in cash.
Trolley car
The tram is only found in the residential area of marina, it is a circular route around the marina that I talked about in the post about where to stay . From my point of view as a resident / tourist it is not worth taking it since it is very nice to see the magnitude of the skyscrapers that surround this giant marina in the middle of the city. Except if you want to go fast from the subway to JBR beach. The tram is also paid with the NOL card and the schedule, unlike the subway, is from 9:00 am to 1:00 am.
Monorail
The monorail is the means of transport to get from the beginning of the palm tree to the end. From the metro you have to walk a long way to get to the station and once there the NOL card does not work, you have to buy a separate ticket, much more expensive compared to the rest of public transport 20 AED = € 5 per ticket one way or AED 30 € 7.5 round trip ticket.
Open
In the souk area, when you need to cross the river to go from the textile souk to the gold souk or vice versa, the best and cheapest option is to take an “abra”. The traditional Dubai boats with which for 1 AED = € 0.25 cross the Dubai Creek or Dubai estuary. This is a very cheap and charming means of transport that is almost obligatory.
In short, the taxi is the best means of transport to get around Dubai. If it seems very expensive because you go alone or you want to enjoy beautiful views. The best option is to combine the subway with the taxi as the residents of this city do. If you have any questions, you can contact me and I will gladly try to help you.
