Bicycle
German company Nextbike has teamed up with local provider Byky (www.bykystations.com) to provide a bike-sharing service in the Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and on Palm Jumeirah. First register online and then when you’re ready to hire a bike, call the hotline and type in the bike’s ID number to obtain the code needed to open the combination lock. Bikes must be returned to another station. Prices are staggered, with one hour costing Dhs20 and 24 hours Dhs80. The website has full details.
Boat
Abra
Abras are motorised traditional wooden boats linking Bur Dubai and Deira across the Creek on two routes:
Route 1 Bur Dubai Abra Station to Deira Old Souk Abra Station; operates daily between 6am and midnight; rides take five minutes.
Route 2 Dubai Old Souk Abra Station to Al Sabkha Abra Station; operates around the clock; rides take about seven minutes.
Abras leave when full (around 20 passengers), which rarely takes more than a few minutes. The fare is Dhs1, and you pay the driver en route. Chartering your own abra costs Dhs120 per hour.
Air-conditioned abras also link Al Jaddaf Marine Station (near Creek metro station) with the Dubai Festival City Abra Station from 7am to midnight every 10 minutes, while petrol-operated abras operate from the new Al Seef Marine Station to Al Ghubaiba Marine Station between 7am and 10pm Saturday to Thursday and 10am to midnight Friday; the fare for both is Dhs2 and both rides take less than 10 minutes.
In addition, pricey, tourist-geared sightseeing abras offer short rides around Burj Lake (Dhs65), Al Mamzar (Dhs60) and Global Village (Dhs50).
Dubai Ferry
The Dubai Ferry operates on two interlinking routes and provides a fun way for visitors to see the city from the water.
Dubai Marina to Al Ghubaiba (Bur Dubai) Route These 90-minute mini-cruises depart at 11am, 1pm and 6.30pm from the Dubai Marina Ferry Station and the Al Ghubaiba Ferry Station. The route passes by Madinat Jumeirah, the Burj Al Arab and Port Rashid. Other options from either station include an afternoon-tea trip at 3pm and a sunset cruise at 5pm. The fare for any of these trips is Dhs50 (children Dhs25). Note that the ferries may cancel if they do not have sufficient passengers.
Dubai Canal Route Links Al Jaddaf Marine Station (near Creek metro station) with Dubai Canal station at 10am, noon and 5.30pm and at noon, 2pm and 7.30pm in the other direction. Stops include Dubai Design District, Al Wajeha, Marasi and Sheikh Zayed Rd. Fares depend on number of stations travelled; the entire one-way route is Dhs50.
Both routes connect at the Dubai Canal station. The fare from here to either Al Ghubaiba or Dubai Marina is Dhs25.
Water Bus
Air-conditioned water buses link four stops around the Dubai Marina every 15 to 20 minutes from 10am to 11pm Saturday to Thursday and from noon to midnight on Friday. Fares range from Dhs3 to Dhs5 per stop or Dhs25 for a day pass. Nol Cards are valid.
Bus
The RTA operates local buses on more than 120 routes primarily serving the needs of low-income commuters. Buses are clean, comfortable, air-conditioned and cheap, but they’re slow. The first few rows of seats are generally reserved for women and children. Fares range from Dhs3 to Dhs8.50, and Nol Cards must be used.
Car & Motorcycle
Driving in Dubai is not for nervous nellies given that local behind-the-wheel styles are rather quixotic, and negotiating seven- or eight-lane highways can be quite scary at first. Distances can be deceiving. Heavy traffic, detours and eternal red lights can quickly turn that 5km trip into an hour’s journey. However, well-maintained multilane highways, plentiful petrol stations and cheap petrol make car hire a worthwhile option for day trips from Dubai. For navigating, Google Maps works reasonably well. A local alternative is the RTA Smart Drive app, downloadable free from Google Play and Apple app store.
There are seven automated toll gates (Salik; www.salik.gov.ae/en), each costing Dhs4, set up along Dubai’s highways, including two along Sheikh Zayed Rd: Al Barsha near the Mall of the Emirates and Al Safa near Burj Khalifa. All hire cars are equipped with sensors that record each time you pass a toll point. The cost is added to your final bill.
Hire
There are scores of car-rental agencies in Dubai, from major global companies to no-name local businesses. The former may charge more but give peace of mind with full insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance. You’ll find the gamut at the airport and throughout the city. Most major hotels have desks in the lobby.
To hire a car, you must be over the age of 21 (25 for some fancier models) and have a valid driving licence and credit card. Depending on your country of origin, you may also need to produce an international driving licence. Some companies require that the national licence has been held for at least one year.
Metro
Dubai’s metro (www.dubaimetro.eu) opened in 2010 and has proved a popular service. Red Line Runs for 52.1km from near Dubai International Airport to Jebel Ali past Dubai Marina, mostly paralleling Sheikh Zayed Rd. Green Line Runs for 22.5km, linking the Dubai Airport Free Zone with Dubai Healthcare City and Dubai Creek. Intersection of Red & Green Lines At Union and BurJuman stations. Onward Journey At each station, cabs and feeder buses stand by to take you to your final destination.
Monorail
The elevated, driverless Palm Jumeirah Monorail (www.palm-monorail.com) connects the Palm Jumeirah with Dubai Marina. There are three stations: Palm Gateway Station near the bottom of the ‘trunk’, Al Ittihad Park near the Galleria Mall and Atlantis Aquaventure at the Atlantis hotel. Two additional stations, The Pointe and Nakheel Mall, should be up and running by 2019. The 5.45km trip takes about 12 minutes and costs Dhs20 (Dhs30 return trip); cash only. Trains run every 15 minutes from 9am to 10pm. The monorail links to the Dubai Tram at Palm Gateway.
Taxi
Dubai is a taxi-centric city, and you’re likely to find yourself in need of a cab at some point. Government-licensed vehicles are cream-coloured and operated by Dubai Taxi Corporation. They are metered, air-conditioned, relatively inexpensive and the fastest and most comfortable way to get around, except during rush-hour traffic. Taxis can be hailed in the street, picked up at taxi ranks or booked by phone. You’ll also see private taxis with different-coloured roofs (eg Arabia Taxi has a green roof). These are licensed and fine to use.
Uber & Careem
As in other metropolises, taxis are facing stiff competition from mobile ride-hailing apps such as Uber (www.uber.com) and Dubai-based Careem (www.careem.com), founded here in 2012 and now operating throughout the Middle East. Cost-wise, there’s very little difference, but Uber and Careem tend to have much nicer cars that often come with free water, phone chargers and more clued-up drivers.
Tram
The Dubai Tram (www.alsufouhtram.com) makes 11 stops in and around the Dubai Marina area, including near the Marina Mall, The Beach at JBR and The Walk at JBR. It also connects with the Damac and DMCC metro stations and with the Palm Jumeirah Monorail at Palm Jumeirah station.
Trams run roughly every eight minutes from 6am to 1am Saturday to Thursday and from 9am to 1am on Friday. The entire loop takes 40 minutes. The fare depends on how many zones you travel through, starting with Dhs4 for one zone. Nol Cards must be used.
