The Dubai Metro
A clean and efficient way of travelling along the main stretch of Dubai, as well the Creek area. The most cost-efficient way to use it is to buy either a Silver or Gold NOL rechargeable card. A Silver trip (main carriages) will average around 4 dirhams for two zones (less than £1!) whilst a Gold trip (first class with comfy seats!) will be about double this – still only a couple of pound though! Trains are regular, around every 4-8 minutes and run all week apart from Friday mornings. The drawback is that not all areas are serviced by the metro so you might still have a hot walk or taxi ride to your destination. The main malls all have their own metro stop.
Dubai Taxis
Easiest way to get around. Fairs are cheap compared to the UK. Expect to pay 50 dirhams to travel most of Shiekh Zayed Road, whilst local trips will average around 20-30 dirhams. Taxis now charge the Salik road toll which is 4 dirhams under each toll gate. Drawbacks will be the usual Dubai congestion at peak times, but they are flagged down or booked easily. Check the driver knows where to go before he sets off; landmarks and roads change frequently! Uber and Careem are similar taxi services that are available via an App.
Dubai Buses
The bus network is massively underused by expats who generally prefer to use taxis, however they are clean and run on time. Drivers do not accept payment, instead you must have a NOL card (same one as the Metro) to use the service. Most buses run on a circular route so a couple of changes might be needed for one journey.
Dubai Tram
The Dubai Tram is the latest addition to the Dubai public transport network. Running on a circular route around Dubai Marina in the first phase, the tram will eventually link areas like the Burj Al Arab to the Mall of the Emirates, JBR and JLT.
