Getting around United Arab Emirates: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

The table below covers the modes most travellers actually use. Fares are 2026 estimates in dirhams; tolls, surcharges and airport pick-ups add to the headline number.

Start with the shape of your trip. If you are staying in Dubai and Abu Dhabi only, you can skip the car entirely: the metro covers the airport, Deira, Bur Dubai, Downtown and the Marina, the tram loops the Marina and JBR, and metered taxis fill the gaps. In Abu Dhabi, buses reach the Corniche, the Grand Mosque and Yas, and are frequent in town but thin out at night.

For the Dubai–Abu Dhabi run, the inter-city buses are the cheap option: E100, E101 and E102 leave from Al Ghubaiba or Ibn Battuta, take 2–2 h 30 and cost AED 25–35. You need a Nol card with enough balance, queues build at weekends, and the last buses back are worth checking the night before. A taxi or car with driver costs AED 250–350 one way, takes 1 h 30–2 h door to door, and is the easiest way to do Abu Dhabi as a day trip; agree the return pick-up and expect Salik and Darb tolls on top.

Rent a car only when the itinerary leaves the cities. Hatta, Jebel Jais, the east coast and Liwa are far easier with your own wheels, at AED 100–200 a day plus fuel. Speed cameras are everywhere and fines arrive by post to the rental firm, so budget for them. Zero alcohol applies, and never take a rental off-road.

Etihad Rail is the wildcard. An introductory Abu Dhabi–Fujairah passenger service is planned from 30 June 2026, with the Dubai station due 30 September 2026, roughly an hour end to end and fares from about AED 50. Stations sit outside city centres, so add a taxi at each end, and treat the timetable as unconfirmed until the operator publishes it (check).

Traffic peaks at 07:30–09:30 and 17:00–20:00, and the Dubai–Abu Dhabi road is worst on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings. Airport and peak-hour surcharges apply to taxis and ride-hailing. Women can ask for pink-roofed ladies' taxis in Dubai.

On the metro, eating and drinking are banned and fined, and Gold Class and women-and-children cars are marked. Old wooden abras across Dubai Creek still take cash in most cases, so carry small notes; check whether Nol is accepted before boarding (check).

Friday midday prayers close some small shops and souks roughly 12:00–14:00, which affects bus and taxi demand around mosques. During Ramadan, daytime hours shorten and late-night transport gets busier. Metro hours run about 05:00–24:00 Monday to Thursday, later on Friday and from 08:00 on Sunday, with extended service for New Year and major events (check).