The quick answer
In Dubai, use the Metro for the main spine and taxis or ride-hailing for everything else. In Abu Dhabi, taxis and ride-hailing, because the city is spread out and has no metro. Between them, a fast highway and about ninety minutes.
Dubai
The Metro
Driverless, air conditioned, cheap and clean, running along the main artery of the city and serving the airport, Downtown, the Marina, the Mall of the Emirates and the older districts. Buy a Nol card at any station. There is a Gold Class carriage for a higher fare and a designated women and children carriage, which is worth knowing so you do not board it by mistake.
Its limitation is geography: the Metro runs in a line, and much of what visitors want sits some distance either side of it. Station-to-destination walks that look short are long and hot, so pair the Metro with a short taxi at the end rather than walking.
The abra
The small wooden boats that cross Dubai Creek between Deira and Bur Dubai. They cost almost nothing, they have run for generations, and crossing on one is the single best-value experience in the city. Take cash.
Taxis and ride-hailing
Plentiful, metered, air conditioned and reasonably priced, with ride-hailing apps widely used and often easier because addresses here are landmark-based rather than street-based. There are women-driven taxis for women and families.
Trams, buses and monorail
A tram serves the Marina area and connects to the Metro; the bus network is extensive and its stops are air conditioned; a monorail runs onto the Palm. All are cheap and use the same card.
Abu Dhabi
No metro. Taxis are inexpensive and abundant, ride-hailing works, and the bus network is decent though less useful to a visitor. The city is spread across islands and distances are longer than they look, so budget for taxis or hire a car. Many of the big attractions, the Grand Mosque, the Louvre, Yas Island, are far apart.
Between the two cities
A fast, well-maintained highway, roughly ninety minutes to two hours depending on traffic and where you start and finish. The options are an intercity bus, which is cheap and frequent, a taxi or transfer, which is straightforward but not cheap over that distance, or a hire car. Many visitors day trip in one direction; if you are seeing much of Abu Dhabi, staying a night saves the double journey.
Driving
Excellent roads, cheap fuel, easy car hire with the right license or an international permit. Two cautions: traffic is fast and assertive by most visitors' standards, and enforcement is heavily automated, with camera fines arriving through the rental company after you have gone home. Parking in central Dubai is paid and app-based. If you are not confident, the Metro and an app cost less and are less stressful.
Getting in from the airports
Dubai International is close to the center and on the Metro. Abu Dhabi's airport is further out and taxi or transfer is the practical option. Both are efficient, and both are enormous, so allow time inside the terminal.
Planning with LABUSA Travel
We build UAE days around real journey times, and will tell you when basing in one city and day-tripping is the wrong call for your itinerary.
Sources
- Visit Dubai, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism: official visitor information for the emirate of Dubai. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- Experience Abu Dhabi, Department of Culture and Tourism: official visitor information for the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government: federal information for visitors, including entry, residence and public services. Accessed 11 August 2026.