Taxis, Dubai

Dubai is not a good place to hire a car. The standard of driving is poor and the road layouts can be confusing. The way the city has been developed means that much of the driving is on fast, busy 12 lane highways. If you miss your turn you have to drive miles in the wrong direction to get back to where you wanted to be. Exits are not always clearly marked so you will miss turns.

It's really more hassle than it's worth to hire a car. Taxis are cheap and easily available and there's also a very modern, very clean, safe and efficient metro system.

There's no need to hire a driver for 10 days, just wave down a taxi whenever you need one or call 04 208 0808 to order one to come and pick you up.

All taxis are government controlled and metered so there is no need to negotiate a fare before getting in, the drivers always use the meter. Taxis are safe for lone women traveling alone and for use any time day or night.

Dubai certainly does not strike me as a dangerous place but if you are a woman travelling on your own, you may wish to use the pink roofed, pink clothed ladies only taxi service. You will see many of these taxis at the airport.

The fastest way of getting around the city, especially to places not well-connected by the metro is by taxi. though most malls have a metro station beside them, the walks can be long, as is the case with Ibn Battuta mall, Dubai mall, and Mall of the Emirates.

Taxis have a flagfall rate starting at 3.00 AED, with the minimum fare being 10 AED. ~Hence, if there are 3 or 4 of you in a group a taxi can even be cheaper, as the minimum charge in the metro using a silver Nol card is 1.80 AED per person for journeys under 3 kms.

From the airport, the flagfall starts at 20 AED.

For ladies travelling alone or those concerned about safety, there are even pink taxis driven by women dressed in Arabic clothes!

Generally, taxies are not to expensive in Dubai. Altough You can try Metro there, when you are about 3 or 4 people travleing toghether, taxi is a better choice, specially when destination is near. A Metro ticket costs 4 AED,(add 2 AED for first travel) and a taxi for 5 Kilometers costs about 12 AED, which seems more comfortable, faster and cheaper; however I like to experince both.

Hi all. Don't hesitate to use taxis when u are in Dubai. It starts from 3 AED in day time and 3.5 AED at night time.It will cost about 1.5 AED per km.Taxis are generally toyota camry and really comfortable,clean.
You can see the towers from everywhere because there are no hills :) and the places u generally will visit is this area. It will take about 25-30 AED from airport to this area.
The jumeirah beach (near burj el arab) is the area where you can go to sea and it will cost about 35-40 AED from the towers area.
Don't forget to go to Medinad Jumeirah at night , there are some nice view and restaurants there and it will cost about 35 AED from the towers area again.
I hope it will be helpful.

Note: 1 AED is 3.5 USD approximately.

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> Taxis are relatively cheap (base charge Dhs 3.50 and then Dhs 1.60 per km) If the metre is broken, your trip is free.
> Base charge from the airport is a ridiculous Dhs 25.- What a way to rip you off as soon as you step into the country.
> If you have any complaints or forgot something in the car, call the company's number on the rear doors & report the cab number.
> Many taxi drivers have poor English, so if you are not sure if the driver has understood you, don't get in! You could end-up having to pay a big bill for a trip to a wrong place.
> It's normal to round-up the fare. If you were happy with the driver please tip generously - these guys work 12-hour shifts & earn peanuts, so every extra 5 or 10 Dhs really help.
Due to this, unfortunately many drivers speed like lunatics just to squeeze as many passengers into a day as possible. To slow them down say "Shwaye Shwaye!" (slower / patience!)
> Unfortunately, Dubai's taxi drivers are overworked and underpaid, and in the city's notorious traffic jams they have become rather "racist" and very often prefer Westerners and don't stop for Arabs or Asians. FULL STORY HERE: http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20008259.html

TOURIST TIP:
Try to MEMORISE the general area & direction of your hotel. As in most major cities, some drivers will try & take you "the long way around".

DUBAI IS NOT A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY CITY. Many roads do not have sidewalks & not sufficient road crossings.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES try to cycle around Dubai... you can cycle within the city's parks, but trying to cycle on roads is suicide!
There are many different taxi-companies, but they all have a sign & are mostly cream or white with a different coloured roof.
Emirates Taxi: +971 - 4 - 3394455.
Metro Taxi: +971 - 4 - 2673222.
National Taxi: +971 - 4 - 3390002.
UPDATE: There are also LADIES TAXIS for women only. They are cream-coloured with pink roof.

It will cost you more than AED 40 from the airport to Bur Dubai if we consider the traffic. When you reach the arrival area in Terminal 1, just continue walking to the left where the taxis are on stand-by. In Terminal 2, they're on the right side. They're all metered taxis. If you think the drivers unnecessarily drive around, take down the phone number which is written on the glass window (or passenger door). Many drivers complain about their company and very seldom will you find a very satisfied driver in Dubai.

Taxi's are difficult to get in Dubai. My tip is either to google for private taxi and get a smart ride or alternatively go to a decent hotel. Go in for 10 mins then come out and ask them for a car / taxi - they'll realise you are a guest and help you. Try and get a taxi - the hotels will have their own metered vehicles - but it is a different sort of meter - it goes at high speed!!

In my short stay in dubai. The one things i liked most was the taxi service. You just call them up and they will pick you up from your location. I have travelled many times from dubai city to jebel ali area and its been a pleasure riding in them. The taxis are mostly toyota camry's which are clean and odour free from inside. They have GPRS assistance on board and drivers mostly are able to speak broken english.

Dubai shopping centres know how to look after their clients. A concierge service for taxis is at your service when you shop in the larger centres. Red carpet and roped waiting areas, I kid you not.

Taxis are an affordable way to get around Dubai. But some of the drivers are pretty aggressive when on the road. Not the best for whiplash sufferers. We had half and half - some really good drivers and some drivers that made us wonder if I'd we'd ever get in a taxi again!