Taxis, Dubai

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.

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.

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!

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!

If visiting individually - then I there should be no problem travelling around Dubai as there are TAXIS AVAILABLE. Bargain the PRICE to your Destination OR insist on the METER being starting before you step in.

Ladies taxis are also for mixed couples (i.e. 1 male and 1 female) and families with females travelling. Groups of men or single men are not permitted to use them. Women can use whichever type of taxi they like.

I've been using taxis here for years and haven't had any problems apart from occasionally having to say 'slow down' (firmly). Often drivers are keen to chat and usually they speak good or reasonable English.

Do make sure you know where you are going and get details of the nearest landmark; just having street names is not enough. It is also a good idea to have the telephone number of your destination available if it is somewhere less well known, so you can call for guidance. The roads and buildings change regularly, owing to all the construction work, so maps go out of date very quickly. Hotels understand this and are helpful. Sometimes a driver may take a longer route to avoid a delay as the meter works on distance rather than time.

The flagfall fare from the airport is more but it takes you further before the meter kicks in. I pay about 25 AED* to the airport from home and 35 AED back. These are bargain fares compared to Europe and NZ, so DO remember to tip and DON"T haggle.

(*AED = Arab Emirates Dirham)

The taxi's in Dubai are very good, it has to be said, and you'll never be caught short without one, there are literally hundreds of them! Most of the drivers have a good knowledge of the city, but if you're going off into residential areas, knowing directions beforehand so that you can help them is a good thing to have.

They're cheap and work on distance travelled, not time hired.

One of the best ways to get around Dubai is by taxi.
Al taxis are new and confjortable and reliable.
Because the oil here is cheap, also their derivates are and the fuel is very cheap compared to Europe or USA, therfore the taxi rides are a total bargain compared to our home countries!

Quite often is better to take a taxi than to take buses or other kind of rides.