Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai Marina

It is a long inter-emirate trip, not a city hop: around 140 km from Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) to Dubai Marina, which usually means roughly 90–110 minutes on the road. Treat that as a rough figure — it varies with traffic and time of day — and leave a margin if you have somewhere to be.

Three options are realistic, and they are very different. A taxi is the simplest to arrange on the day, but at roughly AED 250–350 it is an expensive way to cover this distance. A pre-booked intercity transfer is the most comfortable with luggage. The third is the public-transport route: the intercity coach to Ibn Battuta, then the Metro and Tram on to the Marina.

• Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai

Expect a taxi to be expensive on this route: roughly AED 250–350 at the time of writing. Treat that as a rough guide, not a quote. Intercity taxi pricing varies, so confirm the rate with the driver before you get in, and ask what the price includes, tolls in particular.

For context, this is how a metered Dubai taxi builds a fare (see also our guide to Dubai airport taxi fares): a flag-fall of around AED 5 by day, or around AED 5.50 at night, plus around AED 2.26 per km, plus an airport pickup surcharge of around AED 20–25 and any Salik toll gates on the way, at around AED 4–6 each. The RTA (rta.ae) publishes Dubai's tariffs. Those figures describe a Dubai meter, while this trip starts in Abu Dhabi and ends in Dubai, so the same arithmetic may not apply. Ask how this particular trip will be charged.

A ride-hailing app prices the trip differently from a meter and can surge at peak, so check a live quote in the app for your exact pickup and drop-off, and confirm the fare with the provider before you commit. In heavy traffic the journey can also take longer than the roughly 90–110 minutes above.

Join the official taxi rank rather than accepting an offer from someone who approaches you in the arrivals hall. If you are unsure where it is, follow the ground-transport signs from arrivals.

• Dubai Airport Taxi Fares

There is no Metro link between the emirates, so you cannot ride the Metro from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. The public-transport route is the Abu Dhabi–Dubai intercity coach to Ibn Battuta, then the Metro and Tram on to the Marina.

Door-to-door time and cost depend on the coach timetable and fare, which the operator sets, and on the Metro and Tram fares, which the RTA (rta.ae) sets, so look up both before you plan around this option. Pay the Metro and Tram legs with a Nol card. If the taxi price is the sticking point, this is the option to price up.

Two things decide whether it works. The first is the start of the trip: where the coach leaves from in Abu Dhabi, how often it runs and whether you need to reach a coach stop first. The airport's own website is the place to check what ground transport is on offer. The second is your luggage: a coach, then a change to the Metro or Tram with bags, is a lot of handling, and it is almost always slower door to door than going direct by road. It suits a light-luggage traveller with time to spare better than a family with suitcases, or a late arrival when the timetable may not match your landing time.

• Nol Card in Dubai

A pre-booked intercity transfer is a private car and driver arranged before you fly. For a trip of around 140 km it is the one to price up first if you have luggage, because it is the most comfortable of the three: the price is usually fixed at booking, a driver can be waiting for you, and there is no coach timetable or Metro change at the end.

It is also the sensible choice for families, groups and late flights, where a driver who tracks your flight takes the stress out of a long journey. Prices vary by provider, vehicle and date, so get a live quote and compare it with the rough taxi range above. Our airport transfer page is the place to compare providers.

Before you pay, check the points below. If you are travelling with young children, our guide to child seats for transfers covers what to ask for.

• That the quote covers the whole journey from AUH to your Marina address, and what it includes: tolls such as Salik, waiting time and any meet-and-greet at arrivals.
• The vehicle: a size that fits your luggage and your group, and a child seat if you need one.
• Flight delays: how long the driver will wait if you land late, and whether waiting is charged. Give the provider your flight number so they can track it.
• The terms: how you pay, and what happens if your plans change.

• Airport transfers in Dubai
• Child Seats on Dubai Airport Transfers and Taxis
• Meet and Greet at Dubai Airport

Here are the three realistic options together. Every cost and time is rough, so check a live quote or the current timetable before you decide.

• Have the exact building name or address ready, with a contact number for your hotel or host, so the last stretch in the Marina does not cost time.
• Keep the essentials — water, a phone charger, travel documents — in a bag you carry with you rather than in the luggage, for a drive of roughly 90–110 minutes.
• With luggage, children or a larger group, check the vehicle before you set off. A pre-booked transfer lets you choose the size in advance, and a child seat is worth confirming in writing.
• If you land late at night, a pre-booked transfer with a driver tracking your flight means you are not relying on a coach timetable or a queue.
• Paying: have a Nol card ready for the Metro and Tram, and ask a taxi driver or provider how they want to be paid, including any tolls.
• Check live details before you travel: the RTA (rta.ae) for Dubai Metro, Tram and taxi tariffs, the airport's own site for ground transport at AUH, and u.ae for official guidance.

Whatever you choose, confirm the price and the drop-off address before you set off, and check a live quote or timetable on the day, because fares and times change.

• Dubai Metro from the Airport