Saturday 20 April 2024 (UAE)
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Dubai Airport shuttle bus service and routes
Dubai Airport (DXB) shuttle bus service, transportation, timings, and routes. Also to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central (DWC). Services provided by the RTA, Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai from DXB terminals 1, 2, 3 and DWC to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Al Ghubaiba bus station. Cheap ways to travel and connect between airports and emirates in the UAE.
To use public bus services in Dubai including the airport bus, and inter-city buses operated by the RTA, you must have a prepaid Nol card. Cash is not accepted. Buy a Nol card at any metro station, or from a machine at Dubai airport arrival terminals. There are 4 different types of Nol card - red, blue, silver, gold. TL;DR answer to the question of which one ... buy the silver one.
Summary of public transport options between Dubai airports
Is there a connecting or shuttle bus between Terminals 1, 2, and 3 at Dubai Airport? No, not for landside transfers. Yes, airside shuttle bus transfers only for transit passengers.
- No bus needed between T1 and T3 if in transit - terminal buildings or concourses are connected. Walk.
- Outside T1 and T3 use the Dubai Metro to connect, or bus C1 if outside metro operating hours.
- Between T2 and T1 or T3 catch a taxi. No easy bus or metro connections between T2 and T1 or T3 (T2 is on the other side of the airport area from T1 and T3). Long walk around the airport and is difficult or impossible anyway since there are major highways at either end of the runways. Allow at least 2 hours if making an attempt, expect police to stop you if they see you walking along a main highway. No direct bus service. Only two barely realistic options:
- Bus C26 (Al Satwa direction) to DNATA center at corner Al Ittihad and Airport Rds, then one of the buses up Airport Rd or walk 10 mins to Deira City Center Metro Station and catch metro to T1 or T3.
- Bus 31 to Union Metro Station (Al Ghubaiba BS direction) then take Red Line to T1 or T3 station.
- Erratic bus timings make those options tedious (15-20 min intervals on schedules can be up to 45 min or 1 hr in reality).
- Between T2 and T1 or T3 catch a taxi. Yes we know we're repeating ourselves. You'll understand why if you try and catch the bus.
Dubai International Airport Terminal 1 (DXB T1) - Dubai Metro Red Line station
- C1 (C01) - see bus route under T3 heading.
- 4, 11A, 32C, 33, 43, 64A
- 42 - terminates at T1, doesn't go to T3?
- 88 - route curtailed at Deira City Center from 01 Dec 2013 (but some buses still seen after that with DXB T3 as destination?).
Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 (DXB T2) - Dubai Metro Red Line station
- C1 (C01) (24 hours) - Endpoints DXB T3 and Al Satwa BS. Route: DXB T3, DXB T1, Airport Rd, Clock Tower Roundabout, Al Mussallah St, Union MS, Omar Bin Al Khattab Rd, Naif Rd, Al Khaleej Rd, Shindagha Tunnel, Khalid Bin Al Waleed St (Bank St), Al Fahidi MS, Mankhool Rd, Satwa Rd, Al Satwa BS.
- *4, 11A, 32C, 33, 42 (terminates at T1?), 43, 64A - check if all buses stop at T3.
- 88 - route curtailed at Deira City Center from 01 Dec 2013 (but some buses still seen after that with DXB T3 as destination?).
Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 (DXB T2)
- No metro station at T2, nearest is Al Nahda MS on the Green Line, long walk, allow 30-40 min, too far in summer.
- 13B, C26, 31.
Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)
- F53 daytime feeder bus from Danube Metro Station on the Red Line to Dubai Industrial City (check route)?
- F55A night bus, operates at 1 or 2 hour intervals? From Al Satwa BS along Jumeirah Beach Rd (check route)?
How to connect between Dubai Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum Airport (DWC - Dubai World Central)?
Do not arrange a flight schedule that involves a transfer between DXB and DWC unless the airline is organising it for you at no extra charge. Seriously. We're not joking. Distance between them is about 65-75 km depending on route and which terminal at DXB. Although public transport exists between the two airports, it is a time consuming journey, and especially complicated if you need to go to DXB T2.
- Taxi - will cost the same as annual GDP for a small country.
- Walk - haha, allow a couple of weeks, DWC is halfway to Abu Dhabi from DXB.
- Bus during metro operating hours:
- From T1 or T3 take Dubai Metro Red Line to Danube MS (Jebel Ali direction), then feeder bus F53 (allow 1½-2 hrs).
- From T2 take bus 31 to Union MS, then Red Line to Danube MS (Jebel Ali direction), then feeder bus F53 (allow 2-3 hrs).
- Bus at night when metro not operating:
- From T1 or T3 take bus C1 to Al Satwa BS, then bus F55A to DWC (allow 2-3 hrs).
- From T2 no bus service at night. Take taxi to Al Satwa BS then bus F55A to DWC (allow 2-3 hrs). Or taxi to DNATA Center corner Airport Rd and Ittihad Rd, then bus C1 to Al Satwa BS, then bus F55A to DWC (allow 3-4 hrs), but that's very tedious and tiresome, don't do it.
Summary of public transport options between UAE airports
[Merge] See also Intercity bus routes.
- *DXB to AUH bus: no direct services between Dubai airports and Abu Dhabi airport, unless provided by an airline for transfer passengers. Use intercity bus combined with taxi, metro, and/or local bus services.
- *Abu Dhabi Airport bus service to and from Dubai city: direct service only available on Etihad Airways shuttle bus for EY passengers. Otherwise take taxi or bus 901 to downtown Abu Dhabi bus station near Al Wahda Mall, then intercity bus from Abu Dhabi to Dubai Al Ghubaiba bus station. No left luggage service at bus stations in the UAE. Shopping mall hypermarkets have a bag deposit facility for their customers which might be a dubious option e.g. Carrefour near Al Ghubaiba bus station in Dubai, Lulu's at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi.
- *[Check] Alternative route from Al Wahda bus station: Intercity bus E100, alight at Dubai World Trade Center metro station, take Red Line to DXB terminal 1 or 3.
- *Airport shuttle bus between DXB and DWC operated between 24 Apr and 20 Jul 2014, free.
- Dubai Airport bus service to and from Abu Dhabi city: use RTA intercity bus from Al Ghubaiba bus station in Dubai (frequent, regular timings). Etihad, Emirates, and FlyDubai have daily shuttle bus operations with limited timings.
- Airport bus tour in Dubai: Big Bus Tour operates tours of Dubai city but Dubai airports are not on their routes. Nearest Big Bus Tour stop is Deira City Center (Red Bus Tour and Night Bus Tour routes), which is one or two stops on the Dubai Metro Red Line from T1 or T3.
- Airport shuttle bus in Dubai: operates airside for transit passengers between DXB terminals 1, 2, 3.
- Dubai Airport bus station: there isn't one. There are bus stops at arrivals level of terminals 1 and 3, at arrivals area of terminal 2, and at DWC. Bus stations for intercity or inter-emirate travel are Al Ghubaiba and Union Square.
- Dubai Airport to Al Ghubaiba bus station - from terminal 1 take bus 33 or 42, from terminal 2 take bus 31. From terminal 3, take metro to T1 then bus 33 or 42, but if you're on the metro then you might as well continue to Burjuman station, change to the Green Line metro and go to Al Ghubaiba metro station, which is a short walk to the bus station.
- Dubai Airport to Sharjah Airport (SHJ) bus: there isn't a direct service.
- Sharjah Transport Services (STS) operates a bus service from Rashidiya metro station and Al Ghusais BS to SHJ (route 111). From Dubai Airport terminals 1 or 3, take the Dubai Metro Red Line to Rashidiya MS. From terminal 2 take a taxi to Rashidiya MS, it's not far, and complicated to get there otherwise.
- *[Check] Alternatively get to Lamcy Plaza by taxi (bus and metro too complicated), and catch Air Arabia shuttle bus to SHJ.
- From DWC (very bad idea by the way) ... catch bus to metro station, take red line to Rashidiya, take STS bus to SHJ, and allow 3-5 hours of travel and waiting time.
- Al Maktoum International Airport, Jebel Ali (DWC) bus connection operates 24 hrs but two versions. Bus stop is outside the departures area.
- Daytime from 0600 to 2200: Bus route F55 every hour on the hour from DWC to Ibn Battuta Mall metro station (0600, 0700 ... 2100, 2200), and Ibn Battuta station to DWC (0600, 0700, ... 2200), takes about 40 mins.
- Night bus is route F55A, every hour from DWC to Al Satwa bus station (2300, 2400, ... 0400, 0500), and from Al Satwa to DWC (2209, 2309, ... 0409), duration about 90-120 mins depending on traffic. Through Dubai Marina can be very slow. Route is along Jumeirah Beach Road. Cannot buy tickets on bus, must buy a Nol travel card from the airport RTA counter between the food court and arrivals area.
- No bus at 0500 to DWC from Ibn Battuta metro station or Al Satwa bus station. Bus at 0500 from DWC is F55A to Al Satwa, next bus from DWC at 0600 is F55 to Ibn Battuta.
| Route | Timings | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| F55 DWC > Ibn Battuta | 0600, 0700, ... hourly ... 2200 | |
| F55 Ibn Battuta > DWC | 0600, 0700, ... hourly ... 2200 | |
| F55A DWC > Al Satwa | 2200, 2300, 0000, ... hourly ... 0400, 0500 | |
| F55A Al Satwa > DWC | 2209, 2309, 0009, ... hourly ... 0409, 0509 |
- No direct metro, underground, or train connection to DWC. No metro station at DWC.
Times and costs are approximate. Time variations can be significant depending on traffic and waiting times. Most public transport services only operate between 0500 and midnight. Traffic congestion is heavy between Dubai and Sharjah, around Al Ghubaiba and Union Square bus stations in Dubai, and Abu Dhabi downtown bus station.
All public bus services in the UAE use airconditioned buses. RTA operated intercity buses are modern and comfortable. Emirates and Etihad airline operated shuttle buses are very comfortable.
| Start | End | Suggested cheapest public transport service1 | Time | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai airports | (AED) | ||||
| DXB T1 | DXB T2 | Shuttle bus2 or taxi | 15-30m | 20 | |
| DXB T3 | Shuttle bus2 or metro | 15m | 5 | ||
| DWC | Day: Metro to Ibn Battuta MS, bus F55 to DWC | 2-3 hrs | 15 | ||
| DWC | Night: Bus to Satwa BS, bus F55A to DWC | 3 hrs | 15 | ||
| DWC | Free shuttle bus from 24 Apr to 20 Jul 2014 | 1 hr | Free | ||
| Al Ghubaiba BS | Bus routes 33, 42, or metro - change at Burjuman MS | 30-60m | 5-10 | ||
| Abu Dhabi | Metro or bus to Al Ghubaiba bus stand then intercity | 3-4 hrs | 30 | ||
| Ajman | |||||
| Al Ain | Metro or bus to Al Ghubaiba then intercity bus | 3-4 hrs | 30 | ||
| Fujairah | |||||
| Ras Al Khaimah | |||||
| Sharjah Airport SHJ | Metro to Rashidiya MS, then STS bus 111 to SHJ | 2-3 hrs | 15 | ||
| Sharjah Airport SHJ | Taxi | 30-60m | 100 | ||
| Sharjah downtown | |||||
| Umm Al Quwain | |||||
| Muscat, Oman | Metro or bus to Deira City Center DNATA > Oman bus5 | 6-8 hrs | 100 | ||
| DXB T2 | DXB T1 | Shuttle bus2 or taxi | |||
| DXB T3 | Shuttle bus2 or taxi | ||||
| DWC | |||||
| Al Ghubaiba BS | Bus route 31 | ||||
| Abu Dhabi | Bus 31 to Al Ghubaiba then intercity bus | ||||
| Abu Dhabi | FlyDubai bus service, costs AED 40-504 | ||||
| Al Ain | Bus 31 to Al Ghubaiba then intercity bus | ||||
| Al Ain | FlyDubai bus service, costs AED 30-404 | ||||
| Sharjah Airport | Taxi to Rashidiyah MS, STS bus to SHJ | ||||
| Sharjah downtown | |||||
| DXB T3 | DXB T1 | Shuttle bus2 or metro | |||
| DXB T2 | Shuttle bus2 or taxi | ||||
| DWC | |||||
| Al Ghubaiba BS | Metro, change at Burjuman MS | ||||
| Abu Dhabi | Free EK coach to/from AUH if EK passenger3 | ||||
| Al Ain | Free EK coach to/from AAN if EK passenger3 | ||||
| Sharjah Airport | Metro to Rashidiya MS, then STS bus to SHJ | ||||
| DWC | DXB T1 | Bus>metro (Red Line) | 2 hrs | 15 | |
| DXB T2 | Bus>metro>bus | 2-3 hrs | 15 | ||
| DXB T3 | Bus>metro (Red Line) | 2 hrs | 15 | ||
| Al Ghubaiba BS | Bus>metro (Red>Green), or night bus direct | 2+ hrs | 15 | ||
| Abu Dhabi | Bus>metro>bus to Al Ghubaiba then intercity bus | 5+ hrs | 40 | ||
| Abu Dhabi | Fly Dubai bus service 01 May to 20 Jul 2014 only4 | 1.5 hrs | 40-50 | ||
| Al Ain | Bus>metro>bus to Al Ghubaiba then intercity bus | 5+ hrs | 40 | ||
| Al Ain | Fly Dubai bus service 01 May to 20 Jul 2014 only4 | 1.5 hrs | 30-40 | ||
| Sharjah Airport | Bus>metro to Rashidiya>STS bus 111 | 3 hrs | 30 | ||
| Sharjah Airport | Taxi | 2-3 hrs | 200 | ||
| Sharjah downtown | Bus>metro (Red>Green) to Al Ghubaiba > intercity bus | 3-4 hrs | 30 | ||
| Sharjah downtown | Taxi | 2-3 hrs | 200 | ||
- Using buses and/or metro. Use of taxi is always possible but more expensive. For traveling between DXB terminal 2 and terminals 1 or 3, using a taxi is highly recommended if you are not able to use the airside free shuttle bus. You will save a lot of time, and the cost will be marginally more expensive than using buses and metro, or cheaper if more than one person traveling together.
- Only possible for transit passengers, available airside not landside.
- Emirates Airlines free shuttle bus for EK ticket holders only. Operates 2x per day for Al Ain, and 6x per day for Abu Dhabi.
- FlyDubai bus service operates 1x daily between AUH and DXB, between AUH and DWC; and 2x daily between AAN and DXB, and between AAN and DWC. Book in advance on FlyDubai website. Bus fares AED 10 higher if purchased from bus driver.
- *[Check] Buses to Oman operated by National Oman Transport depart from behind the DNATA center near Deira City Center. Could be difficult to find, taxi from DXB might be better option than trying metro or bus.
Hotel shuttle buses to Dubai airports
- 22 Dec 2014: Terminal 2 bus stop added for the RTA SkyBus. Route expansion since May 2014 to 110 hotels on 12 different routes, with all routes going via T1, T2, and T3. Buses depart every 30 minutes. An additional route between T2 and Sharjah is planned, start date not provided. Current routes are:
- Muteena (Crown Plaza Deira, Ramada Deira, Claridge Hotel Deira, Marco Polo Deira).
- Muraqqabat (Coral Deira Dubai, Dream Palace Hotel Deira, Grand Flora Hotel, Rimal Rotana Hotel).
- Al Riga (Orchid Hotel, Nihal Hotel, Mayfair Hotel, Comfort Hotel).
- Rolla (Panorama Hotel, Rain Tree Rolla Hotel, Royal Ascot Hotel, Ramee Hotel).
- Mankhool (Park Regis Kris Hotel, Regent Palace Hotel, London Crown Appt, Citymax Hotel).
- Al Qusais (Al Ghusais, Al Qusays) (Fortune Plaza Hotel, Time Grand Plaza Hotel, Emirates Star Hotel, Dubai Grand Hotel)
- Trade Center (Fairmont Hotel, Radisson Royal, Crown Plaza Hotel, Millenium Plaza Hotel).
- Dubai Internet City (Grand Midwest Tower Hotel, Gloria Hotel, Tulip Inn Hotel, Radisson Blue Hotel).
- Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) (One and Only Royal Mirage, Le Meredien Mina Siyahi Hotel, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Hilton Jumeirah Beach).
- Tecom (Gulf Oasis Hotel, Ramee Rose Hotel, Time Oak Hotel Suites, Metro Central Hotel Apt).
- Barsha A (Ramada Chelsea Hotel, Grandeur Residences, Auris Plaza Hotel, City Max Hotel Apt).
- Barsha B (Suite Novotel, Mall of the Emirates, Coral Al Khoory Hotel Apt, Cassells Al Barsha Hotel, Golden Tulip Hotel).
- 15 May 2014: The Dubai RTA started hotel shuttle bus services from Dubai International Airport DXB (not DWC) Terminals 1 (?), 2 (?), and 3 [check, might only be from T3]. Fare is AED 15 dhs (using Nol public transport payment card), free Wifi included, snacks and drinks available. Service operates 24 hrs per day, every 30 minutes. Initially will operate for a 6 month trial period. Look for "SkyBus" or "Sky Bus" signs. Buy a silver Nol card and you can reuse it on the metro and other bus services in Dubai. Four bus routes in operation with following hotels on the routes:
- (Orange - Sheikh Zayed Road between Trade Center and Defense roundabouts): Crowne Plaza, Fairmont, Four Points Sheraton, Millenium Plaza, Radisson Royal, Shangri-La, Towers Rotana hotels.
- (Blue - Al Barsha 1 area near Mall of the Emirates): Auris Plaza, City Max, Dunes Hotel Apartments, Golden Tulip, Grandeur, Ibis, Marmara Hotel Apartments, Novotol Suites (Suite Novotel), Ramada Chelsea.
- (Purple - Karama, Mankhool areas): Burjuman Arjaan Rotana, Four Points Sheraton Dubai, Park Regis Kris Krin (Regent Palace), President, Ramada.
- (Green - near Dubai Airport): Al Bustan Rotana, Holiday Inn Express, Le Meridian, Premier Inn.
- Most 4 and 5 star hotels will have an airport to hotel shuttle bus service for their guests but not necessarily free, and usually has to be booked in advance. Check when booking what the charges are. Exceptions:
- Burj Al Arab operates a Rolls Royce limousine service, not shuttle buses.
- Premier Inn on Airport Rd (closest hotel to DXB) operates a free shuttle bus every 30 mins to Terminals 1 and 3, in operation 24 hrs per day.
Emirates Airline Dubai airport shuttle bus
EK bus only for EK passengers. Service is free but must be booked at least 48 hrs in advance, or you'll be walking. Check timings with EK. As of Jul 2014 they are:
| Route | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXB to AUH | 0000-0145 | 0200-0345 | 0715-0900 | 1000-1145 | 1400-1545 | 1900-2045 |
| AUH to DXB | 0400-0545 | 0600-0745 | 0930-1115 | 1130-1315 | 1630-1815 | 2200-2345 |
| DXB to AAN | 0200-0345 | 1430-1615 | ||||
| AAN to DXB | 0930-1115 | 2100-2245 |
- Dubai departure and arrival point is DXB Terminal 3. No EK bus service to terminals 1, 2, or to DWC as of mid-2014.
- Abu Dhabi (AUH) location - to/from EK office on the Corniche, Khalidiya downtown Abu Dhabi.
- Al Ain (AAN) location - to/from EK office Khalifa St.
Etihad Airways Dubai airport shuttle bus
- https://www.etihad.com/en/plan-and-book/book-etihad-express/ - book a seat here.
FlyDubai airport shuttle bus
- Operates only to Dubai Airport Terminal 2 to and from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
- Additional temporary service to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) from 01 May to 20 Jul 2014.
- FlyDubai bus timings as of May 2014:
| 00-04 | 04-08 | 08-12 | 12-16 | 16-20 | 20-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXB to AUH | 0830-1030 | |||||
| AUH to DXB | 1500-1700 | |||||
| DWC to AUH | 0200-0330 | |||||
| AUH to DWC | 0800-0930 | 1500-1700 | ||||
| DXB to AAN | 0930-1130 | 1830-2030 | ||||
| AAN to DXB | 0600-0800 | 1530-1730 | ||||
| DWC to AAN | 0100-0300 | 1130-1400 | ||||
| AAN to DWC | 0800-1030 | 2200-0030 |
Dubai Airport bus driver jobs and vacancies
- Internal airport bus driving - apply to Dubai Airports company.
- Hotel shuttle buses - apply to hotels or hotel operating companies.
- Public buses in Dubai - apply to the RTA.
- Airline operated shuttle buses - apply direct to airline companies: Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai.
Categories
- Parent category - Dubai Airport, public transport Dubai.
- Child pages -
- Related pages - Dubai Metro, Big Bus Tour Dubai, Al Maktoum International Airport.
References
Other headings
- Dubai airport bus 401 route
- Dubai airport bus 402 route