Here are 12 tips to keep in mind when using a taxi in Dubai. This is still the best and cheapest means of transport in the city to use.
If you want to move around the city of Dubai then you have to use a means of transport. In the meantime, you have many different options as a tourist. But in our opinion it is always best to use a taxi. The prices are very cheap and you can get where you want very quickly. But there are a few things to consider when using it. Here you get the necessary tips that you should know if you are traveling by taxi in the city for the first time. Normally there are no problems there and it doesn’t take long to find one. In the city there are always 7,000 taxis around the clock that you can use.
First of all you should of course know where the taxis in Dubai are located so that you can get there. As a rule, these are always found near hotels and at the large shopping malls such as the Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates. The largest shopping center in the world, the Dubai Mall, even has its own area for the taxis, as there are always many visitors who want to ride there and need one. Then you can also find them at the airport. If you don’t find one right away, you can order one over the phone. You just call the Dubai Taxi Corporation headquarters and it usually only takes a few minutes for one to come.
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Dubai Taxi
It is also very important that you can communicate with the driver. Usually the drivers are always migrant workers from India, Pakistan or another country. For example, they work as taxi drivers in Dubai for a few years. But it can happen if you catch a driver who is relatively new in town. It is therefore possible that he/she cannot speak English very well. But usually you can communicate very well with school English. If it doesn’t work then you still have the possibility to communicate with hands and feet. But every driver knows the term Burj Khalifa if you want to drive there.
Since it is often very warm in Dubai in the summer months, the taxis are all air-conditioned. However, it may well be that the temperature is then set too cool. If you then put on a t-shirt and shorts, you might even have to freeze. But that’s not a problem and you simply tell the driver that he shouldn’t set the “air conditioning” so cool. Normally the driver then reacts immediately and he wants the passengers to be as comfortable as possible.
Taxis in Dubai can get you anywhere in the city. It is then no problem if you let the Gold Souk Dubai drive you, for example Legoland Dubai. That is a very long distance where you easily need an hour for it. But the drivers are obliged to take the passengers with them and are not allowed to turn them away. However, you might want to go to another emirate like Abu Dhabi or Ras al Khaimah. There it is then already possible that you might get problems and the driver rejects this. Because he has to go back to Dubai.
It is very important to think about tips
After the taxi ride you have to pay the amount and there you have different options. For example, you can pay for everything in cash or with a credit card. In our opinion, cash should still be preferred. Furthermore, the driver always expects a small tip. This is not so easy to do with a credit card.
As a tourist you don’t have to worry about security. If you use an official taxi in Dubai, most of them even have a camera. This means that it records the interior of a taxi and this ensures the necessary security that there are no problems. It is also possible for a woman to take a taxi all by herself without being bothered.
Basically it is possible to do a Dubai city tour with a taxi. But that doesn’t make sense and it’s also expensive. These are only intended for shorter distances and not that you are on the road with a driver all day. You might know something like this from Thailand, where you can rent the car and driver for a small fee. They are private providers there and in Dubai they are official taxis.
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Then very important are the prices how much you have to pay for the trip. All taxis in Dubai are equipped with a taximeter where you can always see on a display in front of the driver how much you have to pay. It costs three dirhams to hail a taxi. After that, you always pay 1.60 dirhams per kilometer. Usually there is a waiting time and the first ten minutes are always free.
Thousands of taxis are circulating in the city and they all look the same at first glance. But there are various providers such as Cars Taxi, Metro Taxi or National Taxi. You can always identify the provider by the color of the roof. There are also special women’s taxis in Dubai that have a pink color on the roof. Thus, the taxis can be distinguished.
After landing at Dubai International Airport, many passengers then need a taxi. There are special airport taxis that have significantly more storage space than the normal ones. So there are no problems with luggage there. However, the starting price there is also a bit more expensive at around 20 dirhams. But the transfer is then much cheaper than booking it with a tour operator.
Of course, the taxis are also on the water and then you can use a Dubai Water Taxi. You can also drive anywhere there. But before you go you should make an appointment there. Many hotels, for example on The Palm Jumeirah, even offer extra stops that you can use.
Anyone who has ever vacationed in the USA certainly knows the service company Uber. There, as with a taxi, the journey is also mediated. However, the difference is that it is a private provider. This service is now also offered in Dubai and it is possible to drive there. The prices there are usually very cheap and you can order a driver via the app.
