For years the Dubai to Abu Dhabi commute came down to one question: do you want to save money on the bus or save your sanity in a taxi? From 30 September 2026 there is a third answer. Etihad Rail’s passenger trains now link the two cities in about an hour, and suddenly the E11 versus E100 debate has a new contender.
We have lined up all three side by side – the intercity bus, the new train and a taxi or ride-hail – covering what each one costs, how long it really takes, how comfortable it is and, crucially, where it actually drops you in Abu Dhabi. Because a 64-minute train is only fast if the station is near where you are going.
Dubai to Abu Dhabi at a glance: bus vs train vs taxi
| Intercity bus | Etihad Rail | Taxi / ride-hail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way cost | AED 25 | From AED 39 (Comfort), from AED 109 (Premium) | Roughly AED 250 to AED 460+ |
| Time on board | Around 1 hr 45 min to 2 hrs | 1 hr 4 min | Around 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min, more at peak |
| Dubai departure | Al Ghubaiba, Ibn Battuta or Al Quoz bus stations | Dubai Station, Al Yalayis (Jumeirah Golf Estates) | Your front door |
| Abu Dhabi arrival | Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station (Al Wahda) or MBZ City Bus Station | Abu Dhabi Station, Mohamed Bin Zayed City | Wherever you like |
| How to pay | Nol card (cash and contactless on the Al Quoz route) | Etihad Rail app, website or station machines | Card, cash or app |
| Frequency | Regular departures through the day | 5 trains each way daily at launch | Whenever you want |
| Best for | Budget trips to central Abu Dhabi | Dubai Marina, JLT and south Dubai residents; day trips to ADNEC | Families with luggage, late nights, door-to-door |
Option 1: The Abu Dhabi bus from Dubai
The intercity bus is still the cheapest way to cover the 120-plus kilometres between the two cities. A single trip costs AED 25 on the main routes, the coaches are air-conditioned and, unlike the train, the buses finish their run in the middle of Abu Dhabi rather than on its outskirts.
E100: Al Ghubaiba to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station
The classic route. The E100 leaves from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai (a short walk from Al Ghubaiba Metro on the Green Line) and runs via Samha and Shahama to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station in Al Wahda. Fare: AED 25. Allow around two hours, because the bus has to crawl out of old Dubai before it hits the highway.
E101: Ibn Battuta to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station
If you live anywhere south of Al Barsha, this is the one to take. The E101 departs from Ibn Battuta Bus Station, right next to Ibn Battuta Metro on the Red Line, and follows the same Samha and Shahama stops to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station. Same AED 25 fare, and you skip a good 15 to 20 minutes of Dubai traffic compared with the E100. Allow roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.
CX01 and CX02: the Capital Express routes
- CX01 (Al Quoz to MBZ City): a non-stop coach from Al Quoz Bus Station in Dubai to Mohamed Bin Zayed City Bus Station in Abu Dhabi for AED 25. You can pay with a Nol card, a contactless bank card or cash. The timetable is thin – two trips each way at the time of writing, leaving Al Quoz at 10:30 and 15:30 and MBZ City at 08:00 and 13:00 – so check before you go.
- CX02 (MBZ City – Zayed International Airport – Ibn Battuta): an hourly service that links Ibn Battuta Bus Station with Zayed International Airport and MBZ City. Handy if you are flying out of Abu Dhabi and live in south Dubai.
Where the bus drops you in Abu Dhabi
E100 and E101 terminate at Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station (also called the Main Bus Station) on Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street in Al Wahda, a few minutes from Al Wahda Mall. From here local buses and taxis fan out across the city, and it is a quick hop to the Corniche, Khalidiya or Al Reem. Our guide to how to use public transport in Abu Dhabi covers the onward journey.
How to pay: Nol, not Hafilat
The E-series intercity buses are run by Dubai’s RTA, so you pay with a Nol card (Red, Silver or Gold) – tap on when you board and tap off when you get off. Do not count on cash on the E100 and E101. Abu Dhabi’s Hafilat card is built for the capital’s city buses; if you are staying in Abu Dhabi, our explainer on Hafilat cards and unlimited bus passes is worth a read, but for the ride to Dubai stick with Nol.
Heading back from Abu Dhabi? Abu Dhabi Mobility says tickets for the Dubai routes are sold at the Customer Happiness office inside Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station. You can also reserve a seat ahead of time on the E100 and E101 through RTA’s intercity e-ticketing portal, which is a smart move on Thursday evenings and before long weekends.
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Top up your Nol card before you queue so it comfortably covers the AED 25 fare. Discovering a low balance at the front of a Friday evening line at Al Ghubaiba is nobody’s idea of fun. Check live departures on RTA’s S’hail app before you leave home.
Option 2: Etihad Rail, the new train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
The one everybody has been waiting for. Etihad Rail’s passenger service between Dubai and Abu Dhabi starts on Wednesday 30 September 2026, with a scheduled journey time of 1 hour 4 minutes – faster than a taxi on a good day and a lot faster than one on a bad day. It follows the Abu Dhabi to Fujairah service that opened in June (here is what that route means for residents).
The stations
- Dubai Station (Al Yalayis): Jumeirah Golf Estates, off Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311). Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro station on the Red Line is about 1km away, and the Jumeirah Golf Estate 1 bus stop is around 1.1km away. Parking: 260 spaces plus EV bays, AED 30.
- Abu Dhabi Station (Mohamed Bin Zayed City): MBZ City, zone ME10. Parking: 250 spaces plus EV bays, AED 15.
Both stations are open from 5am to 11pm and have a WHSmith, SHOT and Starbucks, with a Chicking in Abu Dhabi and a Lulu Smart in Dubai for last-minute snacks.
Etihad Rail fares
- Comfort: from AED 39 one way
- Premium: from AED 109 one way, with wider reclining seats, more legroom, complimentary snacks and drinks and priority boarding
Prices move with the date, the fare type and how many seats are left, so book early for the lowest fares. Every seat is assigned when you book, and there are discounts for children and seniors plus free travel for infants on an adult’s lap – check the age bands on the booking screen. Both classes get free Wi-Fi, power points and tables.
Etihad Rail timetable: Dubai to Abu Dhabi
There are five departures each way at launch. Schedules can change for weekends, holidays and Ramadan, so always confirm in the app.
| Dubai (Al Yalayis) → Abu Dhabi (MBZ City) | Abu Dhabi (MBZ City) → Dubai (Al Yalayis) |
|---|---|
| 06:14 → 07:18 | 06:43 → 07:47 |
| 07:14 → 08:18 | 07:43 → 08:47 |
| 13:14 → 14:18 | 12:43 → 13:47 |
| 17:14 → 18:18 | 16:43 → 17:47 |
| 18:14 → 19:18 | 17:43 → 18:47 |
How to book
Book on etihadrail.ae, in the Etihad Rail – Buy Train Tickets app (iOS and Android), or at the ticket machines at each station. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted, and the station machines also take cash. A reservation is mandatory, ticket sales close five minutes before departure and the gates shut two minutes before – this is not a jump-on-at-the-last-second kind of train.
Getting from the Abu Dhabi station into the city
Here is the catch. MBZ City is on the mainland, well away from the Corniche and the islands, so the final leg matters. Your options:
- Etihad Rail shuttle buses (AED 10, add it when you book your train): to ADNEC (about 30 minutes), ADNOC HQ on the Corniche (about 45 minutes) and Reem Mall (about 55 minutes). Shuttles arrive 20 minutes before each departure and leave 20 minutes after each arrival.
- Public buses MR1 and MR2: MR1 runs between the station and Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station, and MR2 links it with Al Zahya. Timings are on the Darb app – read our round-up of the new bus routes to the Etihad Rail station.
- Taxi or ride-hail: Uber, Careem and Yango all serve the station.
WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Going to an event at ADNEC or Etihad Arena? The train plus the AED 10 shuttle to ADNEC is the sweet spot – just under two hours from Al Yalayis to ADNEC for under AED 50. Heading to the Corniche or Saadiyat, a door-to-door taxi may still beat it once you add the shuttle.
Option 3: Dubai to Abu Dhabi by taxi or ride-hail
The most expensive option, and the only one that picks you up at your door and drops you at your hotel lobby. For families with a car seat and three suitcases, or anyone travelling after the last train, it is often worth every dirham.
Dubai to Abu Dhabi taxi cost
- Dubai RTA taxi on the meter: expect roughly AED 250 to AED 320 from Dubai Marina or Downtown to central Abu Dhabi, plus Salik tolls. Dubai taxis charge by the kilometre at a rate linked to monthly fuel prices, with a higher starting fare from the airport.
- Hala Taxi booked through Uber or Careem: Uber’s own route data puts the average Dubai to Abu Dhabi Hala fare at around AED 300.
- UberX Intercity: averages around AED 430, with Comfort, XL and Black Intercity costing more. You can book up to 90 days ahead with Uber Reserve.
- Careem: also runs trips between the cities; check the in-app quote.
Journey time is around 1 hour 15 minutes from Dubai Marina to the Corniche and closer to 1 hour 30 minutes from Downtown, but rush hour on Sheikh Zayed Road can easily add another 30 to 60 minutes.
The inter-emirate taxi rules
- One way only: a Dubai taxi will happily take you to Abu Dhabi, but RTA is clear that Dubai Taxi does not cover trips that start in another emirate. For the return, book an Abu Dhabi taxi (600 535 353) or a ride-hail app.
- Tolls are on you: Salik gates in Dubai are added to the fare, and so can Abu Dhabi’s Darb toll, which charges AED 4 per crossing at peak times (7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, except Sundays and public holidays). More in our Darb toll guide.
- Agree before you go: ask the driver to keep the meter running. If you are quoted a flat fare on the street, compare it against an app quote first.
So which one should you pick?
- Take the bus if you are on a budget, you are going to central Abu Dhabi, and you live near Al Ghubaiba, Ibn Battuta or Al Quoz. AED 25 is very hard to beat.
- Take the train if you live in Dubai Marina, JLT, JVC, Jumeirah Golf Estates or Dubai South, want a predictable journey time with no traffic roulette, or are heading to ADNEC or MBZ City. Premium is a very civilised way to do a work day trip.
- Take a taxi if you are travelling with kids and luggage, need to arrive after about 7pm, or are going somewhere far from any station, such as Saadiyat or Yas.
Moving to the capital rather than just visiting? Our guide to moving to Abu Dhabi covers the rest of the logistics.
Dubai to Abu Dhabi transport: FAQs
A one-way trip on the E100 from Al Ghubaiba or the E101 from Ibn Battuta to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station costs AED 25, paid with a Nol card. The Capital Express route from Al Quoz to MBZ City is also AED 25.
The E100 leaves from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai and the E101 from Ibn Battuta Bus Station next to Ibn Battuta Metro. The Capital Express CX01 leaves from Al Quoz Bus Station.
Use a Nol card. The E100 and E101 are Dubai RTA routes and you tap on and off with Nol. Hafilat is Abu Dhabi’s card for its local buses.
The passenger service between Dubai and Abu Dhabi starts on 30 September 2026, with five trains each way daily at launch and a journey time of 1 hour 4 minutes.
Etihad Rail fares start from AED 39 one way in Comfort class and from AED 109 in Premium. Prices vary by date, fare type and availability.
Dubai Station is at Al Yalayis in Jumeirah Golf Estates, about 1km from Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro. Abu Dhabi Station is in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, with AED 10 shuttles to ADNEC, the Corniche and Reem Mall.
Expect roughly AED 250 to AED 320 on the meter in a Dubai RTA taxi from Dubai Marina or Downtown, plus tolls. Uber’s average is around AED 300 for Hala Taxi and around AED 430 for UberX Intercity.
No. Dubai taxis can drop you in Abu Dhabi but do not pick up trips that start in another emirate. Book an Abu Dhabi taxi or use a ride-hail app for the return.
