Getting Around Abu Dhabi: Taxi Apps, Fares, Buses, Robotaxis and the Train

Abu Dhabi was built for the car, and for years that was the whole transport plan. Not any more. The capital now has a proper flat-fare bus network, metered taxis that are cheaper than you think, robotaxis quietly doing laps of Yas Island and, as of this year, a real passenger train. None of it is quite as joined-up as Dubai yet, but you can absolutely live here without a car if you know how the pieces fit.

This is that guide. Buses, taxis, ride-hailing apps, driverless cars, bikes, boats and trains, with the fares that apply right now and an honest look at the tram and high-speed rail plans that will change the map by the end of the decade.

Getting around Abu Dhabi at a glance

Abu Dhabi buses: the cheapest way around

The bus network is run by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) and covers Abu Dhabi city, the suburbs, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. The buses are air-conditioned, clean and properly cheap. The trade-off is frequency and the walk to the stop, which matters a lot more in August than it does in January.

Get a Hafilat card first

There is no cash on city buses. Everything runs on the Hafilat smart card, which you tap when you get on and again when you get off so the system can calculate your distance.

• Anonymous Hafilat card – AED 10, no ID needed, good for visitors and anyone who just wants to get moving today. The catch: if you lose it, the balance goes with it.
• Personalised Hafilat card – free, registered to your Emirates ID, and the balance can be moved to a new card if yours goes missing. You need one for the discounted annual permits below.
• Where to buy and top up – ticket machines at bus stations, the Customer Happiness counters at the main bus stations and the airport, Lulu Hypermarkets and Lulu Exchange, Abu Dhabi Co-op and Al Ain Co-op stores, online at hafilat.darb.ae and through the TAMM app. Online top-ups are not always instant, so do not leave it until you are standing at the stop.

How much the bus costs

Since the fares were standardised in February 2024, every city and suburban bus in the emirate charges the same way: AED 2 to get on plus 5 fils for every kilometre, with the whole journey capped at AED 5. You can transfer for free if you tap on to the next bus within 60 minutes of tapping off the last one, up to two transfers per journey.

Passes do not cover intercity routes. If you are weighing up the weekly option, our explainer on the unlimited weekly Hafilat bus pass walks through when it pays for itself.

Routes worth knowing

• Airport buses – the A-series buses leave from just outside Arrivals at Zayed International Airport and run 24/7, which makes them the classic late-night landing option. The A1 heads to Al Zahiyah via Al Reem and the Tourist Club area, the A2 to Khalifa Street, Al Markaziyah and Al Khalidiya, while the A10 serves MBZ City.
• Etihad Rail feeder buses – the MR1 runs from Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station in Al Wahda and the MR2 from Al Zahiyah bus station, both out to the train station in Mohamed Bin Zayed City. We covered the MR1 and MR2 routes to the Etihad Rail station when they launched.
• Abu Dhabi Link – an on-demand minibus you book in the Abu Dhabi Link app, running in areas including Yas, Saadiyat, Khalifa City and Al Shahama. It picks you up near your door, runs 6am to 11pm and charges AED 2 a boarding on your Hafilat card.

Location and contact: Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station, Al Wahda, opposite Al Wahda Mall on Hazza Bin Zayed The First Street. ITC helpline 800 555. Live bus times and journey planning are in the Darbi app.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Tap off every single time. If you forget, the system cannot work out your distance and charges you the maximum fare, and you also lose the free 60-minute transfer on your next bus. Cheap habit, expensive mistake.

A few house rules: the front seats are priority seating for women, and eating, drinking and chewing gum on board can land you a fine. Keep the shawarma for the stop.

Abu Dhabi taxi prices: what the meter charges

Abu Dhabi’s official taxis are the silver cars with the yellow roof sign, and they are all metered and regulated by the ITC. The tariff has not changed since the November 2018 revision, which is one of the few things in the UAE you can say that about.

For a feel of real-world Abu Dhabi taxi prices: a 10km daytime hop from the street works out at about AED 23 on the meter (AED 5 plus 10 x AED 1.82), before any waiting time or booking fee. Heading into Dubai? Salik gates are not part of the Abu Dhabi tariff, so ask the driver how tolls are handled before you set off.

You can pay by cash, card, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. Ladies and family taxis driven by women are available for women and families, and wheelchair-accessible vans can be booked in advance.

Booking and contact: Abu Dhabi Taxi call centre 600 535 353, or the Abu Dhabi Taxi app (iOS and Android). ITC service support 800 555 for lost property and complaints.

Best taxi apps in Abu Dhabi

This is where newcomers from Dubai get tripped up. The apps work differently here, and only some of them book the metered silver cabs. Here is which Abu Dhabi taxi app does what.

• Abu Dhabi Taxi – the official ITC app for the silver metered taxis. It uses your GPS location for pickup, shows a fare estimate and lets you pick the vehicle type, including the women-driven ladies and family taxis. Free on iOS and Android, or call 600 535 353.
• Yango – the ITC’s official ride-hailing partner for public taxis since September 2024, with more than 1,500 regular metered taxis registered on the platform. Handy if you already use it in other cities.
• Uber – operates in Abu Dhabi under an agreement with the Department of Transport, with UberX, Uber Comfort and larger-car options, plus the Autonomous option on its robotaxi routes (more on that below). The fare is shown upfront rather than on a meter.
• Careem – works for private-hire rides, but its Hala metered-taxi service is a Dubai RTA partnership and is not available in Abu Dhabi, so expect higher prices than the meter. The Careem super app is still worth keeping for Careem Bike.
• Bolt – arrived in Abu Dhabi in May 2026 through a partnership with Dubai Taxi Company, starting with limousine rides and with taxi bookings promised to follow. Check the app for what is live when you book.
• Darbi – not a taxi app, but the ITC app you want for live bus times, journey planning and parking payments.

Abu Dhabi to Dubai by taxi: there is no fixed fare. On the meter, a city-to-city run is roughly AED 250 to AED 300 depending on where you start and finish, and app prices swing well above that at busy times. The train and bus below are a fraction of the cost.

Robotaxis: yes, you can ride one today

Abu Dhabi has quietly become one of the easiest places in the world to hail a driverless car. Three services are running at the time of writing:

• Uber and WeRide – book through the Uber app by choosing UberX, Uber Comfort or Autonomous. On Yas Island the cars have been fully driverless since November 2025. Across downtown, Al Reem, Al Maryah, Saadiyat, Khalifa City, Masdar City and the airport corridor they run with a vehicle specialist on board for now. The fare is shown upfront in the Uber app before you confirm.
• AutoGo – launched in March 2026 by K2 with Baidu’s Apollo Go. Yas Island only for now, booked in the AutoGo app, with stops including Yas Mall, Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, Etihad Arena, Yas Marina, W Abu Dhabi and IKEA. Reem, Al Maryah and Saadiyat are next on its expansion list.
• TXAI – booked in the TXAI app, covering set stops across Yas and Saadiyat.

Heading to the island for the day? Our Yas Island guide for resident families is the best companion for a first robotaxi ride.

Etihad Rail: Abu Dhabi finally has a train

The big change of 2026. Etihad Rail’s passenger service opened on 30 June 2026, starting with the Abu Dhabi to Fujairah train. From 30 September 2026 the Dubai leg opens too, with trains to Dubai’s Al Yalayis station taking about an hour. Comfort fares start at AED 39 and Premium at AED 109, booked on the Etihad Rail website or app.

In Dubai, Al Yalayis station links to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro on the Red Line by a 400m elevated walkway. In Abu Dhabi, the one thing to know is that the station is not downtown. It sits in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, about 30km from the city centre, so budget for a bus, taxi or shuttle at this end.

Location and contact: Etihad Rail Abu Dhabi Station, Mohamed Bin Zayed City, opposite Dalma Mall. Tickets, timetables and customer support through etihadrail.ae and the Etihad Rail app. Parking on site, plus AED 10 Etihad Rail shuttle buses to Reem Mall, ADNOC headquarters and ADNEC, which must be added when you buy your train ticket online or in the app.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: If you live on the island or Reem, the AED 10 Etihad Rail shuttle from Reem Mall is the easiest way to the station. Add it when you book your train ticket, because it cannot be bought at the station, and give yourself a buffer on your first trip until you know the timings.

Intercity buses to Dubai, Al Ain and beyond

Before the train, the bus was the only budget way to Dubai, and it is still handy if you live near a central bus stop. The E100 runs from Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station to Al Ghubaiba and the E101 to Ibn Battuta, for around AED 25 each way. These are Dubai RTA routes, so pay with a nol card rather than your Hafilat. For Al Ain, Capital Express runs frequent coaches from the main bus station, bookable at capitalexpress.ae. Heading further afield? We also rounded up the cheapest bus from the UAE to Oman.

Bikes, scooters and water taxis

Careem Bike runs docking stations across Abu Dhabi, and the map in the Careem app shows the nearest one with bikes free. A single-trip pass is AED 19 and a 24-hour pass AED 29, and you can drop the bike at any station with space. The Corniche on a cool winter morning is one of the best AED 19 you will spend in this city.

E-scooters are allowed in designated areas such as Al Reem, Al Maryah, Al Zahiyah and the Corniche, on shared paths and internal roads with limits under 40km/h, but not on highways, roads over 60km/h or pedestrian-only walkways. Helmets are compulsory, the speed limit is 20km/h and you need front and rear lights, so check the in-app rules before you ride.

Water taxis run by Abu Dhabi Maritime link Yas Bay, Yas Marina, Al Raha and Al Qana, from AED 10 one way. Book in the Al Nalia app or at tickets.admaritime.ae, as walk-ups are no longer accepted and you board with a QR code. It is less of a commute and more of a very good way to start a night out.

If you do drive: tolls, parking and car-sharing

Most families end up with at least one car, and the costs are mostly predictable once you know the systems.

• Darb toll – AED 4 per crossing at the toll gates on the main bridges onto Abu Dhabi island, 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Sundays and public holidays are free. The old daily and monthly caps were scrapped on 1 September 2025. Our full Darb toll guide covers registration and exemptions.
• Mawaqif parking – AED 2 an hour in standard bays and AED 3 in premium bays, charged 8am to midnight Monday to Saturday and free on Sundays and public holidays. Here is how Mawaqif parking actually works, plus the new ticketless free-flow parking rolling out across the city.
• Fines – if one does land, here is how to check and appeal a Mawaqif parking fine and how to pay Abu Dhabi traffic fines with the early payment discount.
• Car-sharing – Ekar and Udrive are the ITC-licensed per-minute car-share services. You need to be 21 or over with an Emirates ID and a valid UAE licence, and fuel, insurance and parking are included. Questions go to the ITC service support line on 800 850.

What is coming next: tram, high-speed rail and air taxis

Abu Dhabi does not have a metro, and there is no metro project with a confirmed timeline. What it does have is three bigger projects that will reshape how the city moves.

• The Abu Dhabi tram – announced in late 2025, the first line of roughly 20km is planned to run from Yas Gateway Park past Ferrari World, Yas Marina Circuit and Yas Bay, across to Al Raha and on to Zayed International Airport. Reports put construction from 2026 and first trams around 2030, with later lines towards Al Reem and Khalifa City.
• Abu Dhabi to Dubai high-speed rail – announced in January 2025, this Etihad Rail line promises Abu Dhabi to Dubai in about 30 minutes at up to 350km/h, with Abu Dhabi stations planned for Al Reem, Saadiyat, Yas and Zayed International Airport. Reports point to around 2030, but there is no official opening date yet.
• The trackless tram (ART) – the rubber-tyred autonomous trams run a Friday to Sunday service between Reem Mall and Marina Mall along Zayed The First Street and the Corniche. Check the Darbi app for current days and times before you plan around it.
• Air taxis – Archer and Abu Dhabi Aviation are working towards the first passenger flights, and Archer’s Midnight aircraft has already won a restricted type certificate from the UAE regulator. Our story on flying taxis coming to Abu Dhabi has the background, but do not cancel your Uber account just yet.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Choosing where to live? Think about the train and tram maps, not just today’s commute. Homes near the planned Yas, Saadiyat and airport stations are likely to feel very differently connected by 2030, while MBZ City already has the Etihad Rail station on its doorstep.

New to the capital? Our guide to moving to Abu Dhabi as an expat covers the rest of the settling-in checklist, from visas to utilities.

Getting around Abu Dhabi: your questions answered

Fares, prices, routes and timings were checked in September 2026 and can change. Transport in Abu Dhabi is moving fast, so we update this guide as new lines and services open.