Getting around Dubai

Dubai Municipality (tel: (04) 221 5555 or 800 900; www.dm.gov.ae) operates a reasonable public bus service on over 50 routes. Fares depend on destination and are paid to the driver upon boarding; it is useful for travellers to have the exact change ready.

'Period Passes' are useful for those staying more than a week in Dubai, allowing cheaper bus travel on a smart card. Passes, timetables and bus maps are available from the bus stations in Deira and Bur Dubai. Routes and bus numbers are posted in both Arabic and English.

The new Ferry Dubai, which is operated by the Roads and Transport Authority, sails in the Dubai Creek and links Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Marina and the major waterfront developments. Each journey lasts around one hour and tickets can be purchased on board. Simple wooden boats, locally referred to as abras, cross the creek from Bur Dubai to the Al-Sabkha Station. These are operated by Dubai Municipality (journey time - 5 minutes) and are a good-value, enjoyable and useful way of avoiding a traffic-constricted road journey. Air-conditioned Dubai Waterbus (tel: 800 9090; www.rta.ae) also run across the creek but charge four times as much.

A 300km (186-mile) metro system (http://dubaimetro.eu) has now opened. The Red Line runs from Rashidiya Station to Jebel Ali Station. The other lines are still under construction but once opened, they will run from the Dubai Airport Free Zone to Dubai Health Care City (Green Line), between the existing airport and the planned airport at Jebel Ali (Purple Line), and from Emirates Road to the airports (Blue Line).