How to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat
Saadiyat Travel Guide editorial team · Published 2 October 2026
Dubai to Abu Dhabi is 136 km by road. The fastest options are the Etihad Rail train, about 1 hr between stations, and a car or taxi, about 1 hr 15 min; the cheapest is the intercity bus at AED 25 (≈ $7). Saadiyat Island is 131 km from Dubai, slightly closer than central Abu Dhabi, and about 1 hr 15 min by car. All of these options also work from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
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Dubai to Abu Dhabi at a glance
As of October 2026:
Which is best depends on where you start and where you are going. To a Saadiyat hotel with luggage, a transfer or taxi saves two changes. Traveling light from near the Dubai station, the train is the fastest for the price.
By train: Etihad Rail from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
Etihad Rail passenger trains have run between Dubai and Abu Dhabi since 30 September 2026. As reported at the launch:
- Fares: Comfort class from AED 39 (≈ $11), Premium from AED 109 (≈ $30), one way.
- Time: about 1 hr between stations.
- Frequency: 10 (5 each way). Check the current timetable in the Etihad Rail app before you plan the day.
- Dubai station: Al Yalayis, next to Jumeirah Golf Estates, linked by a 400 m footbridge to Jumeirah Golf Estates metro station on the Red Line. From central Dubai, take the metro or a taxi to get there.
- Abu Dhabi station: Mohamed Bin Zayed City, on the mainland outside the city center. The station is open 05:00–23:00.
- Tickets: in the Etihad Rail app, on etihadrail.ae and at machines in the station. Trains have Wi-Fi, charging points and luggage space.
The catch is the last stretch. Etihad Rail shuttle buses run from the Abu Dhabi station to ADNOC headquarters on the Corniche, ADNEC and Reem Mall for AED 10 (≈ $3); you book the shuttle together with your train ticket, and it runs only a few times a day. To reach Saadiyat Island, plan on a taxi from the station.
By intercity bus: E100, E101 and E102
The intercity bus is the cheapest way from Dubai to Abu Dhabi: AED 25 (≈ $7) one way. E100 and E101 arrive at the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station in the city; E102 ends in Mussafah, on the mainland.
- Timetable: buses run from early morning until around midnight. Sources disagree on the first and last departures, so check the timetable on the RTA website (rta.ae) before you go.
- Paying: you need a Dubai nol card; ask at the Customer Happiness office at the bus station if you don't have one.
- Inside Abu Dhabi: city buses use the Hafilat card. You can buy one for AED 10 (≈ $3) at ticket machines, SPAR and Lulu stores, and the Customer Happiness offices at bus stations and the airport. Fares are AED 2 (≈ $0.54) boarding plus 5 fils per km, capped at AED 5 (≈ $1) per trip; children under 10 ride free. A 7-day pass costs AED 35 (≈ $10).
From the Central Bus Station to Saadiyat, a taxi takes about 15 min.
By taxi and ride-hailing
A Dubai taxi to Abu Dhabi runs on the meter. Older fare reports put the trip at roughly AED 250–300 (≈ $68–82) one way, so check the current price in a taxi app before you go. Uber and Careem quote AED 380–622 (≈ $103–169), depending on traffic and demand. To Saadiyat, a taxi costs about AED 350 (≈ $95).
Once you are in Abu Dhabi, local taxis use the Abu Dhabi Mobility tariff: a flag fare of AED 5 (≈ $1), or AED 5.5 (≈ $1) from 22:00 to 06:00; AED 1.82 (≈ $0.50) per kilometer; and a minimum fare of AED 12 (≈ $3).
Private transfer from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
A transfer costs more than the bus but makes sense for three or four people with luggage, families with children, or a late arrival. The price is fixed when you book, and the car takes you to your hotel door on Saadiyat or anywhere else in Abu Dhabi.
Driving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
The usual route is the E11 along the coast: about 136 km, around 1 hr 25 min without traffic. The inland E10 is longer, around 2 hr 7 min.
Two toll systems apply, one in each city:
- Salik in Dubai. You pay at each toll gate, and the price depends on the time of day.
- Darb in Abu Dhabi. AED 4 (≈ $1) per crossing during peak hours, 07:00–09:00 and 15:00–19:00 from Monday to Saturday; Sundays and public holidays are free. Vehicles must be registered with Darb; unregistered cars get fines after a 10-day grace period.
With a rental car, ask how the company charges Salik and Darb.
Getting to Saadiyat Island from Dubai
Saadiyat is 131 km from Dubai by road, about 1 hr 15 min by car or taxi.
- By taxi or transfer: straight to your hotel; see the Saadiyat hotels or the island map.
- By bus: E100 or E101 to the Central Bus Station, then a taxi of about 15 min.
- By train: to Mohamed Bin Zayed City, then a taxi across the city.
- From Dubai airport (DXB): take the Dubai Metro Red Line to Ibn Battuta for bus E101, or to Jumeirah Golf Estates for the train.
If you land at Abu Dhabi's own airport instead, Saadiyat is about 25 min away; see Abu Dhabi airport.
On a day trip from Dubai, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Saadiyat beaches are the first sights you reach; the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is about 20 min further on. Organized trips are listed in Abu Dhabi tours.
Abu Dhabi to Dubai: the return trip
- Train: from Mohamed Bin Zayed City to Al Yalayis; check return times in the Etihad Rail app.
- Bus: E100, E101 or E102 from the Central Bus Station.
- From Abu Dhabi airport: the AUH Express bus runs 24 hours a day to Ibn Battuta in Dubai, for about AED 35 (≈ $10).
- Taxi or transfer: about 1 hr 15 min from Saadiyat.
From Sharjah and other emirates
Buses 117 and 118 run between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi for AED 30 (≈ $8). Etihad Rail plans a passenger station in Sharjah; check etihadrail.ae for its opening date.
Getting around Abu Dhabi: buses, taxis, no metro
Many visitors from Dubai look for a metro in Abu Dhabi. There isn't one: metro and tram services are in Dubai only, so in Abu Dhabi you use taxis and buses.
- Taxis. You can hail one on the street or book through the Abu Dhabi Taxi app, and Uber and Careem also work. Metered fares are in Abu Dhabi trip cost. From Saadiyat, a taxi is the practical way to reach the city: 15 min to downtown.
- City buses. Buses take only the Hafilat card: AED 2 (≈ $0.54) boarding plus 5 fils per km, never more than AED 5 (≈ $1) a trip, with no new boarding fee for a transfer within 60 minutes. The card costs AED 10 (≈ $3). Route 94 passes the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
- Darb app. The Darb app shows live bus arrivals, and the bus routes and timetables are also on Google Maps.
- Abu Dhabi Link. This on-demand minibus serves Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Khalifa City and Al Shahama. You book a ride in the Abu Dhabi Link app, and it costs AED 2 (≈ $0.54) with a Hafilat card; it runs daily 06:00–23:00. Check the app for the current fare, because some trips on Saadiyat and Yas have been free for a period.
- On Saadiyat. The electric ART bus AR2 links teamLab Phenomena, the Louvre and Saadiyat Walk.
The airport buses are covered in the airport guide, and rental cars in our car rental guide.
Arriving by cruise ship: Zayed Port
Cruise ships dock at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in Zayed Port (also called Port Zayed), opened in late 2015, which can take three large ships at once. It is not the same place as the Central Bus Station. Saadiyat Island and the Grand Mosque are each about 20 min away by taxi.
For how Abu Dhabi and Dubai differ as a base, see Abu Dhabi vs Dubai; for the rest of the trip, the Abu Dhabi travel guide.
