Public transportation from AUH
 

Hi,
We are a family of 3 with a toddler who will be arriving in AUH on May 28. Our hotel is at the Corniche. I'd love any and all suggestions on using public transportation to get from the airport to our hotel. I understand that taxis can cost around 100AED. Are there any buses and/or trains from the airport?

We are also thinking to taking public transportation from our hotel in the Corniche to our next stop of Dubai. I understand there are several buses that go from AD to Dubai. We are actually flying into AUH via Etihad but because we are staying in AD two days we are not eligible for the free coach to Dubai though I'm told we can lay 80 AED per person if there is availability. Would this be a viable option given that we have to come from the Corniche?

And would we have to pay for 3-year olds on buses and trains?

Thanks!

http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/englis...transport.aspx

Taxis should be around 80AED
http://www.numbeo.com/taxi-fare/city...city=Abu+Dhabi

There are no trains in the UAE apart from the Dubai Metro system and Dubai Tram

Wait for a bus at the airport, spend 1hr 20mins on the bus, get a taxi from the bus station to the hotel (say 2hrs total), OR get a taxi direct to your hotel in 20 mins???
And you'll maybe save 40 or 50 dirhams???

I enjoy the challenge of public transport systems, and get a measure of pleasure from saving money :D.

But you'll be in a place and a situation where I'd urge the spending of $20 for the convenience and comfort of a taxi transfer.

Buying tickets and battling public transport with your three + toddler and their luggage? Then walking the last bit through the heat? Think again!

I'm all for public transport to/from the airport when the circumstances make sense (taxi prohibitively expensive, very good train system, etc) but AUH is well and truly one place where it makes no sense.

A family of three with a toddler should not be dealing with the bus into town, unless they absolutely have to.

==============================
As for the bus to Dubai, you can go to the central bus station in Abu Dhabi (not the airport) and a bus will be departing more or less every 10 minutes during the daytime. Cost is AED25 per person. The bus will either go to Ibn Battuta Mall (handy if you are going to the Marina end of town, but less frequent), or Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (handy if you are going to the Deira/Creek areas, and more frequent departures).

Any updates or advice about taxis from AUH airport? Last time I was in Abu Dhabi I found it easy and cheap to take taxis and there was little fear in getting ripped off. Staying at the One To One - The Village hotel I got them to send a car to the airport but it was really expensive. This time, staying at the same hotel, I would prefer to take a taxi. Just don't want to get into the wrong one.

While there I worked out the local bus system and found it so easy and cheap I just went everywhere by local bus for 2 Dirhams a pop. Just remember women and men are segregated on the buses. But the system was user friendly in the same way the buses in Geneva are, amazingly.

For taxis, ignore the touts and the woman shouting from the desk, and just go and join the queue on the left as you exit arrivals. Queue size depends on your arrival time (Eg no queue late in evening) but always moves very quickly. Taxis are metered.
You need a bus pass now, no paying on board.

Great info, thanks. I'll just keep to the left once I've exited the building and look for the queue. Sounds similar to arriving at Dubai, although there you have to look for the right color of taxi in order to get the right, metered ones.

Is it easy to pick up a bus pass? I might just stick with taxis this time as I am not alone and I'm not planning on rushing around visiting everything in a short space of time.

The taxi queue is inside the building; aim left after you enter the public part of arrivals.
Info about bus passes here:
https://dot.abudhabi.ae/en/content/d...uncementsFiles
There are machines dotted about Abu Dhabi for purchase.

It all worked like clockwork, thanks, no line waiting for cabs at 8pm at all. I had estimated that the trip to the One to One Hotel The Village should have cost AED70 and it came to AED75. I just rounded it up to AED80 and the driver seemed pleasantly surprised. I take it that tipping taxi drivers here is not that big a deal and they don't seem to expect it.

On a recent trip, I used Uber from the airport to city. Driver spoke English.

Took Uber back to airport as well.

You won't be using them any more. Uber is shut down in AUH.

... and has been since August 2016.

I wonder how recent was his/her trip.

To bad to see Uber gone.

I was there August 13. Took one from and later to AUH. Managed to get to see the Grand Mosque.

IIRC Uber was only ever a brand, with the actual service outsourced to existing limo companies. There is no concept of 'self-employed' in the UAE (unless you expensively set-up your own company ... or operate illegally), and therefore no western-style 'gig economy'.

Further, it was a premium-priced service as the incumbent taxi companies are protected.

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/...could-be-great