You might have seen and used intercity bus services, but have you travelled from one major city to another via bus? It is possible in Dubai, where you can take a bus to Abu Dhabi. Bus service is not only commodious but is an excellent way of travelling between these two cities in the United Arab Emirates. Travelling via bus is the most convenient mode of transportation, not to forget how cheap the bus service is compared to taxis and travelling by air.
This blog will discuss everything that you need about Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus service; from organizing your trip to managing your expenses, it covers everything;
Table of Contents
Timings of Buses from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
Bus service is not the fastest mode of transportation to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, but it definitely is the cheapest way of travelling between the cities. Abu Dhabi is distanced at a good 150Km away from Dubai, and this distance is covered by the bus in 3 hours. People, who prefer going by car, can minimize this time to one and half hours.
Buses run at different times from early morning to late in the evening, so you have a choice to decide the timings of your travel.
Bus E100
E100 operates every 15 minutes, starting as early as 04:30 in the morning till the start of the day or midnight, from Sundays to Wednesdays. However, the bus service starts an hour past midnight or from 01:00am on weekends.
Bus E101
Bus E101 operates every 20 minutes and the timings for different days of the week are;
Sunday to Wednesday: 04:45am to 11:15pm
Thursday: 04:15am to 01:15am
Friday: 05:15am to 01:45am
Saturday: 05:45am to 00:15am
Bus E102
Bus E102 operates every hour, and the timings for different days of the week are;
Sunday to Thursday: 05:30am to 10:30pm
Friday: 06:30am to 11:30pm
Saturday: 05:30am to 10:30pm
Bus Routes from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
There are two main stations in Dubai, from where all the three routes of bus depart; these two stations are located,
Ibn Battuta Bus Station
People who live in Dubai Marina can easily use this bus service. They can use the Dubai Metro Red line to get there. The bus station is located adjacent to the Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai.
Al Ghubaiba Bus Station
It is located in Bur Dubai, and people from Dubai Deira and Dubai Creek can easily access this station. Dubai Metro Green line can be used to reach the bus station from the mentioned areas.
In Dubai, all the bus services and routes are operated by the Public Transport Authority of Dubai, the RTA. There are three routes used by the RTA from Dubai to Abu Dhabi which are;
Bus E100
Bus route E100 takes about 2hours, 15 minutes to 3hours to reach Abu Dhabi. The route starts from Dubai Al Ghubaiba stations to Abu Dhabi Central bus station.
Bus E101
Bus route E101 takes one and a half to two hours to reach Abu Dhabi central bus station. It starts from Dubai Ibn Battuta station.
Bus E102
Bus E102 takes two hours to two hours and fifteen minutes to reach Abu Dhabi Mussafah Shabiya bus station. It starts from Ibn Battuta station in Dubai.
Bus E102 also stops at Dubai International Airport. If you want to travel by air to Abu Dhabi, the bus route from Ibn Battuta bus station to Dubai International Airport takes one and a half hours.
Bus Fare from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
NOL card is typically used to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, which can be recharged from different places. You can get it recharged from the bus station by visiting the Dubai Metro station. You can also purchase a ticket from the bus station if you don’t intend to buy the NOL card.
The bus fare for all the buses is the same no matter what route you take. It costs 25AED to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. In other words, you can reach Abu Dhabi from Dubai for just $6.8, which can be the cheapest way of travelling between these two cities in the UAE.
Is travelling by bus worth it?
Travellers or backpackers who are on a budget are always looking for cheap modes of transportation to spend their money on tourist sites or other things. For them, travelling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi via bus service is an excellent way of travelling while staying within budget.
You can also rent a car to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Renting a car is also a cheap mode of transportation (not as affordable as the bus service), and it gives you complete freedom of your journey. You can stop wherever you want and even stay in between.
One day trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai
If you are looking for a cheap option for a one day trip to Abu Dhabi, you can take guided tours from Dubai, which give you round-trip transport for your one day tour. Your vehicle will pick you up directly from your hotel and take you to your destination. Furthermore, a multilingual tour guide will accompany you on your one day guided trip to Abu Dhabi.
Other Transport Options – Dubai to Abu Dhabi
There is not a single commercial flight that goes from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and you don’t really need to consider it as you have a lot of other transport options.
Taxi
Uber and Careem taxis run 24/7 from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The fare depends on the ride; however, they are higher than the bus services or other modes of transport given by the Dubai Transport Authority.
Car Hire
Rental cars are available throughout Dubai, and you can hire a car from Dubai to Abu Dhabi at any time.
Over to You!
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two cities in the United Arab Emirates, and intercity transport is open for tourists and locals. You can avail of bus service from Dubai to Abu Dhabi at the cheapest rates. Although it takes approximately one and a half to three hours to reach the destination, still it’s the best mode of transportation, especially for people on a budget.