Dubai: Whether you want to go to a theme park or the airport, your plans should not fall through simply because you don’t have a driver’s licence. Did you know that in the UAE, many airlines, airports and even entertainment destinations offer free shuttle bus rides that make it easier for people to travel to these locations?
Here is a roundup of all the complimentary shuttle bus options that you can take advantage of.
1. Explore Abu Dhabi’s top tourist attractions for free
In Abu Dhabi, you can hop on a free shuttle bus that takes you to the city’s top attractions, such as Ferrari World, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, through the ‘Experience Abu Dhabi’ shuttle bus.
The shuttle bus fleet operates on eight key routes, connecting Yas Island, Jubail Island, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi city centre and the Grand Canal area.
How to travel on the shuttle bus
You do not require pre-registration or tickets to travel on the shuttle bus.
Board the bus from any of the designated bus stops and use your smartphone to scan the Quick Response (QR) code you see when you enter. You will then be asked to enter details like your full name, email address and mobile number.
It is important to note that sometimes the bus timings can change, so to be up to date, you can visit this link: https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/plan-your-trip/around-the-emirate/shuttle-bus from the Experience Abu Dhabi website and click on the arrow ‘download the routes and timetables’.
Where does the shuttle bus go?
There are eight routes in total, and these are the stops:
Route A1
• Jumeirah at Saadiyat
• Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi
• Rixos Saadiyat
• Saadiyat Rotana
• Manarat Al Saadiyat / Berklee Abu Dhabi
• Mamsha Al Saadiyat
• Louvre Abu Dhabi
Route A2
• Mamsha Al Saadiyat
• Southern Sun Hotel
• Ramada by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Downtown
• City Seasons Al Hamra Hotel
• Novel Hotel City Center
• Oasr Al Hosn
• Qasr Al Watan
ROUTE B1
• Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel
• Etihad Towers
• Heritage Village
• The Founder's Memorial / Emirates Palace
• Qasr Al Watan
• Al Hudayrivat Island
ROUTE B2
• Qasr Al Watan
• Grand Millennium Al Wahda
• Umm Al Emarat Park
• Millennium Al Rawdah Hotel
• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
2. Taking a flight from another emirate? Just take a shuttle bus
If you found the right flight within your budget but it flies out from a different emirate, you can just use a complimentary shuttle bus service, which is offered by some UAE-based airlines.
In the UAE, airlines like Emirates and Etihad provide free inter-emirate bus rides for passengers. If you do plan on booking a seat on the shuttle bus, you must book it 24 to 48 hours in advance. These services are available for people in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain.
To find out the timings and how to register for the shuttle bus service, click here.
3. Get around Yas Island on the ‘Yas Express Bus’
If you use the ‘Experience Abu Dhabi’ shuttle bus and get to Yas Island, you can also benefit from another free shuttle bus service that is dedicated to the area, if you have a ticket for one of the theme parks or a reservation at a hotel there.
Yas Island is a family-friendly entertainment hub and leisure island that has theme parks, hotels, and international events.
Since the island consists of many popular spots, it offers a free shuttle bus service for its local and international visitors.
Apart from the shuttle bus service within the area, there is also a free service that takes visitors to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport, and locations in Dubai.
All the bus routes on the ‘Yas Express Bus’
Within Yas Island:
1. W Abu Dhabi - Yas Island
2. Yas Plaza Hotels
3. The Warner Bros World - Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton
4. Hilton Abu Dhabi - Yas Island
5. Yas Links
6. Yas Central
7. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi / Yas Mall / CLYMB
8. Yas Bay
9. Yas Beach
10.Yas Marina
11.Water’s Edge
12.Ansam
13.Mayan
14. SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (for a detailed guide on how to book tickets, click here)
From Abu Dhabi International Airport to Yas Island:
If you are a tourist arriving from Abu Dhabi International Airport, and have a reservation at one of the hotels at Yas Island, the bus drops passengers off at the following hotels:
• W Hotel
• Hilton Hotel
• Yas Plaza Hotels
• The WB Hotel
• Double Tree Hotel
From Dubai to Yas Island:
If you are coming from Dubai, you can board the bus from following stops:
• Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel, Dubai
• Deira City Center - Entrance Beside Majid Al Futtaim Tower 1
The shuttle bus operates on a first-come-first-served basis, no prior reservation is required, and complimentary WiFi is available in the buses.
4. Free shuttle bus services from hotels and malls in Dubai
If you have booked a stay at a Dubai hotel, you may have the option to use their complimentary shuttle bus service, which transports guests to popular attractions in the emirate like Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and Kite Beach.
So, while you are making the reservation, you can contact the hotel to ask if they have such a complimentary shuttle-bus services, to make it easier to move around the city during your visit.
In addition to hotels, shopping centres also provide free shuttle bus services for residents and tourists. For example, City Walk has a shuttle bus which picks up passengers from the Dubai Mall Metro Station (the exit near the Tesla showroom) and The Beach by Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR) also picks up passengers from nearby hotels.
