Which terminal has a metro station at Dubai Airport?
Dubai Airports lists metro access at Terminals 1 and 3 only, and says Red Line passes are sold at the ticket offices and vending machines in those two terminals. Terminal 2 is not listed with a metro station on that page. From T2 your realistic options are the RTA buses that leave from the arrivals stands at all three terminals, or a taxi.
Check your arrival terminal on the boarding pass before you plan anything else. It decides whether the cheapest option is a walk to a platform or a bus ride first.
| You land at | Cheapest route | Simplest route |
|---|---|---|
| DXB Terminal 1 | Red Line metro from the terminal station | Taxi from the T1 rank |
| DXB Terminal 3 | Red Line metro from the terminal station | Taxi from the T3 rank |
| DXB Terminal 2 | RTA bus from the arrivals stand (nol card) | Taxi from the T2 rank |
| DWC (Al Maktoum) | Bus F55 to EXPO or N55 to Ibn Battuta, then metro | Taxi from the DWC rank |
When does the metro run and what luggage is allowed?
Dubai Airports gives the metro hours as 5am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 5am to 1am (the next day) on Friday, and 8am to midnight on Sunday. That late Sunday start catches out early-morning arrivals: a flight landing at 6am on a Sunday has no train for about two hours.
The luggage rule is the other hard limit. The airport page allows up to two pieces including hand luggage, and RTA's metro page sets the sizes: one large suitcase no bigger than 81 x 58 x 30 cm and one small case no bigger than 55 x 38 x 20 cm, both stowed in the luggage area of the cabin. A large checked case plus a cabin bag fits; two large checked cases per person does not.
How much does the Dubai Metro cost from the airport?
RTA charges by the number of fare zones you cross, not by distance. Its fare table sets three levels for each card type:
| Journey | Red ticket (paper) | Silver card | Gold Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within one zone | AED 4 | AED 3 | AED 6 (card) / AED 8 (ticket) |
| Two adjacent zones | AED 6 | AED 5 | AED 10 / AED 12 |
| More than two zones | AED 8.50 | AED 7.50 | AED 15 / AED 17 |
The ticket office or vending machine at the station tells you which fare applies to your destination. Because AED 7.50 is the Silver maximum, you can budget for the top fare and never be caught short.
The card itself is a separate cost. RTA sells the Silver nol card for AED 25, which includes AED 19 of credit, and the paper Red ticket for AED 2 before fares are loaded. RTA also asks you to keep at least AED 7.50 on a card when you enter, which the Silver card's starting credit covers.
How much is a taxi from Dubai Airport?
Dubai Taxi Company runs the airport ranks around the clock. Its airport taxi page lists a starting fare of AED 20 for a normal car and AED 25 for a van, then AED 2.62 per kilometre and 50 fils per minute of waiting, with an extra AED 20 if the route passes through Sharjah. Dubai Airports' own taxi page quotes a single AED 25 starting fare, so budget on the higher figure until you see the meter.
Dubai Taxi lists cash, credit cards, nol cards, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and other wallets as accepted. Dubai Airports also says Uber, Careem and Bolt operate at DXB, with signed pickup points; those fares are set in the app, not by a published tariff.
Because the per-kilometre rate is fixed, you can estimate a trip from the distance your map app shows: every 10 km adds AED 26.20 to the starting fare, before waiting time.
Worked examples: one traveller and a group of four
One traveller, Terminal 3, one checked case and a backpack, landing at 3pm on a Wednesday. The metro is running and the bags fit the two-piece rule. Buying a Silver card costs AED 25, and the first journey, even at the AED 7.50 top fare, comes out of the AED 19 included credit, leaving at least AED 11.50 for the rest of the stay. A Red ticket for just this trip would cost at most AED 10.50 (AED 2 plus AED 8.50), which only makes sense if you will not use public transport again.
Four adults, Terminal 1, four large cases and four cabin bags, landing at 6:30am on a Sunday. The metro does not open until 8am on Sundays, so the practical choice is a Dubai Taxi van. Using the published tariff, a 20 km trip would be about AED 25 + (20 x 2.62) = AED 77.40 before waiting time, or roughly AED 19 each. Four Silver cards for the same group would cost AED 100 up front, though AED 76 of that is travel credit.
| Option | Cost basis | Operating window | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Line metro | AED 3 to 7.50 Silver fare plus card | 5am to midnight; 8am start Sunday; 1am Friday | Up to two bags each, T1 or T3 |
| RTA bus | Zone fare on a nol card, no cash | Check RTA timetable | T2 arrivals on a budget |
| Dubai Taxi car | AED 20 start + AED 2.62/km | 24/7 | Late, early or Sunday-morning arrivals |
| Dubai Taxi van | AED 25 start + AED 2.62/km | 24/7 | Groups with many cases |
| Ride-hailing app | App quote | Varies | Comparing a fixed price first |
Arriving at Al Maktoum International (DWC)
DWC has no metro station of its own. Dubai Airports lists two buses: F55 to EXPO metro station and N55 to the Ibn Battuta bus and metro stations, each running every 30 minutes. As at DXB, a nol card is required and cash is not accepted, so buy one before you board if you can, or take a taxi.
Taxis at DWC run 24 hours, with the airport page giving a starting fare of AED 25. Dubai Airports states that Dubai Taxi Company is the only taxi operator at both DXB and DWC, and that pink-roof taxis driven by women are reserved for women and families.
If you plan to drive instead
Picking up a rental car at the airport means your first drive can go through Salik toll gates straight away. Read the Dubai Salik tolls and car rental guide for how tolls and deposits are charged back to your card before you sign the contract.