An increasing number of options are gradually appearing for getting around the Places to Visit and Things to Do in Dubai – cars, taxis, buses, and now the Metro. Use our sub-menu on the right for much more information as to your options. In general, you’ll find that whilst signage, especially on major roads, is getting better, problems arise from the fact that road layouts, particularly in developing areas, can change overnight without warning. See also our thoughts on Understanding Signs.
Also, as you’ll discover, many of the smaller, older streets do not seem to be named at all although they may be numbered in a seemingly illogical manner. However, even if they are named or numbered it’s unlikely that many taxi drivers will know the names or numbers. You can enjoy playing top games at best au online casino, Oh for a Dubai version of ‘The Knowledge’!
Remember, there’s no communal postal delivery system to individual addresses in Dubai, everything works on Post Office Box numbers, so there’s no need for road name/number signs as we know them in the UK or other similar Western countries.
Good maps of Dubai are hard to find, but you can buy a Street Map Explorer book (subtitled ‘Your Guide to Getting Around Dubai’), which is like an A – Z guide and shows all the individual roads, some named, some numbered, some both, but you’d struggle to drive and follow such a map at the same time. A good navigator would be a must. It does however have sections listing places such as newzealand online casinos, hotels, shopping malls, major residential developments, parks, areas of Dubai, hospitals, schools, etc., and gives page and map references for them, which is useful.
Whilst in recent years roads have been noticeably quieter than previously, it’s still a very busy place at certain times of the day – cars drive too close to each other at faster than advisable speeds, and in Dubai road deaths are the biggest killer – and for this reason, unless you are a confident and experienced driver, preferably in the Eastern style, we recommend you do not hire a car but use other methods of transport to get around the city. Have a look at our Best Way to See Dubai page for suggestions.
Driving in the main city during the daytime you’ll eventually realize that despite all the building work, you’re not seeing any wagons. That’s because during the day they’re restricted to the outer roads around the city and can only enter the city itself at night or during other specified hours or on specially designated roads.