✈️ A trip to Dubai is definitely POSSIBLE, even with low budget. Yup, everywhere on the TV you see Dubai’s shiny buildings, cars that cost as much as half of your (well, at least as my) country etc., but if you don’t really need to sleep in a very shiny hotel like me, you can make your main cost not more than 3-400 euro for a week there. My vacation cost in fact ~€250 including both return flight tickets and 5 days stay in a definitely not bad 3-star hotel 1min away from the main metro line of Dubai. Pfff, I couldn’t be happier, really! Apparently, 2-3 star hotels in Dubai are like 1-star higher representative in my own country. i.e. 3(dubai) would be maybr 4 in BG, 2 would be 3 in BG etc. My vacation also was quite cheap because they’ve just announced the low-cost company Wizz’s new destinations Dubai and Tel Aviv and I immediately got tickets as they were initially really really cheap and I didn’t really think twice.

So let’s get started on the actual trip. Here I won’t post real story as our first day just flying, but would like to share with you a Notes file I did for friends who kept asking me what’s good to consider and what not, when flying to Dubai =) So see below things that I wish I knew before going there:

I will mark the “BEFORE YOU GO” tips in red, so you make sure you do them BEFORE actually leaving for your vacation.

/ All information is from 2014, so costs may have changed/

In DUBAI:

You should definitely get a ticket for Burj Khalifa at the top BEFORE you go, and to be more precise at least one month before you go. Tickets for the best slots (sunrise and sunset) get bought for hours exactly one month before, because that’s how the calendar on the website shows the dates: exactly 1 month before. So if you want to go to Burj Khalifa on 8th of Jan, you have to get a ticket on the 8th of Dec. If you get your ticket on the day of visit, prices are double!

Dubai at the top – http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/ObservationDeck/TicketInformation.aspx

DRESS CODE

• No problem for Short pants for MEN
• Women can go with short pants, but not too short

METRO

• Day ticket for Metro for All zones costs 16 dhs
• Metro is separated by Zones and each tickets’ price may vary, for example 2-way ticket for 2 zones costs 15 dirhams
• Pay attention when you enter in the metro train as there are parts of the train ONLY for WOMEN
• On some stations you can not get on the first carriage to watch the road if you DO NOT have a GOLD card, but this will be written on  the doors on the station
• Eureka hotel
  • is close to the RED Metro line, which passes through every famous monument
  • Hotel is located in Al Rigga, Deira (as there are 2 with the same name)
• Taxis are very cheap
• SAFARI is the BEST experience in the DESERT ♥ – I recommend Orient Express 
  • • Some dude on TripAdvisor (sums up what I’ve experienced):

  4×4 in the sand dunes, camel farm, camel ride, sand surfing, buffet dinner and belly dancer..an experience you’ll never forget. It’s a must if you’re in Dubai. Value for money.

  Visited November 2014

RENT A CAR:

• Credit card needed in case of fine due to incorrect parking or speed limitation
• Speed limit 120 km on the highway, but you may drive with 140, if you drive with 141 km/h cameras take picture and you have a fine
• If you do not have a credit card, you may try with LOCAL companies, but must be very careful
• Car for 1 day costs different, but if it is a small and cheap one, it would cost aprx. 150 dhs
• Instead of credit card, you may leave only to the local companies deposit for 1 day of 1000 dhs (~200 EUR), which they send you back after 1 month by Western Union
• Fuel – filling all the tank (36L) for around 60 AED (~15 EUR)
• They have AMAZING FRUIT JUICES
• Al Mamzar Beach is the best beach (entrance 5 AED/dhs) – it’s okay with bikini there, just not at the central beaches in the city
• WIZZAIR lands on the Al Maktoum Airport (32 km from the IBN Batuta Metro Station)
  • On the way FROM Airport TO Dubai:
    • I Recommend Taxi (starting from 20 AED, to there aprx. 65 AED) then Metro
    • No Tourists can take the metro from station Jebel Ali, it is only for locals, so the next closest station is Danube
  • On the way FROM Dubai TO Airport:
    • I Recommend Metro TO IBN Batuta Station and taxi to the Airport
    • No taxis can be caught on any of the stations after IBN Batuta
    • Price would be around 55 AED to the Airport (starting from 3 AED as every other normal taxi)
• If you want to use busses to go somewhere you must have a Silver Card which could be bought on the metro station and it is rechargeable
• Almost everywhere the electrical Outlets are with 3-pins and you need to have an adapter, but they sell them almost everywhere and in all supermarkets
• Supermarkets are like a small shop with absolutely everything in it

In ABU DHABI:

DRESS CODE

• Emirates Palace
  • No Flip-Flops allowed
  • No short pants for MEN only
• Grand Mosque
  • WOMEN must put on ABAYA, they give it there in exchange of an ID card
  • Men are okay with short pants
  • Beaches
  • WOMEN can NOT go with Bikini swimwear