A private shuttle service in Dubai.

What we mean by a shuttle

A shuttle here is private. The vehicle and driver belong to your group for the hours you book, and the vehicle runs a loop you have agreed. It is not a public bus and we do not sell individual seats. If you have 40 guests and a 30-seater is on the loop, those seats are yours.

That makes it simple to manage. One timetable, one pick-up point at each end, one number to call. If demand changes, you change the vehicle size or the number of runs on the quote.

Which kind of shuttle do you need?

People who search for a Dubai shuttle mean four different things, so it helps to sort them out before you book anything.

We run the last kind only. If your hotel already has a shuttle that covers your trip at the right hours, use it. A private shuttle starts to make sense when the group is too big for the hotel’s vehicle, the hours do not match, or the hotel does not run one at all.

Where a private shuttle makes sense

• A hotel to a mall, a beach club or a theme park, for a group that would otherwise wait for taxis.
• A residential building or labour camp to an office or site. For regular routes, see staff transport.
• An office park to the nearest Metro station at the start and end of the working day.
• A wedding or party venue to hotels, after the last dance.
• A trade show or exhibition hall to the hotels. For Expo City specifically see Expo City Dubai transport, and for conferences see event transport.

In each case the pattern is the same: a short, repeated trip between known points, over a fixed window of hours.

A private airport shuttle for a group

An airport shuttle for a group is the same job as a group airport transfer, run to a timetable. The vehicle waits for the flights you list, loads the whole group with its bags, drives to the hotel and goes back for the next arrivals. Nobody shares with other travellers and no seats are sold.

One big wave of arrivals needs a coach at the flight. Arrivals spread across a day suit a van or mini coach leaving the airport every 60 to 90 minutes, which keeps the arrivals hall calm for the organiser. The hall itself is covered in our guide to a big group arrival at DXB, and tour operators will find the hotel side in hotel group transfers.

How the loop is planned

First, the points. Two ends are easy. Four stops need thought, because each added stop adds a few minutes to every lap. We ask for the addresses and check how a vehicle of that size can enter each one. Hotels, towers and malls differ, and some do not allow a large vehicle in the main driveway.

Second, the frequency. A 30-seater leaving every 20 minutes carries more people per hour than a 13-seater leaving every 10, but the van is more flexible when the crowd is thin. We work it back from your guest numbers and the busiest hour.

Third, the first and last runs. People remember the last shuttle. We agree the time of the last departure on the quote and put it on the notice you give guests.

Choosing the size

The 13-seater van suits small hotel groups, or frequent runs for a team. The 30-seater mini coach is the best all-round shuttle, because it fits into most hotel driveways and carries a full table of guests. The 50-seater coach suits a single big surge, such as a whole delegation heading to dinner. Several vehicles on staggered departures work for larger crowds.

Our guide to Hiace, Sprinter, Coaster and 50-seater compares what each carries.

What it costs

Starting prices are shown in the table below. They are for a full day of up to 10 hours within Dubai with driver and fuel. A shuttle that runs inside those hours is priced as a day. A longer window, extra vehicles or a loop that leaves Dubai is shown on the quote.

Example: a hotel needs a shuttle to a mall between 10:00 and 20:00, one vehicle. That is one day on the quote. Example: an office park wants a morning and an evening run, 07:00 to 09:30 and 17:00 to 19:30. That also fits inside one day, with a break in the middle.

For a contract running every working day, see monthly bus rental. For the general rates, read the bus rental price guide.

Example: 90 guests from a Marina hotel to a Downtown dinner

This is an example, not a quote. A company dinner for 90 guests, all staying in one Dubai Marina hotel, with the venue in Downtown Dubai about 30 minutes away outside the rush hour.

Two 50-seater coaches carry everyone in one wave, from AED 2,900 for the two on our day prices. Three 30-seater mini coaches carry the same crowd with 90 seats, from AED 3,300. The coaches cost less, the mini coaches get into a tight hotel driveway more easily, and the driveway usually decides it. We check the entrance with the hotel before we quote.

The return runs at the time you give us, with a last departure printed on the invitation so nobody is left guessing at midnight. For conferences and gala nights, see event transport.

What we need from you

The points on the loop, the dates and hours, the number of passengers at the busiest time and a mobile number for the person in charge. If you want a sign in the window with the shuttle name, tell us. We prepare the driver’s brief with the route and the stops, so the driver does not need directions on the day.

Send the form on the booking page with a mobile number for the person in charge, and we reply with the written quote.

Shuttle or private transfer?

If the group is small and the journeys are one-off, a van with a driver on a day hire gives you the same thing with more freedom. A shuttle is the right shape when many people make the same trip over many hours. For airport flows, use airport transfers instead.

Prices for these vehicles

Starting prices with driver and fuel, within Dubai. Hourly hire has a minimum number of hours, confirmed on your quote. Monthly prices are for a daily staff route; the route, hours and working days are confirmed on your quote. Your written quote gives the exact price for your date and route.

Related: Staff transport Dubai · Event & conference transport · Minibus rental Dubai · Van with driver · Monthly bus rental · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Chauffeur service Dubai: What a proper chauffeur service in Dubai looks like, from the brief before pick-up to the door at the end of the night.
• Staff transport Dubai: Vans, minibuses and 50-seat coaches on planned routes for hotel, office, site and shift teams, quoted per route.
• DIFC chauffeur service: Gate Village, The Gate and the towers on Sheikh Zayed Road, with a chauffeur on standby between meetings.
• Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
• Personal driver Dubai: A private driver and car by the hour, by the day or on a regular monthly schedule, for visitors, families and busy residents.
• Sports team and tournament transport: How to move a squad, its kit and its supporters around Dubai: vehicle sizes, match-day timing, tournaments with several teams and four worked examples.