Two to six people landing in Dubai.
A couple needs a different car from a family of six, and the bags matter as much as the heads. This is the small-party guide to the private cars we send to DXB and DWC, with the seat and bag numbers and a plain pick for each party.
Three cars cover almost every small party
Our Dubai airport transfer page is written for groups of 7 to 50. Most people who land in Dubai are not a group. They are two, three, four or six people with a few suitcases, and for them the choice is three cars.
Seats are passenger seats, and the driver is not counted. Bags are medium suitcases, roughly 65 to 70 cm tall. Pick the car on whichever number runs out first.
| Car | Seats | Bags | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive sedan | 4 | 3 | A couple, or three people with light bags |
| Luxury SUV | 6 | 5 | A family of four to six with real luggage |
| Mercedes V-Class | 7 | 6 | Six people with bags, prams or golf clubs |
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteOne or two people: the sedan
The executive sedan is a Mercedes S-Class or similar. It takes four passengers, though three is the comfortable number in the back with the front seat free, and three medium suitcases in the boot. For a couple with two large cases and a carry-on each, that is the right car.
Two people with a golf bag, a pushchair or four large cases are already past the sedan’s boot. Do not trust the seat count. Count the bags first, and if they do not fit, step up to the SUV.
If the arrival is meant to be an occasion, such as an anniversary or a proposal, the Rolls-Royce seats four with two bags. That is the smallest luggage space of any car we run, so check it against your cases.
Three to six people: the luxury SUV
The full-size SUV is a Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali or similar, with three rows of leather seating and separate rear climate control. It is the car families land in, and it takes six people and five medium suitcases.
Five bags is the number to watch. A family of four with one case each fits with room to spare. A pram folds into the luggage space and uses part of it, so count it as a bag. Six adults with a case each do not fit. That is six bags against five spaces. The answer then is the V-Class, which takes six bags and the same six people with room to spare, or a second vehicle for the extra case.
Up to seven: the V-Class
The Mercedes V-Class seats seven in captain’s chairs, with electric sliding doors on both sides and room behind for six bags. Sliding doors matter in a hotel drop-off lane or a tight car park, where a swinging door has nowhere to go.
Prams fold into the luggage space of the SUV and the V-Class. If you have a pram and several large cases, the V-Class is the better choice. Golfers also use it, for clubs. A party of six that wants nobody squeezed, with luggage that does not fit the SUV’s five bags, belongs here.
A seventh bag that will not fit, or an eighth person, is a different decision: the 13-seater van or two cars. The vehicle comparison guide sets out what each larger vehicle carries.
Why a taxi stops working at five
A standard Dubai taxi takes up to four passengers and a few cases. A couple with light bags is well served by the rank outside arrivals, and our taxi, app and private transfer comparison sets the options side by side.
Five people means two cars, two meters and two drivers who may take two routes. For a family with young children that is the main reason to book ahead. One vehicle, one driver, everyone out of the hall together. We make no price comparison on this page. Ask for a fixed written quote and set it against what you would pay for two taxis.
How the pick-up works
The driver tracks your flight, so an early or late landing moves the pick-up. Airline delays do not count against the waiting allowance on your quote. The driver waits in the public arrivals hall, past customs, with a name board, then takes the trolley and walks you to the car.
Pre-booked cars generally cannot wait at the arrivals kerb, so expect a short walk. The DXB arrivals guide covers each terminal. Terminal 2 is on the far side of the airfield from Terminals 1 and 3, so give us the flight number and we confirm the terminal.
Child seats are free on request in our cars, SUVs and vans. Tell us each child’s age and the seat is fitted before the driver goes in to meet you. The car is cooled, and chilled water and phone chargers are on board.
Where you are going changes less than you think
The vehicle choice does not depend on the hotel. The journey does. Downtown and DIFC are around 15 to 25 minutes from DXB outside the rush hours. Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah are more like 35 to 45. See the routes to Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah. If your flight lands at Al Maktoum, read the DWC transfer page.
Send the passenger count, the bags counted, the flight number and the hotel through the booking page. A fixed written quote follows, and nothing is charged until you confirm.
Keep reading
- Dubai airport transfer for groups: Vans, Sprinters, mini coaches and 50-seat coaches for groups landing at DXB or DWC, with the luggage and the split flights planned.
- Airport transfer or day hire?: One airport ride and one tour day in Dubai: when two separate bookings make sense, when one driver for the day does, and what to ask for in the quote.
- Honeymoon and anniversary airport transfer: Landing in Dubai as a couple: which car to choose, what the chauffeur does at the airport, and how to handle the bags.
- Dubai Airport to Downtown Dubai: From DXB to Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC hotels: the crossings, the rush hours, the drop-off at each tower and a vehicle sized to your bags.
- Loading time for group luggage at the airport: A method to estimate the minutes between meeting the driver and leaving the airport with 20 to 70 people, with stated assumptions and six worked groups.
- Family holiday in Dubai: A family week in Dubai: which days a van with a driver earns its place, which days taxis or the Metro are fine, and a simple way to work out the cost.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
Which car is best for a family of four from the airport?
The luxury SUV, which seats six and takes five bags, suits a family of four with real luggage. Add a pram and the V-Class gives more room. Tell us the bags and we pick.
Can six adults fit in one car with luggage?
Six adults fit the luxury SUV, with five bags. With more luggage than that, the V-Class takes six bags and seven people. See the luxury SUV and V-Class pages.
Is a sedan enough for two people with big suitcases?
It takes three medium suitcases. Two people with two large cases and carry-ons usually fit. Add a golf bag or a pushchair and move up to the SUV.
How many people fit in a Dubai airport taxi?
A standard taxi takes up to four passengers and a few cases. A party of five needs two taxis.
Do you provide child seats?
Yes, free on request in our cars, SUVs and vans. Tell us each child’s age when you book and the seat is fitted before pick-up.
Will the driver be waiting when we come out of arrivals?
Yes. The driver tracks the flight and waits in the public arrivals hall with a name board. Your confirmation says where.
What if we are seven?
The V-Class seats seven, but takes six bags. If one of you has a bag that does not fit, ask us for a quote with a second car or a van.
How do we get a price?
Ask for a fixed written quote on the booking page. It lists the vehicle, airport parking, tolls and the waiting allowance. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
Send the bags and the flight. We pick the car.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.