Heading to the UAE capital for a race weekend, a museum trip or a big gig? You don't need a car — and you definitely don't need the roughly Dhs200 taxi fare. There are three main ways to make the Dubai–Abu Dhabi run, ranging from genuinely cheap to spectacularly not.

The headline news for travellers is the Etihad Rail, the UAE's new intercity passenger train. It covers the Dubai–Abu Dhabi stretch in just one hour and four minutes, with Comfort Class tickets from Dhs39 and Premium Class from Dhs109. Prices shift depending on when you travel, and services run at various times through the day, so it's worth checking schedules and booking ahead rather than turning up on spec.

The dependable budget option, though, is still the intercity bus. Tickets cost a flat Dhs25 and you can tap on with a Nol card or book online. Two routes serve the corridor: the E100 from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Bur Dubai, and the E101 from outside Ibn Battuta Metro Station on the other side of town. Buses leave every 20 to 30 minutes from Al Ghubaiba and roughly every 20 minutes from Ibn Battuta, with journey times of an hour and a half to two hours depending on traffic. If your plans extend further afield, the E201 runs from Al Ghubaiba to Al Ain.

Then there's the option for anyone with money to burn — or a very special occasion in mind. A helicopter transfer with Falcon Heli Tours whisks you from a pick-up at Atlantis The Palm to Abu Dhabi's cruise terminal at Mina Zayed in 30 to 40 minutes, with views over both cities along the way. One-way fares start at a steep Dhs11,999; round trips cost from Dhs13,999 with a short wait of one to three hours, or Dhs14,999 for a longer four-to-six-hour stopover. HeliDubai also offers private charters from its helipad at the Dubai Police Academy, dropping passengers at Emirates Palace Hotel, Sir Baniyas Island, Zaya Nurai Island and other high-end spots, with prices on request.

For most visitors, the choice comes down to train versus bus. The rail is faster and more of an event in itself — plenty of residents are riding it purely for the novelty of crossing between emirates by train. The bus wins on price and frequency, and its two departure points cover both halves of Dubai. Either way, the capital's events calendar gives you plenty of reasons to make the trip, and skipping the taxi fare frees up a decent chunk of spending money for when you get there.

Credit: What's On Dubai