Flight to Dubai – everything you need to know
Dubai is one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. This is not surprising, as it offers far more than just an abundance of attractions and restaurants. Not to be overlooked is a nightlife for every taste, beautiful beaches and an impressive desert. It is therefore a combination of a scene from a 1001 Nights fairy tale and a trip to a city with some of the most modern architecture in the world. The city pulsates day and night, but Dubai is also the right place for those who want to relax and feel at home.
Ethiad Rail
Travelers from the six UAE emirates – Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain and Fujairah – as well as from the neighboring country of Oman can reach Dubai by car. The Ethias train project, which was launched 23 years ago and was supposed to cover a large part of the Arabian Peninsula by 2010, proved to be too ambitious for the time being. Now, it seems, it is only a matter of time before this project becomes reality after all and rail transport will be geared towards passenger traffic as well as freight transportation. Incidentally, Dubai was the first city in the UAE to introduce rail transportation. The proud goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 21% by 2050 through train transportation. Details can be found in the official Ethiadrail link.
Airport DXB
Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to travel to more distant countries by car or train. For this reason, the airport in Dubai is of great importance. All information about DXB Airport is available online.
The following example shows us just how gigantic the network around Dubai’s DBX airport is: On Friday evening at 8:23 pm (fitting for the year) we were looking for a direct flight to ZRH (Zurich Airport) and received two offers for departure on Saturday: departure at 8:25 am or at 3:55 pm.
For a smooth start in Dubai, we recommend reading the tips in our “Airport” blog to ensure that your transportation into the city runs smoothly.
Fares to and from Dubai
It should be noted that air fares have risen significantly in recent years due to staff shortages, high fees and strong demand. A turnaround is currently not in sight.
Here we have some suggestions for an inexpensive flight.
We have traveled to around 60 countries and it is still a mystery to us what factors influence prices and how they develop. One obvious, logical answer is certainly the dependence on demand and the development of fuel prices. But if you think you should book as early as possible to get a bargain, you may be proven wrong. We have an apt example of this. We booked our flight for the Christmas vacation in Switzerland at the beginning of October. The prices were relatively high compared to previous bookings. Shortly before departure, we compared the price of our ticket with the current price. And lo and behold, it would have been advantageous to wait with the purchase. The current prices were even massively cheaper. Well, tough luck! If we had canceled, we would have only received 250 euros back , which is therefore not an alternative. Our conclusion is that the airlines’ systems are not transparent to us and have their own fluctuations, which are at least not recognizable to us. Three tips for booking cheap flights:
- Compare the prices. In our opinion, the Google Flights application is still the best. You can spend hours tinkering with various parameters, and it’s even a pleasure. Here we can also see how the prices change when the departure dates vary. At the same time, the online platforms on which the flights can be booked are displayed. Please note: The price often only applies to the flight with cabin trolley baggage. To avoid any unpleasant surprises, it makes sense to add your large baggage allowance when you book your flight!
- Subscribe to the newsletter: A good idea is to subscribe to the newsletter of your preferred airline. There are always attractive offers.
- Is it worth switching? The travel time may be longer, but in many cases the connections are well coordinated when changing planes and the flight is cheaper. It is therefore necessary to weigh up whether an indirect flight is actually worthwhile.
How long does a flight to Dubai take?
With 1,650 international airports from 177 countries listing Dubai as a destination, it is only possible to draw up an informative table of the best-known locations. If you prefer direct flights, you can use it to get an overview:
Europe:
London: 6 hours 55 minutes
Frankfurt: 6 hours 20 minutes
Milan: 6 hours 5 minutes
Athens: 4 hours 35 minutes
Zurich: 6 hours 10 minutes
Africa:
Tunis (Tunisia): 5 hours 35 minutes
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania): 5 hours 20 minutes
Lusaka (Zambia): 7 hours 5 minutes
Cape Town (South Africa): 9 hours 35 minutes
South America:
Sao Paulo (Brazil): 15 hours 15 minutes
Lima (Peru): 22 hours 20 minutes (no non-stop flight)
Bogota (Colombia): 19 hours 45 minutes (no non-stop flight)
Buenos Aires (Argentina): 19 hours 5 minutes
North America:
Los Angeles: 16 hours 15 minutes
Miami: 16 hours 35 minutes
Seattle: 14 hours 40 minutes
New York: 14 hours 55 minutes
Asia:
Delhi: 3 hours 15 minutes
Singapore: 7 hours 20 minutes
Hong Kong: 7 hours 10 minutes
Tokyo: 9 hours 15 minutes
Oceania:
Perth: 10 hours 35 minutes
Sydney: 13 hours 40 minutes
Christchurch: 18 hours 45 minutes (no non-stop flight)
Bora Bora: 1 day and 2 hours 🙂 (no non-stop flight)
How much does a flight to Dubai cost?
Of course, this varies depending on the time of year, length of stay and a few other aspects. Here are a few examples (checked with Google Flights on December 6, 2023 for departure on February 22, 2024):
New York: 888 Euro
Singapore: 396 Euro
London: 585 Euro
Sydney: 1292 Euro
Cape Town: 726 Euro
Sao Paulo: 1760 Euro
Tips and tricks during the flight to Dubai
Every traveler has their own preferences on the plane. Without judging this, we list a few suggestions to make the six-hour flight from Zurich to Dubai more pleasant.
We prepare our favorite Netflix movies and series on our tablet. In some cases, the board program does not offer a good selection of films.
A long flight is an invitation to do what you would otherwise put off with a clear conscience. For us, it’s the “gossip” magazines. Of course, this can be enhanced by a cultural magazine.
Additional thick socks can prove to be comfortable. It can sometimes be cold on the plane. It also makes walking up and down the gangway more comfortable.
If you want to treat yourself to a little sleep, a blindfold and earplugs are a good option. The noise level is usually high.
Lip balm, hand cream and face cream also belong in your hand luggage because the air is dry. Watch out: The 100ml rules for hand luggage still apply.
Traveling with children is a chapter in itself. Our six-year-old daughter can now occupy herself with her tablet. Especially with smaller children, the exception rule applies in the form of a lolipop, which promises at least 20 minutes of distraction. Children’s books, paper, stamps and colored pencils – but no felt-tip pens! –
and stickers are a good choice from our point of view. It’s a good idea to save the children’s kneading for the vacations. We don’t have to ask teenagers, they know what they want. One tip is “Smartgames Traveledition”.
