Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

According to Google Maps this journey will take around 30 minutes with no traffic.

How long will it actually take during rush hour? When we move out to Dubai my wife has been offered accommodation in Mirdif (near her work in Dubai Festival City) whereas I will have to commute to the Marina to my place of work.

If the commute is horrible we will need to weigh up our options of where to live as the accommodation allowance is poor and will need to be topped up from our salaries (if we were to live elsewhere) by around 40-50K AED per year. This will also mean that my wife would need to drive (another 20K AED at least). If we stayed in Mirdif she will get free transport to and from work. If the commute is manageable then it will be worthwhile staying in Mirdif as it is obviously more money saved.

Second part of my question, if we were to find accommodation where would you recommend that is affordable in between the Marina and Dubai Festival City?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Awful. Bloody awful. At least an hour for you in the evenings, less in the AM.

Too bad it isn't the other way around, which would be a breeze.

It'd be easier if you could look into a place like Silicon Oasis, which is reasonable enough and would cut your commute in half.

But free accom is hard to pass up. My advice is to take the accom.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Hmm ok that doesn't sound promising. Would it make any difference if I avoided SZR and went via E 311? Or they both as bad as each other during rush hour?

Thanks

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

The 311 in your direction of travel is horrible especially in the evening.

I travel the 311 to work and back in the opposite direction and it's a dream.

Free accommodation is hard to pass up.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

I did internet city - silicon oasis which is shorter at both ends compared to marina - uptown mirdiff and it was ****ing agony.

Minimum an hour. That was going either SZR or 311.

It's not just the hour driving, it's the hour or stop start fighting and trying to change lanes and the idiocy and the ****ing half wit ***** who are desperate to drive into someone.

I'm in a similar situation, well was. Mrs works in Mirdiff, I was in JLT area. We have always lived in Business Bay. She has a 20min drive, I have the hellish slog.

But not she's in the same place and I walk to work. Stress of commuting is now zero and I can't be any more smug about it that I am.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Don't forget that after you have done the 1hr+ to Mirdif that people here are talking about - you'll have the joy of the traffic lights on rabat street that will take you at least another 25mins in stop-start-beeping-f**** you-cut in front-nose-to-tail traffic.

Thursday nights will be worse - as the sharjah bound traffic will queue past Mirdif and block off the junction.

Shame really, as mirdif is a cracking place to live and the mall there is by far the best in Dubai.

Download comedy podcasts. They kept me sane when I lived in mirdif.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Another option, depending on where you need to get to at the Marina end, is to park up in the multi-storey at Rashidiya station (or get a cab, AED 12) then get the Metro: 51 minutes train journey to the Marina, trains every few minutes and a guaranteed seat in Gold class on the way there at least.

The plan is to extend the Red Line to Mirdif once the Expo/DWC extension is finished, which is no use to you now though. :)

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Another good option is the latest addition to Uber; Uber Chopper.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

errr some of you who say its an hr, are kidding right? On a GOOD day its at least 30 odd minutes and when i say good day i mean like on the weekends, before afternoon prayers.....when the roads are clear.

during normal rush hr it will take you at least 90 mins door to door.....and thats assuming you don't encounter any accidents.....otherwise you might as well keep your pj's in the car.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Which is getting a backie off a Pakistani on a 1970s kids' pushbike.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Thanks everyone for your advice. It sounds like it will be even worse than I expected!

I will need to take my car to the office as I will need to travel around most days and won't just be office based so taking the Metro won't be an option for me unfortunately.

Areas within budget (AED 90k) on dubizzle are Tecom, Al Barsha, Dubai Sports City, JVT, JVC and Dubai Silicon Oasis. Wife is adamant she is not driving so I think that rules out a number of the options above which are nowhere near a metro line. Even then the metro would only take her as far as Deira and doesn't go to Festival City, so it's a difficult one. Can't find any information on Public transport to festival city, is there any?

Other option will be taxis and I am trying to convince her than once we move there will be others community to DFC from whatever community we end up choosing and she could car share and chip in fuel costs.

If any one has any other thoughts on areas to live please let me know! Thanks

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

No in a nutshell but taxis here are cheap and plentiful. There's a cab rank outside Emirates Metro station which will get you to Festival City in 5 minutes for the AED 12 starting fare or a fraction above. That's a more reliable and quicker option than trying to get a cab at Deira City Centre or GGICO.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Just to add to the above lest somebody from the Dubai Bus Spotters MeetUp group pick me up for conveying incomplete info, there are buses to Festival City but it's a lot of messing and hanging about, taking two buses to get there from Emirates station in half an hour when you can do it in a taxi in a few minutes for the same money, so I would discount them from any planning.

RTA have a public transport journey planner at:

http://wojhati.rta.ae/dub/XSLT_TRIP_...T2?language=en

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

That journey will be woeful at anytime . The traffic here now is worse than 2007/2008 and you now have a new 44/311/611 and numerous interchanges into the SZR.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Why won't she drive?

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

I also wonder how she thinks she's going to get from Mirdif to Festival City. Only option is a taxi, or car share

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Taxi in Mirdiff won't be easy either....the mrs' school is up there and she can't NOT drive because she knows taxis don't exist.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

The driving horror stories have put her off driving. She was going to be getting transportation from the accommodation as she's a teacher.

Once we are out there I think she will end up driving as the convenience will outweigh any worries she might have about the roads.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Just make her drive immediately. It's not that bad.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

It is compared to the UK , it will seem horrendous as it's relative . I find the driving here civilised compared to Qatar and Doha quite quaint compared to Jeddah.

You are right though , just get in the motor and get amongst it , there's no other way. In any case her sinus's will probably burn out with the smell of Eau De Peshwari Underknackers from the Taxi's

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

As a resident of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Mirdif I can confirm that the traffic is indeed a ball ache. As a resident you end up getting all the Sharjah scumbags coming on and then off the E311 in the morning and then vice versa at night.

My office is at the top of SZR by Crowne Plaza and in the morning I go past Festival City and then over Business Bay, past Dubai Mall and then round the back of SZR. Generally it takes me 30 mins leaving at 07:45.... ish. In the evenings, say 19:00 I go back via SZR and then over Garhoud Bridge (Business Bay is slower). This can take anywhere between 30 mins and an hour. If theres a crash then you're looking at an hour each way.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

You're completely right of course, I get frustrated over here with the dickheads but when you breathe, control the feeling of dragging these halfwits from their car and smashing their face off their own bonnet, you find that actually there is an inner peace to be had. They are much, much more likely to advertise natural selection one day and hurtle themselves through their own windscreen at 160.

But I find that when driving here, success is based on doing a few things, OP, these are for your wife;

1. Check twice as many times as you would in UK. When changing lanes for example, I probably look 4 times and ACTUALLY look in the blind spot here.
2. Be ****ing positive. If looking to change lanes, wait, check, check, spot the gap, indicate, go. If you indicate and hesitate the **** with a short sleeved shirt (pen in pocket), awful tash, reactive lens glasses in the Pajero will floor it so you can't get in.
3. Be prepared to get lost a lot and use google maps a lot.
4. Use a shit Lancer hire car for a few months first (I did 6 in Terry the Lancerghini) because if, like me, you might be focusing on something else and bump a hidden block in a car park, the dodgy rental place might only charge you 300 dizzers because you didn't tell the old bill. :thumbsup:
5. Try not to get too angry

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

Mirdif to DIFC was 30mins in the morning, and not less than 45-50 at night. Obviously 18 mins on a friday morning.

My all time record was 2 hours in the morning and 1hr 45 at night. I would stop off at DFC and go to the gym to break the journey some nights.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

6. Look on the inside lane as well before changing lanes because they will undertake you.
7. When you are being tailgated, and its impossible to let the imbecile past except by levitating, stop looking in the rear mirror, ignore it.
8. Treat everyone like idiots and if there is a stupid thing they could do then imagine they will do it i.e. move from the very left lane across 6 lanes of traffic to the exit with only 100 metres to get to it, doing 140 with the mobile clamped to their face.
9. Ignore indicators as they are probably not going to turn in that direction.
10. If you are waiting to get onto a roundabout the doofus in the far right lane WILL do a full 270 turn around the roundabout.
11. Always call the cops if you have a smack because Terry FWit from mingingstan will grin and be friendly and say sorry it was his fault, but when it comes to insurance claim time it will be your fault.
12. Check parking times in parking slots, except for Friday everywhere seems to be different and its 150 dits a hit.
13. Use your cruise control so you are not getting zapped by the 1million and 1 speed cameras here. They are an extremely effective deterrent, with only 2.97 million speeding fines in 2014.

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

They should hand this out at the doors to T3:goodpost:

Re: Commute from Uptown Mirdif to Dubai Marina
 

I then like to gradually slow down and move into the next lane at approximately negative 2 degrees off the road alignment.

Totally. I used to ride sports bikes here and that's the only way to drive. Be defensive and get in the habit of trying to predict the unexpected.

:eek::rofl: True. All the while pretending they don't speak English.

Most of those were mine.... No CC and lots of time spent traversing the country does not make for a fine free life.