There are two airports in Dubai; airport codes being DXB and DWC. The airport downtown is Dubai International Airport (DXB) is one of the busiest in the world and is the home base for Emirates Airline. You can find some very good deals on flights out here with the relatively lower fuel costs from airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air and Qatar Airlines. There is a lot of competition in the Dubai market, so this also helps keep the prices down. Dubai International Airport (DXB) has three terminals, two of which are connected by the metro and Terminal 2 is only connected by bus if you are using public transportation. Terminal 2 houses mainly budget airlines such as Fly Dubai.
I prefer to fly out of DXB Terminal 1 or 3 whenever possible because of the metro line, with trains departing often from 6am to midnight. For Terminal 2 its either bus travel or a metro ride near the airport to a bus/taxi; thankfully taxis are not very expensive in Dubai, but traffic can raise the fares considerably. For some reason the city cancelled the only bus route from main Ghubaiba bus station to Terminal 2, but other routes do exist; check a current schedule as times and routes often at RTA's Public Transportation Website. My advice is give yourself plenty of extra time if you are planning to get to the airport (or anywhere else) by bus; metro's run according to schedule so they are more predicable but can also fill-up at busy times and especially on Fridays which is the only day off for most workers.
The new airport is Dubai World Central (DWC) -Al Maktoum International Airport which is around 50km west of central Dubai near the Jebel Ali area. Flights started in October 2013 and there is an interesting mix of airlines flying out of DWC, including the Eastern European budget airline Wizz Air. Dubai's government has been promoting this airport to alleviate some of the congestion at DXB. With this airport location far out of the city and limited public transportation options, there has not been a massive uptake in major airlines flying there. The only public transportation option to DWC airport is Bus F55 which originates in front of the IBN Battuta metro station or at Jebel Ali Gardens. If going by metro to bus to DWC keep in mind the travel times! The metro ride from Dubia's city center to IBN Battuta takes about 1 hour and then you have the bus connection. The F55 bus schedule says it takes 45 minutes to get to DWC from the stop out front of the metro station and there is only 1 bus per hour, so once again leave plenty of time to catch your flights! A taxi from IBN Battuta or Jebel Ali metro stations is another option. A taxi from the city center has to contend with the traffic and toll road system so best avoided in my opinion.
Most of the main attractions in Dubai are connected by the Metro System. It's cheap and efficient (but usually overloaded on Fridays since that's the only day off for many workers). The traffic can be very congested and drivers can be erratic at best, so I never enjoyed driving in Dubai. For short distances, taxis can be a great option to get there quickly. If heading across town, I would usually take the Dubai Metro. Even when driving into the city, I preferred to park at IBN Battuta Mall (which is a great place to check out anyways), then take the Metro into the city; saving on the tolls and stress of driving.
Tip: Wizz Air is has been offering flights from DWC or Abu Dhabi to various cities in Eastern Europe for a little over 100 euros each way! Keep on traveling!
