Al Ain sits roughly 160 kilometres east of Abu Dhabi and 130 kilometres southeast of Dubai, with good road connections to both. The drive from either city takes about 90 minutes on fast, well-maintained highways — the E22 from Abu Dhabi and the E66 from Dubai both cut through flat desert before the landscape rises slightly as you approach the Jebel Hafeet foothills. Rental cars are the most flexible option if you plan to explore Jebel Hafeet and the outlying archaeological sites, which are difficult to reach by public transport.
Al Ain International Airport (AAN) handles regional and some international flights but serves mainly as a secondary hub to Abu Dhabi — check whether a connection via Abu Dhabi or Dubai is more convenient for your origin. The ADNOC bus service runs scheduled coaches from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Terminal to Al Ain's main bus station on Al Ain Road, taking around two hours. From Dubai, taxis and private hire vehicles are the practical option since bus services are indirect. Once in Al Ain, the bus station near the Khalifa Street area is a reasonable base for onward travel within the city by local taxi.