Life-Ready Society · Teacher and parent pack · Environmental dimension

Getting Around: City Life and Travel

Public transport, road safety, driving, trips, airports and travelling abroad.

8 lessons, about 1.5 hours of reading. Free lessons, videos and full sources: https://lifereadysociety.com/travel-city/

How to use this pack. Ask your teen or class to read one lesson online (about ten minutes), talk through the key points together, choose one practice task to try this week, then use the quiz to check what stuck. The answer key is on the last page. Free to print for home and classroom use.

The lessons at a glance

1. Using public transport confidently

Metros, buses and trams are often the cheapest, safest and fastest way to get around a city, and they give you freedom long before you can drive. Once you understand how cards, gates and fares work, every new city becomes easier.

Key points

nol has four types: Silver, Gold, Blue (personal, with discounts) and Red ticket.
In Dubai you need at least AED 7.50 to check in; always tap out.
In London, touch in and out with the same card or device; buses are touch in only.
Keep your phone charged if it is your ticket.

2. Navigation, getting lost safely and sharing your location

Even confident travellers get lost: a dead phone, a wrong exit, a new city at night. The skill is not never getting lost, it is staying calm, staying safe and knowing exactly what to do next.

Key points

Plan the route and download an offline map before you go.
If lost, stop somewhere public and ask staff or police.
Share live location only with people you trust, and review the list.
UAE: 999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 fire. EU: 112.

3. Road safety on foot, on a bike and on an e-scooter

When you walk, cycle or ride an e-scooter, you have no metal box around you. Knowing the rules and being seen are what keep you safe, in the UAE heat at noon or on a dark street abroad.

Key points

Cross only where it is safe and legal; in the UAE never on roads with limits of 80 km/h or more.
Be seen: bright by day, reflective at night.
Helmet on, phone away, no passengers.
Dubai e-scooters: age 16, free RTA permit, 20 km/h, permitted areas only.

4. Getting a driving licence in the UAE and being a safe new driver

A licence is real independence, and real responsibility. New drivers are statistically the most likely to crash, so the habits you build in your first year matter more than how well you pass the test.

Key points

The federal law sets 17 as the minimum licence age; check how your emirate applies it.
Train with an approved driving institute.
Biggest risks for new drivers: passengers, night, phones, speed.
Seat belt on, phone away, every time.

5. Planning a trip: budget, booking and itinerary

A good trip is planned twice: once on paper and once on the day. Planning ahead saves money, avoids nasty surprises at the border and leaves you free to enjoy where you are.

Key points

Check official travel advice, passport validity and visas first.
Budget every cost and add a buffer of about 10%.
Book through reputable sites; read cancellation rules.
Buy insurance when you book and share your itinerary.

6. Airports and flying

Airports can feel stressful because everything runs on rules and deadlines. Once you know the sequence, check in, bag drop, security, passport control, gate, you can move through calmly, even on your own.

Key points

Know the sequence: check in, bag drop, security, passport control, gate.
Liquids: 100 ml containers, one 1-litre clear bag, unless your airport says otherwise.
Check airline rules for travelling alone if you are under 16.
Keep passport, boarding pass and phone together.

7. Staying healthy and safe abroad

Most trips go smoothly, but a stomach bug, a lost passport or an accident can happen anywhere. A little preparation means a problem stays a problem and does not become a crisis.

Key points

Get travel health advice 4 to 8 weeks before you go.
Where sanitation is poor: sealed drinks, hot food, peel your own fruit, no ice.
Insurance must cover medical care and getting home; declare conditions.
Save your embassy's details before you travel.

8. Respecting local laws and cultures, including medicines

Laws and customs that feel normal at home can be offences somewhere else, and not knowing is rarely accepted as an excuse. Respecting local rules keeps you safe and makes you a welcome guest.

Key points

Check official travel advice for local laws, not just entry rules.
Medicines can be controlled abroad: original packaging, prescription, doctor's letter.
Controlled medicines need MOHAP approval before coming into the UAE.
Ask before photographing people; dress and behave for the place.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

Using public transport confidently
- Check the type and balance of your nol card (or the transport card in your city), and register it online if it can be registered.
- Plan one real journey this week on the metro or bus using the official journey planner, and do it with a friend or family member.
- If you will study abroad, look up the official transport website for that city and note how to pay and whether students get a discount.
Navigation, getting lost safely and sharing your location
- Download an offline map of your neighbourhood and of your school area, and test it in aeroplane mode.
- Agree a location-sharing plan with a parent or guardian: who, when, and for how long.
- Save 999, 998, 997 and 112 in your phone contacts, plus your home address in writing.
Road safety on foot, on a bike and on an e-scooter
- Walk your usual route to school, the mall or the metro and identify the safest crossing points; use them every time this week.
- If you ride a bike or scooter, do a five-point check: helmet fit, lights, brakes, tyres and horn or bell.
- If you are 16 or over and want to ride an e-scooter in Dubai, read the RTA permit page and complete the free online permit.
Getting a driving licence in the UAE and being a safe new driver
- Ask your local licensing authority or an approved driving institute for their current age rules, stages and fees, and write them down.
- On your next car journey as a passenger, notice the driver's following distance and phone habits, and talk about them afterwards.
- Agree a 'no questions asked' pick-up plan with a parent or guardian for any time you do not feel safe in a car.
Planning a trip: budget, booking and itinerary
- Choose a city you would like to visit and write a 3-day budget using the worked example as a template.
- Look up the official entry requirements for that country on a government website, and note what your passport would need.
- Make a one-page itinerary for one day of that trip, with addresses, costs and a backup plan.
Airports and flying
- Look up your airline's cabin baggage and liquids rules, and pack a clear 1-litre bag with 100 ml toiletries as practice.
- Write a personal airport checklist: documents, phone and charger, medicines, liquids bag, transport from the airport.
- If you will ever fly alone, read your airline's young passenger page with a parent or guardian.
Staying healthy and safe abroad
- Pick a country you might visit and look up its vaccination advice on TravelHealthPro.
- Find and save your country's embassy contact details for that country.
- Scan or photograph your passport and store a secure copy that a parent or guardian can also reach.
Respecting local laws and cultures, including medicines
- Choose a country you would like to visit and read the 'local laws and customs' section of an official travel advice page for it.
- List any medicines you take regularly, and check (with a parent and your doctor) whether any are controlled in that country.
- Write down three customs from that country that are different from home.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

1. What is the minimum balance RTA says you need on a nol card to check in?

AED 1
There is no minimum
AED 7.50
AED 50

2. Which nol card gives students a 50% fare discount?

The personalised Blue card
The Red ticket with a student ID
The Gold card, for any student
Any nol card, applied automatically

3. According to Google, which directions are NOT available with offline maps?

Driving directions within the area you downloaded
Searching for places in the downloaded area
Viewing the map of the downloaded area
Public transport, walking and cycling directions

4. You are lost in a new city and your phone battery is at 5%. What is the best first step?

Move to a safe public place and send your location to someone
Accept a lift from a friendly stranger who offers to help
Keep walking until you recognise a street, shop or landmark you know
Turn your phone off completely to save the battery for later

5. According to WHO, what is the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29 worldwide?

Injuries from team sports
Heat-related illness
Road traffic injuries
Drowning accidents

6. What is the minimum age to ride an e-scooter in Dubai?

7. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, what is the minimum age for a UAE driving licence?

8. According to the CDC, what happens to a teen driver's crash risk as more teen passengers are added?

It stays about the same
It decreases, because passengers help
It increases with each extra passenger
It only rises at weekends and on holidays

9. Where should you apply for a visa or electronic travel authorisation?

Through a social media advert
At the airport on the day you fly, always
On the official government website
On any site that appears first in search results

10. A trip costs AED 2,000 before a 10% buffer. What should you budget in total?

AED 3,000
AED 2,200
AED 2,100
AED 2,010

11. At most airports, what is the maximum size of liquid containers in hand luggage?

500 ml
100 ml
There is no limit
1 litre

12. You have a 200 ml bottle of lotion that is only a quarter full. Can it go through standard security in hand luggage?

Yes, because there is less than 100 ml in it
No, the limit applies to the container size
Yes, if you hide it in a pocket
Only if it is a known brand

13. How far ahead does the NHS recommend getting travel health advice?

At least 4 to 6 weeks before you leave
At least 12 months before you leave
Only once you arrive at your destination and feel unwell
A day or two before you fly

14. Which is the safest drink choice in an area with poor sanitation?

A sealed factory-made bottled drink
Water from a jug on the table
A fruit juice with ice from a street stall
Tap water with ice

15. What should you carry with your medicines when travelling?

Nothing extra, as medicines in hand luggage are never checked
Only a photo of the box saved on your phone
Original packaging, a copy of the prescription and a doctor's letter
A pharmacy receipt and the medicines moved into an unlabelled pill organiser

16. According to UK travel advice, what may happen if you bring a controlled medicine into the UAE without prior approval?

You pay a small fee at the airport and keep it
Nothing happens, as long as it is only for your own personal use
It is taken and posted back to your home address
It will not be allowed in and you may be prosecuted

Answer key

C: RTA: make sure you have at least AED 7.50 on your nol card before you check in.
A: RTA: the nol Blue card gives students of all nationalities 50% off fares.
D: Google Maps Help: transit, bicycling and walking directions are unavailable offline.
A: General safety guidance in this lesson: stop somewhere safe and public and let someone know where you are while you still can.
C: WHO: road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29.
C: Gulf News, citing Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2022: riders must be at least 16.
B: Gulf News: the law, in force since 29 March 2025, requires applicants to be at least 17.
C: CDC: teen or young adult passengers raise crash risk, and the risk grows with each additional passenger.
C: GOV.UK (ETA): use the official service; other websites may charge more.
B: 10% of AED 2,000 is AED 200, so the total is AED 2,200.
B: GOV.UK: at most airports you cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100 ml through security.
B: GOV.UK: containers over 100 ml are not allowed even if they are only partly full.
A: NHS: get travel health advice at least 4 to 6 weeks before you leave.
A: TravelHealthPro: sealed factory-made bottles and cans are generally considered safe; avoid ice and untreated tap water.
C: TravelHealthPro: keep medicines in original labelled packaging with a prescription copy and a prescriber's letter.
D: GOV.UK FCDO UAE entry requirements: without evidence of prior approval the medication will not be allowed in and you may be prosecuted.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/travel-city/