Getting around Jordan
Getting around Jordan
With some popular attractions not accessible by public transport, the best way to travel around Jordan is by car. However, if you are not planning on renting a car, travelling by bus is easy to do. Just keep in mind, that for some attractions it might be necessary to hire a taxi.
Get inspired with our Jordan: The Ultimate Travel Guide and start planning your trip today.
Driving in Jordan
Renting a car is probably the easiest way to get around Jordan. While it’s easy to get around by bus, if you can, I’d suggest renting a car. Driving in Jordan is honestly quite easy, or at least easier than expected, there is almost no traffic outside big cities.
Road conditions aren’t the best, but the roads are safe, just watch out for potholes and speed bumps, which are everywhere.
You should, however, be cautious driving in Amman. Amman is the biggest city in Jordan and you will quickly realise that driving here is different from the rest of the country. Like in most major cities, you will experience a lot of traffic jams, especially during rush hours. One thing that you should be extra cautious about is other drivers. Drivers often don’t use their indicators so many cars will merge in front of you out of the blue.
In Amman you will see that during rush hour traffic, lanes are more a suggestion and you will find yourself on a three-laned road, where cars form five lanes.
Even so, we personally didn’t find driving in Amman dangerous, but if you do not feel comfortable driving in the city, taxis are easy to get and they also have Uber.
Car rental price
Renting a car can get pricey, but in Jordan it will save you a lot of time, especially if you can fly into Aqaba and fly out of Amman (or vice-versa). This way you don’t have to return all the way back across the country. Be sure to book ahead and “shop around”, we found the best price on discovercars.com
In Jordan, you have to be 21 years old to rent a car and if you are under 25 there will be a “young driver” fee applied which can cost upwards of €20.00 per day, on top of the agreed upon rental rate.
We managed to get a good price on discovercars.com .
Parking
Parking is easy, even in Amman. Most parking places are free and you will find parking lots near all major tourist attractions.
Buses
If you want to take the bus in Jordan then the most reliable way of doing this is to use Jett Bus. They have a website or you can use their app to book bus tickets to wherever you would like to visit in Jordan. You have to book a ticket in advance to use these buses and they are more expensive than using a local bus but a lot more reliable.
For example local buses will be on average around 1JD (about €1.3) per 30 minutes spent on the bus and between tourist sites like Petra to Aqaba 5-7JD (about €6.5 – €9) whereas Jett Bus would be 15JD (about €19.5).
During the start of January Jett Bus reduces a lot of their services potentially because there are fewer tourists so if you are travelling in Jordan around this time then you will have to either lift share with other tourists or get a taxi from one destination to another which can get quite expensive.
Local buses are a very cheap way to travel in Jordan and you don’t need to buy your ticket in advance, however, they only leave when the bus is full so it is only really a good option to take if you are travelling on a shoestring or if you have a lot of time to travel Jordan.
Taxis
Getting a Taxi in Jordan is easy especially in Amman where they have Uber! If you are going to get a taxi from one place to the next the best option is to ask at the hostel/hotel you are staying for prices and if anyone else is heading in the same direction as you then you can split the costs, otherwise it can get quite expensive.
In Aqaba, most of the cars you will see on the streets are taxis so finding one will not be an issue. Once you flag one down be sure to negotiate the price before you start the trip.
Here are some costs below of what taxi prices should be:
- Amman to Petra - 85 JD (about €110)
- Petra to Wadi Rum - 40JD (about €50)
- Wadi Rum to Aqaba - 30JD (about €40)
- Amman to Wadi Rum - 110JD (about €140)
- Amman to Aqaba - 100JD (about €130)
From Amman to Aqaba, it is actually cheaper to fly and quicker as it takes less than an hour to get there – prices range from 25JD – 50JD (about €30 – €65) for a flight.
