Jordan » Getting Around

Royal Wings (www.royalwings.com.jo) operates regular flights from Amman to Aqaba. It is also possible to hire executive jets and helicopters.

There is no longer a public railway service to Aqaba.

There are three main arteries: the Desert Highway from Irbid to Aqaba (dual carriageway); the Dead Sea Highway (mostly single carriageway) from the Dead Sea to Aqaba, and the Kings' Highway, from Amman to Wadi Mousa. These roads are reasonable but the traffic is often fast and erratic. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed to drive off-road in the Eastern Desert and in the desert surrounding Wadi Rum. All motorists should carry water in the summer and warm clothes in the winter. 

Bus: Services are efficient and cheap. JETT (tel: (06) 585 4679; www.jett.com.jo) and Rum Tourist Transport (tel: (06) 429 0333; www.rumtt.com) both operate modern, air-conditioned fleets.

Taxi: All taxis operate a meter and can be hired for the day. Share-taxi service to all towns on fixed routes is also available and can be hired for private use. Share-taxis to Petra should be booked in advance owing to demand. Tips of around 10% are appreciated. Note that taxis often display the fare in fils rather than dinars and if you mistake one for the other, no-one is likely to correct you.

Car hire: Major international car hire companies and a number of local companies operate services in the main towns, including Amman and Aqaba; car hire is also available from hotels and travel agents. Drivers are available for the day.

Emergency breakdown service: In case of breakdown, contact the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan (tel: (06) 585 0626; www.racj.com).

Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 60kph (38mph) in cities, 80kph (50mph) on country roads and 120kph (75mph) on motorways. There are frequent passport controls along and around the Dead Sea Highway and you are advised to keep your passport with you at all times. The minimum driving age is 18 years. The wearing of seat belts for all car passengers is mandatory.

Documentation: National driving licences are accepted if they have been issued at least one year before travel. However, an International Driving Permit is recommended. Visitors are not allowed to drive a vehicle with normal Jordanian plates unless they have a Jordanian driving licence.

Note: it is advisable to keep your passport to hand when using routes which go near the Israeli border (and even when sailing in the Red Sea without a guide).

There are conventional buses and extensive fixed-route ‘servis' (share-taxis, most seating up to seven) in Amman and other main cities. The ‘servis' are licensed, with a standard fare scale, but there are no fixed pick-up or set-down points. Vehicles often fill up at central or outer terminal points and then run non-stop.

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Amman to other major cities and towns in Jordan.


Air - Road - Rail
Wadi Mousa (Petra) - - 3.00 - -
Aqaba - 1.00 - 4.00 - -
Madaba - - 1.00 - -
Dead Sea Resorts - - 1.00 - -