Amman, Jordan — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Airlines flying to Amman from the UK include bmi and Royal Jordanian Airlines (for direct flights), and Emirates, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
Tel: (06) 445 1739 or 3187.
Website: www.amman-airport.com
Queen Alia Airport lies 35km (22 miles) south of Amman on the Desert Highway to Aqaba. There are three terminals. Terminal 1 is used almost exclusively by Royal Jordanian Airlines while all other carriers operate from terminal 2. The third is used exclusively for cargo flights.
Airport facilities
Airport facilities are basic but include ATMs, a bureau de change, Wi-Fi internet access, duty-free shopping, restaurants and car hire. The government is currently building a new passenger terminal which, once completed, will improve the airport's facilities and capacity. It is scheduled for completion in 2012.
Transport to the city
Airport Express buses operate a round-the-clock service to Abdali in the heart of Amman, from 0700-2200, and every 60 minutes from 2200-0700 (journey time - 45 minutes). Airport taxis are plentiful. To avoid overcharging arrange a cab through the airport taxi office and get a slip showing the exact amount of the fare.
Approximate flight times to Amman
Approximate flight time from London to Amman is 5 hours.
Getting There By Road
Jordan has a good, expanding road network. Road signs on the highways are in Arabic and English. Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 60kph (38mph) in cities, 80kph (50mph) on country roads and 120kph (75mph) on motorways. A driving license valid in your country of origin is acceptable, provided you have held it for at least one year. 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 license.
Emergency breakdown services
Royal Automobile Club of Jordan (tel: (06) 585 0626).
Routes to the city
Amman is well connected by modern roads to the rest of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the occupied Palestinian National Territories and Syria. South of Amman, the Desert Highway is the main artery to the port of Aqaba. Anyone crossing from Israel to Jordan and vice versa should be aware that they will have Israeli exit stamps on their passport and entry stamps to Jordan from an Israeli border point. This effectively bars them from traveling to most other countries in the Arab League; however, travelers can ask Israeli officials to stamp blank pieces of paper to avoid problems entering other Arab countries. Travelers are advised to bring loose leaf passport pages, although Israeli officials don't always request them.
Driving times to the city
From Damascus - 4 hours (although the border crossing can take hours, depending on the traffic).
Coach services
Three bus companies, all using air-conditioned modern coaches, run regular services to and from Amman: JETT (tel: (06) 566 4146), Alpha (tel: (06) 585 0626) and Trust International (tel: (06) 581 3427). There are several bus terminals in Amman. Abdali Station on King Hussein Street is the main one. It is a five-minute taxi drive from downtown. From there it is possible to get transport to most towns west and north of the capital. The Jett Depot, about one mile uphill from Abdali Station, is where to get scheduled services to Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad and Riyadh as well as south to Karnack and Aqaba. Wihdat Station near the Middle Circle, 5km (3 miles) south of downtown, covers southern Jordan including Madaba, Petra, Ma'an and Aqaba.
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
Jordan has very little in the way of a rail network. The Hejaz Railway (http://nabataea.net/hejaz.html) runs twice a week between Damascus and Amman but uses seriously ancient rolling stock and the journey takes at least nine hours. It is really only worth doing for the experience.
Getting Around in Amman, Jordan
Public Transport
There is no integrated public transport system in Amman. A variety of different forms of transport operate in competition along a number of routes throughout the city. There is no timetable, and although there are what appear to be bus stops, they are mostly ignored with the various forms of transport picking up on demand.
There is a choice of minibuses, buses, yellow city buses and what is known locally as serveeces. These are shared taxis, containing between four and six people each paying a flat fare. They are easily recognizable: white cars with the route number they serve and cab number in black Arabic lettering on the front doors. Downtown acts like a hub and most transport routes radiate out from there.
Taxis
All licensed cabs are metered and provide an inexpensive way to get around Amman. Make sure the driver starts the meter as soon as you get in the cab. Some drivers will try to claim that their meter is broken or to negotiate a fixed fee. Have nothing to do with them and hail another cab.
Taxis can also be hired by the day or half day for sightseeing. Shared taxis are licensed vehicles that operate on one particular route picking up and setting down passengers just like a bus. They can also be booked through travel agents or hotels for longer trips to tourist attractions like Petra. Reliable taxi providers include Faraneh (tel: (06) 569 0310), Taxi Al-Barq (tel: (06) 464 1299) and Intercontinental Hotel Taxis (tel: (06) 464 1361).
Driving in the City
A driving license valid in your country of origin is necessary to hire a car in Amman, provided you have held it for at least one year. 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 license. Traveling around the city by taxi is recommended.
Car Hire
Most of the international big names have offices in Amman but often the best deals can be had from local companies. Good car hire companies include Avis (tel: (74) 569 9420; www.avis.com.jo), Hertz (tel: (06) 553 8958; www.hertzjordan.com), Rent a Reliable Car (tel: (06) 592 9676; www.reliable.com.jo), U-Save (tel: (06) 565 2207) and Watanieh (tel: (06) 560 1350).
Bicycle Hire
Bicycle hire is practically unknown in Amman, although more hotels are offering bike tours of the city. Contact your hotel concierge for more information.
