We love traveling around a country with our own rental car* and discovering the most diverse corners on our own. For us, there’s no better way to travel. This way, we’re always flexible and mobile, not tied to anyone, and can always go whenever and however we want. Driving in Jordan isn’t difficult at all, and there are only a few things you should keep in mind. In the following article, we’ve summarized the most important information and tips for a relaxing road trip through Jordan. Have fun browsing!

This might also interest you:

• Best time to travel to Jordan
• Entry & Visa
• Currency in Jordan
• Round trip through Jordan
• Top Jordan attractions
• Safety in Jordan

• 9 reasons to travel
• All about the rock city of Petra
• Excursion to the Wadi Rum Desert
• Swimming fun at the Dead Sea
• Highlights in Amman

• This might also interest you:
• Driving in Jordan
• International Driver’s License
• Booking a rental car in Jordan
• Road conditions and rules
• Checks and police
• Safety when Driving
• Fueling and Gas Prices
• Driving in Jordan – Parking
• Navigation and Useful Apps

Driving in Jordan

Generally speaking, driving in Jordan is quite easy, and you don’t have to do much differently than, for example, in Germany. Jordan is actually a really relaxed country when it comes to driving. The country is small, so you usually don’t have to travel long distances. Furthermore, traffic is very light outside of towns, so you don’t have to share the road with many cars. On the well-developed highways, you can get from A to B quickly and see many highlights in a very short time. We highly recommend driving a rental car in Jordan; it was a thoroughly positive experience.

In larger towns, things naturally get a bit hectic when it comes to driving. Here, we always try to go with the flow. Just don’t let yourself be provoked, follow the rules, and stay cool when things get a bit heated on the streets. Even in Amman, we didn’t have much trouble driving through the city. It was busy, but somehow you always manage to get to your destination. Avoid rush hour if possible, because then the roads are almost completely congested and everyone is often just looking out for themselves.

International Driver’s License

If you want to drive in Jordan, you should have your German driver’s license (in EU format) with you. This is easily recognized almost everywhere. However, we recommend bringing your international driver’s license with you just in case. You can apply for one quickly and easily at your town’s registry office or city hall. You’ll receive your international driver’s license there in just a few minutes. The fee is between €15 and €25, and the license is valid for three years. We weren’t asked for our international driver’s license, but we always carry it with us.

Book a rental car in Jordan

We booked our rental car for Jordan online in advance at www.billiger-mietwagen.de*. We don’t just constantly link to this site because we get a few euros in commission; we honestly use this platform 95% of the time. We’ve had nothing but positive experiences with this platform for many, many years. Of course, you can compare prices and services on many different platforms. That’s up to you.

For us, it’s somehow more relaxing to pick up the booked car directly at our destination instead of going on a search for a suitable car. This also allows us to book all important services in advance, eliminating the need to negotiate or be talked into anything else on-site. It should also be said that Jordan was incredibly relaxed, and no one tried to push anything on us.

We paid approximately €197 for our car for 7 days, which is just €28 per day (deposit: €350). When you leave the airport building in Aqaba, the small container offices of the rental car companies are located directly on the right. Here, we had to quickly fill out a form and were given our car fairly quickly. Insurance, etc., was not pushed on us on-site; everything was handled very professionally. We always pay attention to the following services when booking:

• Comprehensive insurance and theft protection
• No deductible
• Glass, tire, and underbody protection
• Unlimited liability insurance

• Unlimited mileage
• Check the deposit amount
• You need a valid credit card
• Valid driver’s license

Road Conditions and Rules

The roads in the country are fairly well developed and generally in good condition. You won’t have any problems exploring the country on the main routes. Jordan drives on the right, so there’s no need to adjust to the left-hand traffic in other countries. If you’re planning a trip to the Wadi Rum Desert, you’ll need a four-wheel drive vehicle. Outside of cities, you’ll rarely encounter traffic lights; instead, you’ll find roundabouts. The rules are the same as in Germany. Pay attention to the many speed bumps, which are sometimes difficult to see from a distance.

Within towns, you are generally only allowed to drive 50 km/h, on motorways 110 km/h, and on country roads 80 km/h. Strictly adhere to the speed limits; police checkpoints are everywhere, and exceeding them can result in severe penalties. There is also a strict ban on drinking alcohol while driving. It is also best to avoid driving at night, as you may encounter vehicles without lights, animals, and people approaching you. Important: There are no toll roads in Jordan.

Important tourist highways include:

• Highway 15 – Desert Highway (Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Ma’an, Hasa, Al Qatrana, Amman)
• Highway 35 – King’s Highway (Wadi Musa, Petra, Al-Qadisiya, Al-Ain Al-Baida)
• Highway 65 – Dead Sea Highway (Aqaba, Wadi Mujib, Dead Sea)

Checkpoints and Police

We were pulled over several times. The police asked us for our papers, wished us a pleasant journey, and always let us continue on our way. The police officers were always very friendly to us anyway. So, over time, we no longer had any concerns about being pulled over. Also, pay attention to speed cameras.

Safety while driving

Driving in Jordan is relatively safe. Outside of the major cities, there’s not much happening on the roads, and you can drive from point A to point B in a relaxed manner. Due to frequent police checkpoints, traffic generally seems to flow smoothly. In Amman, you’ll have to fight your way through the hectic traffic, but it’s just like any other big city. We didn’t encounter any road ruffians, tailgaters, or speeders during our trip (although there are certainly some). Be careful not to drive after dark, as potholes, unlit cars, darkly dressed people, and animals can appear on the road.

Fueling and Gas Prices

Fueling in Jordan is a little different than in Germany. You drive to the pump and an employee will ask you what you want to fill up and how much. You don’t need to leave your car; you can let the employee fill up the tank. A liter of gasoline currently costs around €1. After the employee is finished, it’s best to pay in cash and give them a tip for their efforts (0.5 – 1 JD). Most gas stations also only accept cash. It’s also best to always fill up before longer journeys, as the network of gas stations isn’t exactly dense, according to our observations.

Driving in Jordan – Parking

Generally speaking, we mostly had no problems parking in Jordan. In Aqaba, we were able to park on the street in front of our accommodation, as was the case in Wadi Rum Village. In the rock city of Petra, there is a large free parking lot near the information center. Things got a bit busier in Amman, but we found a parking space right on the street there, too. Parking is generally free in Jordan; we only encountered paid parking in Amman. Of course, we don’t know if this is the case throughout the country, since we haven’t been everywhere.

Navigation and useful apps

While driving in Jordan, we again downloaded the country’s map from Google Maps in advance and were able to use it offline. It usually doesn’t work completely without navigation. The street signs (especially for sights and important locations) are mostly in Arabic AND English. We used to get by well with the apps HERE WeGo or MAPS.me. We’ve never booked a proper navigation device with the car rental company.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know. If you’re interested, you can watch some videos from Jordan on our YouTube channel. We had our camera with us and brought home some great shots.