Jordan

Jordan Driving Advice and Car Hire Info

Roads in Jordan

Check your government’s website for the latest information before visiting Jordan, as there may be travel advisories in place for some parts of the country.

Jordan drives on the right and you need a 1949 convention International Driving permit plus your own licence to drive here. Speed limits are 120kmh on highways, 80km on rural roads and 40-60kmh in urban areas.

Jordan has a well developed road network with 8000km of paved highways. Main routes in Jordan are-

Highway 15 (Desert Highway): The country’s most important road, the road starts near the Syria border North of Al-Mafraq and passes Amman and Petra as it heads South to the port of Aqaba . It’s a dual carriageway road for most of its length and is paved in its entirety.

Highway 35 (King’s Highway): connects Irbid in the North to Aqaba, and is a dual carriageway from Irbid until Amman.

Highway 65 (Dead Sea Highway): Runs the length of the country from Aqaba in the South to Irbid, running parallel to Highway 35, but along the Dead sea coast.

Main roads and roads in large towns are generally in good condition, but can be prone to flooding in some areas in the rainy season (approx. November-March).In Winter, mountainous roads, including those in the Petra area, can be blocked by snow.

In cities speed bumps are often unmarked and can cause damage if hit at speed. Also beware of drivers braking suddenly after spotting a bump at the last minute.

Driving In Jordan

Driving style has a tendency towards the fast and aggressive with cars driving very close together at high speed on the highways. City driving in Amman is also more hazardous in the summer months of June to September when Jordan experiences an influx of visitors from other countries and around the Muslim holidays when many Jordanian expatriates return to Jordan for family visits. Though main roads have marked lanes, few drivers stick to them and are likely to overtake on both sides and jockey for position. Keep driving in the lane you’re in – the onus is on a driver changing lanes to ensure its safe, but expect the unexpected at all times.

Avoid driving at night when roads may be poorly lit and livestock, including camels, sheep, and goats are likely to be on the road. Collisions between livestock and cars are common in Jordan. You should be especially careful when driving in areas with large numbers of pedestrians. In Jordanian law a driver is always guilty if they hit a pedestrian. If you are involved in such an incident, you could face imprisonment and be liable for the payment of hospital bills and other compensation. An unusual element of driving abroad in Jordan is that families sometimes picnic in the central reservations of main roads around Amman. You should exercise caution when driving past these impromptu picnic spots.
Police routinely pull over reckless drivers as well as those believed to be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.

Jordan Car Rental –
Sixt, Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, National,Avis,  Budget, Thrifty, have branches here.

We currently have no local car rental partners in Jordan. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com

Jordan Self Drive Rules-
Jordanian law doesn’t allow self drive to be taken out of Jordan even when rented in Aqaba, which is annoying as there aren’t many places you can drive through three countries in half an hour which is the case there!