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Jordan / Travel Information / Transport
Travelers can reach Jordan by air, sea or land. Jordan has three airports, a good network of international and national roads, and a port in Aqaba. Amman's Queen Alia International Airport and Marka Airport, and Aqaba Airport are used for scheduled commercial travel. Queen Alia International Airport is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Amman. Completed
in 1983, it can handle up to three million passengers per year.
The national carrier, Royal Jordanian, links Amman with major
cities in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, North Africa
and North America. International airlines also link Jordan with
their respective countries.
Driving to
Jordan is facilitated by a good network of roads linking Jordan
and neighboring countries. Daily buses, taxis and "service" cabs
link Jordan with Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel
and the West Bank and Gaza. Service cabs--pronounced "servees"--
are taxis that follow a set route and stop on demand to pick up
and drop off passengers. Bus services also link Amman with Damascus,
Cairo, Baghdad, Istanbul, and the crossing points into Israel
and the territories under the Palestine National Authority (PNA).
A passenger train service operates weekly between Jordan and Syria.
A twice daily
passenger and car ferry service links Jordan's port of Aqaba with
the Red Sea port of Nuweibe' in Egypt.
Jordan is
a small country that can be crossed by car in approximately four
hours. A visitor with an international driver's license may rent
a car in Jordan. Residents are required to obtain a Jordanian
license. Major international car rental companies and a number
of local companies operate in Jordan. Car rental prices are controlled
by the government. Taxis are available in the major cities, and
can be called by telephone or simply waved down in the street.
All taxis operate by meter, and can be hired for the day.
An economical
method of travel is the service taxi. Fares are set by the government,
and tend to be higher than bus fares but lower than taxi fares.
Service cabs operate within cities and also connect major cities
and towns.
Government
and private buses operate within and between major cities. Private
bus companies run luxury air-conditioned buses that offer day
trips to the major tourist sites. Limousine service is also available
for short distances as well as day trips.
The national
air carrier, Royal Jordanian, operates reasonably priced flights
between Amman and Aqaba six times a week.
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