Driving in Jordan: A Complete Guide for Tourists

Before driving away:

1. Photograph the vehicle. Take clear photos or a slow video of every side, the wheels, windshield, roof, interior, fuel gauge, and odometer.
2. Check the damage report. Make sure existing scratches, dents, cracked glass, wheel damage, or interior marks are recorded before you leave.
3. Check warning lights. If a tyre-pressure, engine, oil, temperature, or brake warning light is visible, tell the Trivo representative before driving.
4. Confirm the correct fuel. Check the rental agreement, fuel-cap label, or key tag before refuelling. Never guess between petrol and diesel or between fuel grades.
5. Find the safety equipment. Know where the warning triangle, spare wheel or repair kit, jack, and vehicle documents are located.
6. Set up navigation before moving. Download offline maps because mobile coverage can become weak in desert and remote areas.

Full details of how the handover works are on our pick-up and drop-off process page.

Amman is hilly, busy, and full of multi-lane roads, roundabouts, short exits, and frequent lane changes. Traffic may feel unstructured to a first-time visitor, especially during rush hour, but it becomes manageable when you drive calmly and avoid sudden decisions.

Practical Tips for Amman Traffic

• Allow extra time during morning and evening rush hours, especially on Airport Road, Zahran Street, Mecca Street, Medina Street, and routes toward the city centre.
• Choose your lane early. A navigation app may announce a turn after the safest opportunity to change lanes has passed.
• Expect drivers to merge or change lanes without signalling. Keep a safe gap and avoid competing for space.
• Approach roundabouts slowly. Watch the traffic already moving around you and do not assume another driver will yield or remain in one lane.
• Hills can be steep. Leave extra space behind the vehicle ahead and use a low gear when descending a long slope.
• If you miss an exit, continue safely and let navigation recalculate. Never reverse or stop on a main road.

Parking in Amman

Use hotel parking, private car parks, or clearly legal roadside spaces whenever possible. Do not block gates, building entrances, garages, bus stops, traffic lanes, or another parked vehicle. In crowded areas, fold the mirrors when safe and remove valuables from sight.

Speed limits vary by road and location, so the posted sign always takes priority. Limits can drop quickly when entering towns, approaching intersections, passing schools, or reaching construction areas.

Approximate Driving Times

Times vary with traffic, weather, stops, and the route selected. Use these only for planning:

Unmarked Speed Bumps

Speed bumps can appear suddenly on highways and at the entrances to towns, villages, schools, checkpoints, and petrol stations. They may be faded or poorly marked. Reduce speed early whenever the road environment changes.

Animals, Pedestrians, and Slow Vehicles

Camels, sheep, goats, donkeys, dogs, pedestrians, tractors, and slow trucks may enter the road unexpectedly. This risk is much higher outside cities and after dark. Do not swerve sharply; reduce speed and stop safely when necessary.

Trucks and Sudden Overtaking

Heavy trucks use the Desert Highway and other major routes. Keep a generous following distance, avoid remaining in a truck’s blind spot, and overtake only where visibility and road markings clearly allow it.

Poor Lighting at Night

Some rural roads have limited lighting, faded markings, stopped vehicles, animals, pedestrians, or drivers using weak lights. Plan long-distance travel during daylight whenever possible, particularly on the Desert Highway, King’s Highway, Dead Sea routes, and roads around Petra and Wadi Rum.

Rain, Flash Floods, Snow, and Dust

• The first rain after a dry period can make roads unusually slippery because dust and oil rise to the surface.
• Never drive through floodwater or enter a closed wadi or low-lying road. Water can be deeper and faster than it appears, and flood damage is commonly excluded from rental protection.
• Heavy rain and flash-flood warnings are most relevant during the cooler rainy season. Follow official closures and local instructions.
• Snow and ice can close high roads around Amman, Shobak, Tafileh, and Petra. Do not continue because a navigation app still shows the road as open.
• During a dust storm, slow down gradually, use low-beam headlights, increase distance, and pull completely off the road if visibility becomes unsafe. Avoid stopping in a traffic lane.

Jordan has staffed fuel stations in cities and along major highways, but stations become less frequent on remote routes. Fill the tank before driving toward Wadi Rum, the eastern desert, or a long section of the King’s Highway.

• Confirm the fuel type before filling. Use the type stated on the rental agreement, fuel cap, or key tag. If unsure, call Trivo before adding fuel.
• Tell the attendant clearly what you need. State the fuel type and the amount, and watch that the correct pump is used.
• Keep the receipt. It can help if there is a payment or fuel-quality question later.

1. Stop and make the scene safe. Switch on the hazard lights. Do not leave the scene. If anyone is injured or the road is dangerous, call 911 immediately.
2. Do not move the vehicle without guidance. Unless safety requires it, wait for instructions from the police or Trivo before moving the car.
3. Call Trivo immediately. Phone or WhatsApp +962 7 9920 4035 and share your live location.
4. Call the police on 911. Explain that you are driving a rental vehicle and need an official accident report.
5. Document everything. Take photos and video of all vehicles, number plates, damage, road position, signs, markings, and the wider scene. Save the time and exact location.
6. Exchange information safely. Record the other driver’s name, phone number, vehicle plate, and insurance information. Do not hand over your passport or original documents to another driver.
7. Do not admit liability or pay cash at the roadside. Remain polite, but do not sign anything you do not understand or agree to a private settlement without Trivo and police guidance.
8. Obtain the official report. Follow the police process and send the Kroka or official report details to Trivo as soon as available.

Suspicious or Staged Accidents

If another driver pressures you to pay cash, refuses police involvement, behaves aggressively, or claims damage that does not match what happened, stay in the vehicle if safe, lock the doors, call 911, and contact Trivo. Do not follow strangers to an isolated location.

• Move to a safe location. Pull completely off the traffic lane when possible, switch on hazard lights, and place the warning triangle only when it is safe to do so.
• Call Trivo before arranging repairs or towing. Unauthorised repair work, towing, or parts replacement may not be reimbursed.
• Stop for critical warning lights. If the oil-pressure, engine-temperature, brake, or charging warning appears, stop safely and switch off the engine. Continuing to drive can cause serious damage.
• Do not continue on a flat tyre. Driving even a short distance can destroy the tyre and wheel. Contact Trivo for instructions.
• Share clear information. Send your location, dashboard photo, description of the problem, and photos of the vehicle and surrounding road.

Damage protection is not permission to use the vehicle carelessly. Coverage, excess, roadside assistance, and exclusions depend on the package shown in your rental agreement.

Unless your confirmed package specifically says otherwise, common exclusions or customer responsibilities may include:

• Tyres, wheels, wheel rims, windshield, windows, mirrors, roof, underbody, and interior damage.
• Damage caused by off-road driving, sand, rocks, beaches, floodwater, or driving through a closed road.
• Wrong fuel, contaminated fuel, lost keys, locked-in keys, or damage caused by ignoring a warning light.
• Damage caused by an unauthorised driver, reckless driving, speeding, illegal activity, alcohol, drugs, or serious negligence.
• Towing or repairs arranged without approval from Trivo.
• An accident without the required police report or failure to notify Trivo promptly.

A normal rental vehicle must remain on paved public roads. Do not drive onto sand dunes, beaches, rocky tracks, wadis, desert trails, or unpaved shortcuts suggested by navigation apps.

For Wadi Rum, drive only to the authorised parking or visitor area agreed with Trivo. Desert tours should be completed with an approved local 4x4 driver. A crossover or SUV is not automatically authorised for off-road use.

Police and security checkpoints are normal in Jordan, particularly on highways, near Aqaba, and near border regions. Slow down, lower the window, remain polite, and follow the officer’s instructions.

Keep your driving licence, passport or ID, rental agreement, and vehicle documents within reach. Never photograph a checkpoint, police officer, military location, or security facility without permission.

• Download offline Google Maps or another offline map before leaving Amman or Aqaba.
• Check the full route before starting. Navigation may suggest narrow local streets, unpaved shortcuts, or roads unsuitable for a rental car.
• Use a phone holder and set the destination while parked. Holding a phone while driving is unsafe and can result in a fine.
• Share your route and expected arrival time when travelling to remote areas.
• Carry a charged phone, charging cable, drinking water, and enough fuel for the next major town.

• Return at the confirmed time and location. Contact Trivo in advance if your flight, route, or arrival time changes.
• Restore the agreed fuel level. Refuel close enough to the return point and keep the final receipt.
• Remove personal items and rubbish. Check the glovebox, boot, charging ports, door pockets, and under the seats.
• Take return photos. Photograph the vehicle, fuel gauge, odometer, wheels, windshield, and parking location after the final handover.
• Return every item. Hand back all keys, documents, child seats, Wi-Fi devices, chargers, and accessories supplied with the vehicle.
• Report new damage honestly. Early communication makes the inspection and insurance process faster and clearer.

• Valid driving licence, passport or ID, rental agreement, and vehicle documents.
• Pick-up photos, fuel level, odometer reading, and all existing damage recorded.
• Correct fuel type confirmed.
• Offline maps downloaded and phone mounted before driving.
• Emergency number 911 and Trivo number +962 7 9920 4035 saved.
• Enough fuel, drinking water, phone battery, and daylight for the route.
• Weather and road closures checked before long-distance travel.
• No international border crossing and no off-road driving.