Explore Jordan using the JETT Bus Service.

Getting around Jordan on a tight budget is achievable though you will miss out on all the amazing antiquities between the main sites. The next few paragraphs are a few of my experiences.

You can go from Amman to Petra for a day trip or one way. There are services from Petra to Wadi Rum and Aqaba. It looks to be the bus goes down south in the morning and returns north in the afternoon, so you could do this itinerary in reverse. When I booked my itinerary I went into one of the JETT offices at The Intercontinental, the attendant indicated the times of departure maybe later than written in the schedule.

Amman to Wadi Musa (Petra)

There is a seat allocation system, I was allocated Seat 8, though when the bus arrived at the second pickup point the seat I was allocated was occupied, so I chose another seat. When the bus arrived at the third pick up point, I had to move. Though if the bus is empty I would imagine you can sit anywhere.

There is a toilet on board. Though on this bus the occupied sign was illuminated all the time I was on the bus and never went off. I think the toilet was out of order, though there was no sign on the door. On the positive side, this bus the seats recline and each seat has a tray table.

Ten past seven we headed out of Amman to start our 3 to 4-hour journey. The bus appeared in reasonable condition, a comfortable ride enough for a full bus. There was Arabic music playing constantly and the driver was either speaking to a passenger or on his phone for most of the journey. My seat buddy wasn’t friendly. Sad face, so my head was screaming, ‘give me my private driver Ali’.

After an hour and a half driving along the Desert Highway, the bus stopped at a Caravanserai (A Roadhouse, or rest stop). I made a beeline for the bathroom at the back of the building. There was a plate to receive a tip for the use of a bathroom. I never pay to go to the toilet, this has always annoyed me. Like most rest stops in Jordan there was a snack area, a sit-down restaurant area and the souvenir area. The driver settled in for a bite to eat. I took the time browsing the overpriced ceramic, statues, vases and Dead Sea products an attendant approached and said items were 30% off and the Dead Sea products were a two-for-one deal. By 9am we were back on the road again.

About 50km from Petra the bus moves onto Highway 35, The Kings Highway, the oldest highway in Jordan. As part of the Roman road Via Nova Traiana, this 5000-year-old road is one of the most historic in the world.

To avoid the sun in the morning heading south and the afternoon heading north, sit on the right-hand side of the bus. With roadworks, the single lanes, the road surface in general and the traffic calming speed humps made it an interesting trip.

Wadi Musa Petra to Wadi Rum

I was told to be at the JETT bus stop behind the Petra Visitor Centre about half an hour before the bus was to depart. The bus was waiting at 10.30. I asked a group of men to confirm the bus they indicated yes, so I had to load my own luggage, no one offered to help.

The system seems to be a connection for passengers from Amman who want to go to Wadi Rum or Aqaba. So when the 6am Amman bus arrives around 10.30 or so there, there is a flurry of activity. One person joined me the 11am Wadi Rum – Aqaba bus.

It was a smaller Coaster sized bus, air-conditioned, though it didn’t have a toilet. The driver was friendly and drove very efficiently to Wadi Rum. It was a Rocking Rollercoaster of a ride. I remember from a previous bus ride on the Kings Way, it is a winding ancient road.

Wadi Rum to Aqaba

My plans changed at the last minute, so I needed this Wadi Rum – Aqaba leg to be a day later. I tried calling the Aqaba JETT office, though the line was always busy. At 6.30pm I dropped by the shop to see what o could do about changing the date. The man said just turn up any day I wanted if you have already purchased a ticket. That sounded flexible, so I aimed to try it out in a few days’ time.

Aqaba to Amman

The Aqaba JETT station was only a few hundred metres from Shahrazad Hotel where I was staying. Bonus. I was tentatively booked on an 11am service. I was told to arrive early to pay for the ticket. Near the JETT Station, there is a coffee guy and a small food market to buy snacks for the journey. Some outdoor covered seating was available on the wide footpath.

I arrived early and paid for my ticket. I sat in the air-conditioned office until it appeared there was a call for the bus, made in Arabic. I made a rough guess that it was my bus. The man loading the luggage under the bus did not want to load my luggage, he motioned for me to do it myself, I said, no, you can load it. I waited, as a stand-off before he loaded my luggage. I took a photo of it before I got onto the bus.

After these few trips, I still have very little confidence with the JETT service. The bus attendant directed me to the lower part of the bus. I located seat 11 to find a passenger had her luggage on my seat. She refused to move it so the attendant motioned for me to sit in another seat. After a few minutes a couple arrived to their allocated seats that I now occupied. I explained to them that the bus attendant had directed me here because the woman wouldn’t move her luggage. I motioned to the woman to get her luggage off my seat. She reluctantly did. I flopped my fat white arse onto the seat, completely disregarding her. What a joy the next few hours would be.

Just as a side note, Arabs don’t cue. Arabs travel in groups that take over the area. Just to give you the heads up.

The full bus left on time. Police checks are everywhere in Jordan. So being stopped is a random process. After half an hour into my journey the police stopped the bus. Having stopped the bus, a young officer boarded the bus and identity checked every passenger against the bus manifest which took around 10 minutes.

The bus recommenced it’s journey. When we came to the Tax-Free Declaration Station the bus stopped again. Now this was about an hour into the journey. At this point, the driver indicated to everyone to get off the bus, and get their luggage out of the storage area. I followed locals and took my luggage to large metal tables. Everyone opened their luggage, so I followed suit. By the time the army officer. Mohamed arrived at my luggage, he seemed over the search as he squeezed my hybrid backpack and wandered off. Lucky bag. After some helpful local young men helped me repack my luggage back into the bus, the bus moved on.

With one more stop at a Mosque, the whole journey took over six hours. It was an exhausting day. When we arrived back to the outskirts of Amman the traffic was very heavy. The journey ends at the Circle Seven JETT office. There is a lot of taxis there to take you back to your hotel.

So in summary, yes you can visit Jordan economically on public style bus system. When I started writing this I really hoped that it would be a great experience that I could share with people on a tight budget to visit Jordan. Often the ground transport of a car and driver is the largest part of your Jordanian tourist budget. Few staff speak English and the chaos clearly system works. After having these experiences, I know that when I came back to Jordan I will save my money for a longer period of time to hire a private driver.

There are three-day trips from Amman advertised by JETT.

Ajloun and Jerash for 15JD with 10JD lunch option twice a week

Historical sites. Start around 8 am and returns to Amman after 4 pm.

Madaba, Bethany and Mt Nebo for 15JD

Religious sites Start around 8am and returns to Amman after 4 pm.

The Dead Sea with an upgrade to a choice of two private beaches with lunch options. Start around 8am and returns to Amman after 6pm. Bus trip currently is 10JD with an optional add-on for 30 or 45JD

Bonus – 10 night, 11-day itinerary to explore Jordan by JETT Bus.

Day 1	Arrive in Amman. Overnight in Amman.
Day 2	JETT Day trip. Overnight in Amman.
Day 3	Tour Amman City by taxi – The Citadel, Roman Theatre, Old Town and the Souk, Blue Mosque. taxi to the citadel, taxi to Roman amphitheatre, taxi to mosque, taxi to your hotel. Overnight in Amman
Day 4	JETT to Petra leaves at 6am and arrives at 11 am. Overnight in Petra
Day 5	JETT to Wadi Rum leaves at 11 am arrives at the Wadi Rum Visitors Centre at 1pm. Arrange for your camp staff to collect you. Do a 4×4 safari, camel ride and see the sunset. Overnight in Wadi Rum
Day 6	Go on a second 4×4 safari in the morning. Have a relaxed time around the camp during the day. The camp staff will transfer you to the Wadi Rum Visitors Centre to catch the JETT bus at 1700 to transfer to Aqaba. You arrive in Aqaba around 6.30pm. Overnight in Aqaba
Day 7	Explore Aqaba (Ayla, First Church, Glass bottom Boat, Diving or Snorkelling, etc.). Overnight in Aqaba
Day 8	JETT 9am to Amman which arrives around 3pm. Overnight Amman.
Day 9	JETT day trip. Overnight in Amman.
Day 10	JETT day trip. Overnight in Amman.
Day 11	Leave Amman.