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Car rental in Amman is the natural starting point for everything south of the capital: Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, the baptism site at Bethany. Most travellers collect the car at Queen Alia Airport or have it delivered to a hotel office, then drive straight onto the Desert Highway. Amman itself is hilly and laid out across seven ridges, so seasoned visitors usually keep the car for trips out and use Uber inside the city.
A couple landing at AMM at 23:50 had their Toyota Corolla waiting by the kerb on the flight number — five minutes of paperwork, then south to Petra at dawn. The global-chain shuttles to off-site parking had already stopped for the night.
For country-wide rules and insurance details, see the Jordan overview.
Where to pick up: AMM or the city
Queen Alia Airport (AMM) is 35 kilometres south of Amman, around 40 minutes on the toll-free Airport Highway: no barriers, no tunnels, no fees — easily the simplest stretch of the entire trip. A taxi from the airport into town is roughly 25 JOD; the Sariyah Airport Express bus is 3.5 JOD to Tabarbour station.
If your itinerary starts in the south — Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba — collecting the car at AMM is the obvious choice: you slide straight onto the Desert Highway without driving into Amman at all. If two or three days in Amman with day trips come first, a city office or a hotel delivery is usually 8–15% cheaper, because you skip the airport surcharge.
A traveller with an apartment in Abdoun had the car driven over at 09:30 — 15 minutes of paperwork in the lobby, no airport surcharge, no detour. Saved roughly 18 JOD versus picking up at AMM the previous evening.
Late-night pickups at locals usually cost 10–20 JOD — that is a driver call-out fee, not a tariff. Global chains only operate from their AMM desks at that hour, so a 02:00 arrival often means waiting for a shuttle. Local suppliers will meet you by flight number, even on the night shift.
Kia Sportage in Jordan
Everything went well, the car met us at the airport, a polite driver handed it over to us. Of course, I encountered a couple of minor shortcomings, but still the first one on the website says that if the deposit is in cash, it will be returned when returning the car. We were refused this; they told us to wait a week and they would send it via Western I paid the union transfer commission, we refused this option, then they asked to block the deposit on the visa card and return it in a week. To be honest, I chose this company only because I could leave a deposit in cash. The second minus is the front brake discs were a little faulty, of course it’s not very scary at low speeds you can’t feel it, but on the highway it’s a little annoying.
Driving and parking in Amman itself
Amman is not laid out like a typical European capital: seven hills, winding streets, frequent lane changes and a fast urban tempo. Most travellers use Uber or Careem inside the city — a central run is 2–5 JOD — and pick up the rental for trips outside.
The Citadel and downtown
The Citadel on Jabal Al-Qal'a has free parking right at the entrance: drive up Lightning Street from the Roman Theatre. Around Hashemite Plaza and behind the theatre there is occasional street parking, but it is tight. The paid 'Saqf Al-Sail' lot covers downtown at roughly 1 JOD per hour.
Rainbow Street and Abdoun
On Rainbow Street itself parking is metered; the side streets just behind it are usually free, two or three minutes' walk from the main strip. In Abdoun (restaurants, embassies) larger venues offer valet for 1–3 JOD; on-street parking is almost always within walking distance.
A guest left the car on a side street off Rainbow at 19:30 for a dinner near Sufra. Free, two minutes from the table, and no ticket the next morning — the metered spots on the main strip had all gone by 18:00.
Read the signs around the embassies and ministries — tow trucks operate around Jabal Amman in particular, and two minutes of checking a kerb saves a long evening.
Day trips from Amman
The biggest call is how to reach Petra. The Desert Highway (Route 15) does it in 3 hours: four lanes, freight, no scenery. The King's Highway (Route 35) takes 5–6 hours via Madaba, Mount Nebo, Karak and Dana. Most head down on the Desert Highway and return on the King's.
The Dead Sea is an hour on Route 65, but the road drops about 1,200 metres on the way down. On a manual stay in 1st or 2nd; on automatic use L or B. Riding the brake pedal is the most common mistake tourists make in Jordan.
Jerash and Ajloun pair into one day — 9–10 hours together. West of Amman lies Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the UNESCO baptism site and a major Christian pilgrimage; the same loop usually adds Mount Nebo and Madaba's Holy Land mosaic. East of Amman is the desert castles circuit (Qasr Amra, Qasr Kharana, Azraq) — 250 km and 7 hours.
A family in an automatic Hyundai cooked the brakes on the descent to the Dead Sea — pedal to the floor for 40 km. Manual stays in 1st or 2nd; automatic uses L or B. Not advice, just how the discs survive.
The King's Highway is the entire south in a single drive: Madaba, Karak, Dana. Do it in daylight only — the bends are unlit at night, and the drop on the western side comes up faster than the map suggests.
Country rules are unchanged — see the Jordan overview.
Rates in Amman vary throughout the year depending on the season and the rental length.
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How expensive is renting a car in Amman: average daily rates for a one-week car rental, across all car classes.
Why travellers pick TakeCars in Amman
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Free meet at AMM or hotel delivery
Local suppliers meet you at the terminal exit or bring the car to Abdoun, Sweifieh, Shmeisani or downtown during office hours.
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Transparent deposit
The amount and method are shown on the car page before you book; many local suppliers also accept the deposit in cash (JOD, USD or EUR).
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Cash USD and EUR accepted
A working option if you would rather not put it on a card; you still get a standard receipt.
Money, car and the Amman schedule
Cards and cash
Major UK and EU credit cards work without issues at international chains and most local suppliers in Amman. Debit cards are accepted more often by local operators than by global brands, sometimes against a higher cash deposit. Cash in JOD, USD or EUR is widely taken at locals — including for the deposit. ATMs in Amman dispense JOD; foreign-card fees apply as usual.
Automatic or manual
Automatic cars make up 50–70% of the Jordanian fleet, but they go first in high season (March–May, September–November). If you specifically need an automatic, book one to two weeks ahead; the premium over manual is 10–25%.
Friday and Saturday
The Jordanian weekend is Friday and Saturday, not Sunday. Friday until around 13:00 is the quietest moment in the city: offices and many shops are closed and mosques are full. Pickups and returns technically run, but local operators respond more slowly — leave an extra hour. Friday afternoon and Saturday are normal urban days again.
A guest left for the Dead Sea on a Friday at 09:00 with 250 USD cash in a side pocket. Used 40 of it on a roadside tyre repair near South Shuna — no card terminal, no signal, settled in two minutes and on his way.
The rule of thumb: carry 200–300 USD in cash for any trip out of Amman. It covers any unexpected situation at a local supplier without depending on a single bank.
Frequent Questions
The airport is usually 8–15% more because of the surcharge. If your trip starts in the south — Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba — picking up at AMM is more efficient. If two or three days in Amman with day trips come first, a city office or a hotel delivery saves money.
35 kilometres south, about 40 minutes on the toll-free Airport Highway: no barriers, no fees. A taxi into the centre is around 25 JOD; the Sariyah Airport Express bus is 3.5 JOD to Tabarbour station.
Yes. Local suppliers deliver free of charge to Abdoun, Sweifieh, Shmeisani and downtown during office hours. Late-night and early-morning slots usually cost 10–20 JOD. International chains do not deliver — they only operate from desks at AMM.
Free parking at the Citadel entrance on Jabal Al-Qal'a. Around Hashemite Plaza and behind the theatre there is occasional but tight street parking. The paid 'Saqf Al-Sail' lot in downtown is around 1 JOD per hour.
On Rainbow Street parking is metered; the side streets just behind it are usually free. In Abdoun, restaurant valet is 1–3 JOD and on-street parking is normally within walking distance. Tow trucks do operate around embassies and ministries — read the signs.
The Jordanian weekend is Friday and Saturday. Friday until 13:00 is the quietest moment: offices and many shops are closed and mosques are full. Pickups and returns work, but local suppliers respond slower — leave an extra hour. Saturday is a normal urban day again.
The dinar is pegged to the US dollar (JOD 0.71 per USD) and has been stable since 1995. Paying by card directly in JOD keeps your accounts clean. Local suppliers accept cash in JOD, USD or EUR; global chains only take cards. Change comes back in JOD.
Desert Highway (Route 15) — 235 km, 3 hours, four lanes, no scenery. King's Highway (Route 35) — 280 km, 5–6 hours, through Madaba, Mount Nebo, Karak Castle and Dana. Most travellers head down on the Desert Highway and return along the King's.
Yes. From Amman (1,000 m) to the Dead Sea (-430 m) over 50 km, continuous braking overheats the discs. Use 1st or 2nd gear on a manual; L or B on an automatic. It is the single most important driving tip in Jordan.
50 kilometres west of Amman on Route 65 / South Shuna, about an hour. Free parking at the visitor centre, then a mandatory shuttle into the site itself. The same loop is often combined with the Dead Sea (10 km away), Mount Nebo and Madaba.
Yes. Jerash is 50 kilometres north of Amman (around 50 minutes), Ajloun another 75 (1 h 30 m). Parking is free at both. The full loop from Amman runs 9–10 hours; allow 3–4 hours on site at Jerash itself.
Jordanian rentals do not cross the border. Workflow: drive to King Hussein Bridge (Allenby) or Sheikh Hussein Bridge, leave the car in the Jordanian-side parking, take the shuttle across, then rent a new car on the Israeli side. Bring a multi-entry Jordanian visa.
Yes. Several major global chains and local suppliers offer one-way Amman → Aqaba for 50–120 JOD. The drive is 330 km, about 4 hours on the Desert Highway. Useful if you continue by ferry to Egypt or fly out of Aqaba (AQJ).
Yes. The classic loop is Qasr Kharana (60 km), Qasr Amra with its UNESCO frescoes (80 km) and Azraq (90 km), all on Routes 30 / 40. Quiet roads, quick stops — about 250 km and 7 hours round trip. Most sites are covered by the Jordan Pass.
50 km/h in residential and central zones, 70–80 km/h on main avenues, up to 120 km/h on the Airport Highway. Cameras run actively around the city and at the entrances. Fines start at 20 JOD and escalate quickly with repeat offences.