Jordan Guide
Getting around
Taxis and chauffeur-driven cars
Apart from a fleet of silver radio-cabs in Amman which can be hired by phone – at a premium – all taxis are yellow with green panels in Arabic on both front doors, and they'll go anywhere if the price is right. Inexpensive and quite often essential within Amman, their good value declines the further afield you want to go; renting a taxi to cover the transport-thin eastern desert, for instance, will cost you almost twice as much as if you drove there yourself in a rental car (but, obviously, with less of the stress). As far as fares go, other than within Amman city limits, where taxis are metered, you'll have to negotiate with the driver before setting off. Ballpark figures for particular routes are given in the guide, but where you're inventing your own itinerary, you'd do well to ask the advice of a disinterested party (such as a hotel receptionist) beforehand. Jordanian women would never get in the front seat next to a male driver (there are very few female taxi-drivers), and, wherever possible, foreign women should follow suit and sit in the back.
Most rent-a-car agencies can provide a driver for the day for about JD25 on top of the price of the rental; on a longer trip, JD45 a day should cover his food and accommodation costs.