Hello,
I was hoping some of you could advise on going to Jordan, preferably without a tour. Is there a secure border? It would be just a friend and I and wanted to go and spend two nights. The cheaper the better, but we do have some flexibility! Anything on which borders to use, safety (we're both European), and proccesses along with any other tidbits would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Are there secure borders in the country of Jordan? Yes. I'm a bit pressed to think of too many countries in the world that don't.
Jordan borders Syria, Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea. Exactly where are you wanting to cross?
Without knowing where you are coming from we can't offer very good options for only a two night stay.
As a place to start you can look at www.jordanjubilee.com for ideas.
Sorry, wrong use of words there, meant to say safe! We will be coming from Jerusalum and wanted to do either Demascus or Petra, depending on the feasibility of either.
Are you seriously more worried about safety in Jordan than in Syria?
There is no trouble in Jordan, everything is fine. But if you are wanting to visit Petra, then go south in Israel to Eilat, cross the border there and take a taxi (about 45JD or so) to Petra. Much easier than wandering about near to Amman.
You don't have time to visit Petra from Jerusalem in only two days. It's one full day journey between the two.
From Jerusalem you can visit Amman, but remember, you cannot get a Jordanian visa at the Allenby Bridge crossing (the most direct route between Jerusalem and Amman) so you either have to obtain it in advance or go out of your way and use a different crossing. Also keep in mind that visiting Jordan from Jerusalem will be an expensive proposition for such a short visit. Aside from all the logistical expenses you'll have to pay an Israeli exit tax, a Jordanian entry tax and another Jordanian exit tax.
Good luck.
Jordan has borders with Palestine, Syria, Israel, Iraq and Saudi Arabia (the Red Sea is not a country, Laketraveller). Borders with Palestine and Israel are perfectly safe.
In reviewing my response catw I didn't read where I stated Jordan did border the country of the Red Sea.
I said it borders the Red Sea, which it does. The USA borders the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf isn't a country either, but it is a border.
We travelled for sixteen days as backpackers around Jordan in October just gone (2011).
You can do Jordan reasonably cheaply as we did, because there is a lot of long distance and local transport which is very cheap by European standards. Except for our long journey from Madaba to Petra (which is not well served by point to point public transport) and our two day trips to the Desert Palaces east of Amman, and down to the Baptism site at Bethany (I thought the entrance fee for the latter was a rip-off for what we were allowed to see and the time allowed), we did the rest of our journeys by servees (shared taxi), minibus or bus, rather than by hired car. Public transport is easy, safe and very cheap. And you are meeting real Jordanians all the time.
We spent three days seeing Petra (we bought a multi-day ticket) but even those weren't enough for us: we loved the place and would go back on another trip. Don't miss it, it's one of the great sites/sights of the world. Jerash is great and we loved the Desert Palaces out in the desert east of Amman (we paid 18JOD each for the day trip to see them - booked through one of the Amman hotels .. you have to book and pay the day before you want to go). We also visited the wonderful town of Madaba (stayed there twice because we liked the ambience so much), Umm Qais, Irbid and Amman.
You can eat in local falafel or shawarma places (really cheap) or find other local cheap diners. There are always street vendors in the town centres and at bus stations selling cheap fruit and nibbles at a great price.
Just read and digest the guide books and, if in doubt about something being offered, check it out with someone in authority - on-duty policeman, bus station supervisor, an older shop owner - or your hotel manager. They are always willing to help because the country depends so much on tourism that they want to maintain its good reputation abroad.