Traveling to Jordan/Egypt/Israel -Advice needed- transportation & borders

Hi there,

My wife & I intend to travel from the UK to Jordan, Egypt & Israel in September for our honeymoon.

Our plan is to start in Amman, go to Petra & Wadi Rum, then head to Aqaba for a few days.

We then want to go across to Taba and spend a few days relaxing there. I've heard there is a Sinbad ferry that goes there - is that correct? If so, does anyone know ticket prices/times/entry fees etc?

From Taba, we then want to head into Israel (Tel aviv, Jerusalem, Nazareth.) Again, I wanted to find out what information/documentation i might need when crossing the border from Egypt to Israel and what kind of costs are involved?

If anyone could could provide any useful information on the above, that would be fantastic.

Thanks,

Sam

Welcome to Thorn Tree.

All visa questions depend on your nationality, which you haven't stated. Most Western nationalities don't need a visa for Israel, and it's a simple matter to cross from Taba to Eilat.

Are you aware of a string of Jewish religious holidays in September that will have a major impact on your trip? Read FAQ 52 if you haven't already done so. Note that in addition to everything listed in that FAQ, the country's land borders as well as the airport will be closed on Yom Kippur (the afternoon of September 25 and all day September 26).

I do not believe the ferry from Aqaba to Taba operates anymore.

Now for the bigger question. With the exception of a few subtle differences, Aqaba, Taba and Eilat are all pretty much the same. Unless you just want to say you've been to Egypt (Taba isn't really like Egypt) there's absolutely no reason to spend time in both Aqaba and Taba.

Jerusalem, Petra, Wadi Rum are all among the most unique and fascinating destinations of their kind anywhere in the world. Knowing what I know I'd shave as many days off of Aqaba and Taba as I could and allocate them to those other places.

Assuming you hold a UK passport, you need no special documentation to enter or exit Jordan, Egypt or Israel.

There is a hefty 102NIS exit fee when you leave Israel which means if you choose to go to Taba you'll have to pay it even though you'll only be in Israel for a half hour or so as you transit from Aqaba to Taba. If you skip Taba altogether you'll save that money.

Have a great trip.

I'd second the above. Taba will complicate your itinerary considerably and I fear you will be sorely disappointed. For what it's worth I doubt you'll be blown away by Aqaba either. Of course it depends on what you're looking for and I suspect you're thinking of indulging in some quality beachtime. Unfortunately I think this area may be a little disappointing on that score. On the other hand both Jordan and Israel have some truly spectacular scenery and some very special places to stay on a honeymoon. Petra, Wadi Rum and Jerusalem are the biggies but look into Dana, Wadi Mujib and the Dead Sea, the castles in the Eastern Desert in Jordan and Masada, Haifa, the Judean and Negev deserts in Israel.

If you really want to go to Egypt you can get a ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba. It's about $75 pp and can take anything from 3 hours upwards.

An alternative is the slow, night ferry from Aqaba to Nuweibeh, which leaves around 1am. For the same transport fee, plus an additional JD10-15 (depending on how many travelling) you can get a private cabin with ensuite bathroom, and sleep the entire journey. We did this, arrived in Nuweibeh around 5:30-6am, and were in Dahab, had breakfast and were ready to dive at 10am. We did Egyptian immigration right after we boarded, and were then able to walk through customs on arrival. Scheduling: check the Arab Bridge Maritime website.

We found this accidentally because we were travelling in March, and the day ferries had been cancelled due to high winds and seas. The night ferry is also used for trucks and cars, and is a larger, more stable structure.

Thanks very much for your replies, they've been very helpful. We're re-worked our trip now and are going to go to Jordan & Israel only. There's no need for us to go into Egypt as you say and we were only going to go there for some beach and sun time which we can get in Aqaba instead. Also, very useful knowing about the holidays in Israel - we may yet fly into Israel (20th sept - 29th sept) as it would be easier to avoid the public holidays and go onto Jordan (29th sept - 6th oct) after but it purely depends on flight prices.

Thanks again!

Sam

Have a great trip.