Advice please - Egypt to Jordan sidetrip
 

Hello..
We, four of us (kids 10&8), are going to be in Egypt for about 15 days. We are thinking of making a side trip to Jordan for 3 days (don't want to lay down in Sharm beach for 5 days).
Is it worth it..?
What is the less expensive way to do it..?
I am thinking of flying into Cairo and flying out of Amman..is it a good idea (provided I don't have to pay more than $100 a ticket)
What places to visit (Petra and whereelse)..?

thank you in advance

We did the same with our kids last Christmas: flew into Cairo and out of Amman. We got our Jordanian visas at the Embassy in Cairo (a couple of blocks from the Sheraton near the main bridge by the river). We made our way by train and minivan to Aswan/Abu Simbel, and then on to the Sinai. St. Catherine's should not be missed - easy taxi ride. From Nuweiba you can either catch the hydrofoil straight to Aqaba (it is not cheap, however, and you are bound by their sailing schedule), or you can catch a taxi (about $15)to the Israeli border, walk across, then catch another taxi ($10)to the Jordanian border, and walk across again. Israel will, however, charge you an exit fee. Three countries in the space of one hour! From there, catch a taxi to Petra - around $40. If you only have three days, Petra is magnificant and worth the effort. We stayed two days and it was the highlight of our trip. I highly recommend Taybet Zamen as a place to stay - it is a 5* laid out as an ancient Jordanian village. It is a couple of miles out of town, but the experience is worth it, and the town isn't much anyway. Rates are reasonable at around $100 per night off the internet. If you have more time, an overnight with a Bedouin guide at Wadi Rum is pretty cool. Taxi from Petra to Amman or the airport is about $50. Amman is ok - nice bazaar - but you wouldn't miss much if you miss it.

Another hotel to consider at Petra is the Movenpick which is right at the entrance to Petra. This way you can stay late at Petra after most tourists have left, and return early the next morning (Sunset and Sunrise are supposed to be beautiful) and the tourists haven't arrive yet. Certainly easier then taking taxis back and forth to the Taybet Zaman, though a lovely hotel.

Royal Jordanian has flights between Cairo and Amman - don't know schedule or prices (can't be much) where you can arrange for a driver to meet you to overnight first night in Amman if you arrive later; if arrive early driver can take you to Petra, about 2+ hrs drive. Return early to Amman on third day, for a tour of Jerash and in/around Amman before boarding your homebound flight. Royal Jordanian Air can probably arrange a guide/driver and hotels for you through their Tours Department. Petra is amazing and I believe your children will enjoy very much.

Thank you very much...
I am thinking of catching the ferry from Sharm to Aqaba..my wife's passport does not allow her to go to Israel (otherwise I would have gone to Israel instead of Jordan).

Do I need to arrange for a guide/package to go to Petra..?

Is Bedouin is a company you arrange with for pickup and drop off..? I will call Royal Jordanian airlines to find more today..and post what I find

Are the taxi's easily available in Petra..? Is it $50/person or for the trip..? I just want to be able to bargain with some knowledge..

Is it easy to get a taxi in Sharm to get to the Ferry place..?

Thanks a lot again for all your help.

Taxis are everywhere, and if you don't like the price of the first guy, go to the next. Prices are per person, not per trip. No tour guides are necessary; you can easily do Petra on your own and all speak english. See http://www.jordanjubilee.com/ruth.htm
it is a great web site about Jordan and will answer all your questions.

Thank you stepstra..
sorry for my ignorance about Bedouin...I read a lot of Bedouin after posting my message.

Do you have a tour operator that you can recommend..?

In Cairo we used the hotel’s travel agent to get around. Thereafter, we used a very resourceful fellow named Aladin El-Sahabi. He is based in Luxor, where his family owns the Nefertiti, a one star backpackers’ hotel. It is very basic with no frills, but had an Egyptian family friendliness to it and was kept clean. We ended up there by accident in the middle of the night, but it turned out to be quite fortunate that we did. Through his network, he arranged tours and onward transportation by private minivan and boat to Aswan, Abu Simbel, and back, and then on to and through the Sinai. We were in good hands the entire way, and all was done hassle free, efficiently, and quite inexpensively. I doubt that you would be able to find better service at such good quality. He further was able to arrange deeply discounted prices at any 4* or 5* hotel of our choosing anywhere in Egypt. If you want door to door service from the moment you arrive in Egypt, he will be able to arrange it. You can read about him at www.touregypt.net/hotelreviews.htm in the Luxor Nefertiti link. His website is www.nefertitihotel.com/tours/arrange.htm
If you do decide to use him, tell him Peter and family from Georgia (who lost their suitcase in Hurghada last Christmas) send their regards.