Jeeny/Careem
The easiest way to travel in Amman is via Careem (the local Uber!), or taxi.
Jeeny and Careem are convenient for several reasons, but mostly because the convenience of manually setting a location via your phone GPS is significantly easier than trying to give your driver an address. Careem has cash-settings in Amman, so you don't need to worry about international bank charges: you can order your rides through your phone and pay cash in person as well as through credit cards. Additionally, Careem drivers often serve a unique clientele in contrast to traditional taxi services. Consequently, you are more likely to come across a significant number of English-speaking, young professionals who are well-educated. Many of these drivers work for Careem as a supplementary source of income, and they are often recognized for their amicable and helpful attitude. Don't be surprised if they offer to drive you again. Many of the drivers may offer to give you their number and will try to strike deals with you for longer trips and out-of-town trips.
Taxis
If you choose to use taxis, be mindful that taxi drivers will not necessarily speak any English. Genrally, taxi drivers won't take addresses — they'll want to know what circle you are headed towards, and where your destination is relative to major landmarks.
It's useful to understand the basic layout of Amman. Amman is divided into seven circles, denoting seven hills. These circles are traffic circles. East of the first circle is the 'downtown' area. If your taxi driver is confused about your general location, name the closest circle and he will take you there. There are a few key landmarks in Amman: The King Abdullah I Mosque in the north of the city, Wahdat Bus Station (in the south of the city) (also called "Mujemma al-Janoub", and is where you can grab a service bus to Petra), and Tabarbour Bus Station (far north bus station). Note that the airport you will fly into, Queen Alia, is not in Amman - it is about 30 minutes outside of the city by taxi.
There are, generally, two types of taxis in Amman: The yellow taxis, which will take you wherever you want to go, and white taxis, or service taxis, which should drive a specific route between two points and pick people up along the way. Make sure you ask the taxi to use the meter (say 'il adad'). Generally, it is not a problem for yellow taxis in Amman to use the meter. Do not be radically surprised if your taxi driver appears to be taking a circuitous route around early evening time - traffic is very heavy.
Look at this website for a fantastic guide to using taxis in Amman: http://www.beyondmyfrontdoor.com/wp/important-guide-taxis-in-amman/
Some simple notes:
- Do not grab a taxi that is sitting on the side of the road - there is a higher chance that you will need to tell them to use the meter;
- If a taxi adamantly refuses to use the meter, you should immediately demand that they stop. However, I must emphasize that this, really, never happens - Amman is a very friendly, safe city.
Buses
There are three main bus stations in Amman: Wahdat (Mujemma al-Janoub) (GPS coordinate: 31°55'02.4"N 35°55'48.7"E) station in the south, Abdali (GPS coordinate: N31°57'36.37" E35°55'1.82") station in the northeast, and Tabarbour (GPS coordinate: N31°59'41.28", E 35°55'10.92") station in the north. You can find a taxi to go anywhere in Amman at these two locations. Please note that buses do not run on Fridays.
Wahdat station has buses going to every point south of Amman; Tabarbour has buses going to cities in the north (Irbid). Abdali station is home to the JETT (Jordan Express Tourist Transportation) company, and is where some buses stop going to/from the airport and the Israel land border crossing. If you take a bus from the airport, it is likely to stop at Abdali station.
Bus tickets are a lot cheaper than taxis to get to Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba.