Middle East - Jordan. Drive all the way back from Aqaba to Amman, route 65 or 15?

Hello, I am planning to rent a car in Amman, Jordan for 1 week for visiting Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, Petra and Aqaba. I need to return the car back to Amman after visiting my final destination Aqaba. From Aqaba, there are 2 routes for getting back to Amman, they are route 65 and 15. Does anyone know the difference between route 65 and 15? Which route is the fastest, more convenient with a lot service areas for gas & food, and more scenic? Is it safe to drive at night in Jordan? Anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks for any input in advance!

I'd suggest Route 15 - the Desert Highway. It's the most direct route and fairly flat. Route 65 - the King's Highwy isn't direct and routes through the mountains. It will, however, be much more scenic as it routes close to the major archeological and tourist sites such as Petra, Karak and Ma'an.

It is safe to drive and services and rest stops are available, just not as plentiful as you may expect in the EU or US. I'd recommend driving during the day for better visibility as much of the highway isn't lit. Driving at night, if necessary, isn't bad. Just stay out of the way of the local cars and buses - they can drive quite aggressively.

I'd suggest Route 15 - the Desert Highway. It's the most direct route and fairly flat. Route 65 - the King's Highwy isn't direct and routes through the mountains. It will, however, be much more scenic as it routes close to the major archeological and tourist sites such as Petra, Karak and Ma'an.

It is safe to drive and services and rest stops are available, just not as plentiful as you may expect in the EU or US. I'd recommend driving during the day for better visibility as much of the highway isn't lit. Driving at night, if necessary, isn't bad. Just stay out of the way of the local cars and buses - they can drive quite aggressively.

Thank you FightingIlliniUAL!

Just stay out of the way of the local cars and buses - they can drive quite aggressively.

Any specific advice in this regard? Other than normal defensive driving??

We'll be driving there later this year...figure we'd go down on the King's Highway (daylight hours, midday) and then back 2 days later on the Desert Highway to AMM airport, likely getting there in the early evening.

Any specific advice in this regard? Other than normal defensive driving??

We'll be driving there later this year...figure we'd go down on the King's Highway (daylight hours, midday) and then back 2 days later on the Desert Highway to AMM airport, likely getting there in the early evening.

FightingIlliniUAL probably has better advice than I do, but I don't think you need anything other than ordinary defensive driving skills. The Desert Highway can actually be quite empty when driving at night. Do be on the lookout for livestock (goats and camels) and cars without headlights.

It's a very easy drive by Middle Eastern standards. It's much more like driving I-5 in California (or another long, flat US interstate) than driving in, say, Lebanon.