From Jordan
You can take a ferry from Aqaba, Jordan to Nuweiba, about 70km south on the other side of the gulf. (See under Aqaba for more details on getting to the ferry.) Sailing time is about three hours; the border-crossing procedures take place upon landing in Nuweiba. See Nuweiba for transportation to other Sinai destinations from there. If you plan to go directly to Eilat, get ready for a whole day of boredom and frustration-all for the sake of ending up two miles from where you started.

To Jordan
The same ferries can shuttle you from Nuweiba to Aqaba. There are two daily ferries: the first between 10am and noon, the second between 4pm and 6pm. One-way passage on the deck costs US$25. Show up at or before 9am and 3pm respectively to deal with customs, ticketing, Egyptian bank hassles, and quagmirean queues.

Any Nuweiba bus can leave you at the terminal, or at least at the turn-off, which is 7km south of the tourist center (bus fare 75pt, taxis LE8). The morning bus from Taba comes by at Sam and is convenient for catching the morning ferry. You can also catch a direct bus from Cairo to the ferry, leaving from Abbassiya Station at 1 lpm and arriving at about 6am.

“Hie bus, like the ferry itself, will be crowded with Egyptian workers bound for jobs in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states. Ordinarily you can buy a ticket when you arrive at the port. The ticket office (pel. (062) 77 79 49) is outside the entrance to the port complex. First purchase yotir ticket; you’ll need US$25 (the nearby bank gives dollars for traveler’s checks). Show your ticket to enter the port. At this point foreigners will be assigned an official to guide them through customs and emigration and onto the boat. The real element of uncertainty is when the boat will actually sail; sometimes it takes hours for the ferry to work up the courage to let go of the dock.

When iu board the ferry, you’ll be searched perfunctorily and asked to fork over your passpo.-t. During the trip, or immediately after you disembark, border crossing procedures ta. place. Your passport will be returned at Jordanian customs in Aqaba, or, if you go searching for it, on the boat. In Aqaba you’ll have to endure a long wait and pass through a painless customs search before you’re freed to catch a taxi or minibus into Aqaba center, 10km north (the drivers will probably accept Egyptian currency). Remember: Travelers with evidence of a visit to Israel in their passports might be allowed to board the ferry, but will not be allowed to disembark, passports with an Egyptian Taba entry stamp have been known to pass through, but don’t stake your trip on it. Clever sorts who have two passports must be sure to get the Nuweiba exit stamp in the passport that has no sign of Israel in it.