Getting around · Jeddah · Saudi Arabia
Getting around Jeddah
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Jeddah is a long, spread-out coastal city, and most visitors get around by ride-hailing car or taxi. Al-Balad and the Corniche promenades are walkable in themselves, but the distances between them are not. Not essential: ride-hailing is plentiful and inexpensive.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Ride-hailing
- Airports
- JED
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Ride-hailing
Uber and Careem are widely used and the most practical way to move between Al-Balad, the Corniche, Tahlia Street and Obhur.
Taxi
Licensed taxis wait at the airport, hotels and malls; use the meter or agree the fare before departure.
Bus
Jeddah's public bus network covers main roads across the city, including routes to Al-Balad, but services are slower than ride-hailing and better suited to patient travellers.
Walking
Al-Balad's lanes and the Corniche promenades are pleasant on foot in the cooler months and after sunset; daytime walking in summer is hard work.
Train
The Haramain High Speed Railway runs from Jeddah's Al Sulimaniyah station and the airport station north to King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah.
Book seats in advance at busy periods, especially around Ramadan and Hajj.
From the airport
King Abdulaziz International Airport is about 20 km north of Al-Balad. A taxi or ride-hailing car takes about 25–40 minutes to Al-Balad or the Corniche depending on traffic, and the airport has its own Haramain railway station.
Do you need a car?
Not essential: ride-hailing is plentiful and inexpensive. A hire car helps for Taif, the northern beaches or King Abdullah Economic City, but traffic in Jeddah is fast and assertive.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Taif | About 2–3 hours by car | Car or organised tour |
| Al Shafa | About 3 hours by car | Car or organised tour via Taif |
| King Abdullah Economic City | About 1 hour by high-speed train or 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Haramain High Speed Railway or car |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Jeddah?
Not essential: ride-hailing is plentiful and inexpensive. A hire car helps for Taif, the northern beaches or King Abdullah Economic City, but traffic in Jeddah is fast and assertive.
+How do you get from the airport to Jeddah?
King Abdulaziz International Airport is about 20 km north of Al-Balad. A taxi or ride-hailing car takes about 25–40 minutes to Al-Balad or the Corniche depending on traffic, and the airport has its own Haramain railway station.
+What is the best way to get around Jeddah?
Ride-hailing: Uber and Careem are widely used and the most practical way to move between Al-Balad, the Corniche, Tahlia Street and Obhur.