TLV car rental "center", really?
Is the new remote car rental area at TLV temporary, or is that really the permanent solution, with the separate shuttles and everything? I ask because last time in TLV, 3-4 years ago, renting from Hertz was fairly painless, went to the counter then out to the garage to the well signed elevator to the car.
This time, a few weeks ago, I got to experience the "consolidated" facility near T1 after arrival. First, I missed the signage and used the floor level list to go to the wrong side of whichever level has the rental counters, requiring multiple escalators back to the right side (Maybe it's just me being obtuse, but I find the TLV airport signage to not always be as complete as other places, including trying to find checkin area "G" for US Airways on the way home. But that's another story). Got near the counter, and despite the lack of the standard "Gold customers proceed to shuttle" sign, decided that's what I should do. Followed the signs out to the garage and elevators, down to the shuttle area, which lacks sidewalks or a clear idea of where to wait while avoiding being run over by traffic. Of course all of the other companies' shuttles were waiting except Hertz, and 3-4 of them left while I waited for about 15 minutes.
The shuttle bus was the kind meant for tours -- driver comes around to the back to load luggage, then everyone goes back around to the front to board. Luckily just me and one other person, or that could take a while. The ride is 5-10 minutes to an area that looks like it belongs in the 1950s (probably the original car rental facility?), with the rental companies in tiny offices arranged in a U shape.
Return was equally inconvenient, with the shuttle, of course, leaving just before I was there, so I got to wait another 15 minutes for it to return.
Assuming the remote lot is really the plan, wouldn't a common shuttle system that ran more frequently be more efficient?
I don't mean to complain too much, as I enjoyed (most) other aspects of my business trip (nothing like expensing dinner at a beachside cafe watching the sun set or spending a free day walking around Jerusalem), but this just seemed like a huge step backward from the rest of the shiny "new" airport (I remember the old T1 circa 1996)...