Driving in Israel
 

I was wondering what driving in Israel is like compared to the US? I will be in Tel Aviv for a few days then going to Jerusalem for a few days before flying home. A car rental to go from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and then Jerusalem to the airport would be cheaper than taxis I think. Car rental is around $100 USD for the 3 days I would need the car.

Israeli drivers are aggressive and impatient compared to what you'll experience in most American regions. If you've driven in Boston and in Mexico, you won't face anything you haven't seen before — Israeli driving is somewhere in between.

But I think you'll find you really don't need a car.

Honestly, if you're just going to be in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, I would suggest you skip the car rental unless you're traveling with large amounts of luggage, multiple small children, or the like.

It's extremely easy to get from the airport to TA, between TA and Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem to the airport by (quite reasonably priced) public transportation, unless it's Shabbat. Even then, and at all times, you can get a sherut taxi. Within the cities, you can pretty much walk anywhere, and dealing with a car will only be a hassle. This is especially true in Jerusalem, where presumably most of your tourist time will be spent in the Old City, which is not driveable.

If you were planning to travel long distances to smaller destinations, such as up to the Galilee towns or down to the Dead Sea, a car would make more sense. But in the main cities, IMHO it's unnecessary and arguably more of a hindrance.

Edit: To give you an idea of costs, the bus from the airport to downtown Jerusalem cost me something around 20 shekels (can't remember the exact price, but let's say $5ish) last month, while from Tel Aviv to the airport it was even less. I believe the Nesher (which I haven't taken) costs around 70 shekels from the airport to Jerusalem. I'd save the car rental money and spend it on hummus. :D

If you are staying at a hotel, have you factored in the cost of parking? There is also an extra charge to drop a rental car off at the airport.

[QUOTE=holocker;31657569]I was wondering what driving in Israel is like compared to the US? I will be in Tel Aviv for a few days then going to Jerusalem for a few days before flying home. A car rental to go from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and then Jerusalem to the airport would be cheaper than taxis I think. Car rental is around $100 USD for the 3 days I would need the car.[/QUOTE ]

OP I just got back yesterday, had a car for all 11 days, and ended up doing less than 1/2 the driving I usually do, I did just over 50KM I usually do apx 1500km Although always based in Jerusalem I usually drive up North and to the Dead Sea a couple of times, and to friend staht live apx 45 mins from Jerusalem

That said if I was gonna do what you plan to staying wise, I would NEVER rent a car, just like if I was staying in Manhatten I would t either. I dont think you added in the price for gas apx $6.50 per gallon, nor for parking not only by the hotels lot (if they should have 1) but street parking cant be paid by meters its either via the interent by having an account or a device you can buy and load somewhere. Then theres the problem of finding a space

I totally agree with the poster above who said it was best not renting

You definitely do not want a car in both Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem because of the traffic and parking problems. Public transport in the cities and between them is inexpensive and efficient (but not on Saturday). To go from the airport to Tel-Aviv - you can take the train, the 445 bus or a taxi. To go from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem - take the 480 bus from the Arlozorov Terminal in north Tel-Aviv. To go from Jerusalem to the airport - take the 485 bus, the Nesher sherut (shuttle) or a taxi.

I'm curious if the $100 quote includes compulsory insurance (not referring to the CDW which can generally be waived if you have a credit card that provides such coverage).

I'm a firm believer - if you need a car while there, by all means, rent one! But if it's just a means of transportation to get to/from the airport, it's almost never worth it. The most expensive option of getting a taxi will likely be no more than NIS 600 (in total) and means no need to actually drive, deal with other drivers, find parking and pay for it, etc. That's $170.

The car costs $100. Gas, assuming you don't drive it anywhere else, will be a minimum of $15 for gas. The difference is 190 shekel ($55). My assumption is that between the airport fee ($29.50), compulsory insurance (often at least 20% addition), hotel parking, etc., you will more than surpass the cost of the taxi.

Again, all that being said, if you decide that renting a car is for you, I have found the drivers to be aggressive, and not much worse than driving in NYC.

My favourite memories of driving in Israel included people going the wrong way round (or even over) roundabouts to avoid queues, and a few people either reversing or driving the wrong way down the motorway because they’d missed their junction.

Perhaps neither of these would apply in the immediate Jerusalem-tel Aviv area mind, i was more up north

when did the airport fee go down to $29.50? Ive been paying $39+ the past couple of years, depending who you rent with , and OP thats if you onlu p/u at BG or drop off @ BG or do both

I don't know where you usually book rental cars, but when I'm visiting Israel, I usually book a car via the Swedish Hertz web site. And mandatory insurance and the airport fee is always included in the price which is listed. So, last time I was in Israel, I booked a car class H for three days for SEK 1277, or about USD 132, with all compulsory costs included. For this coming winter, I can see prices on Hertz.se as low as USD 102 for three days class A, inclusive of insurance and airport fee, with the Aegean CDP.

And I've actually never paid anything for hotel parking in Israel.

Thanks for the info. What I am trying to do is find a tour with pick up in Tel Aviv and drop off in Jerusalem but with the day I need there are only a couple options. Flight leaves Ben Gurion airport at 5:20 AM so public transport options are out and will need a taxi for at least that leg. Hotels chosen so far are the Sheraton in Tel Aviv and Eldan in Jerusalem which does not charge for parking.

Are there interesting sites to see on the drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?

Does Israel have Uber?

You don't need a taxi to get to the hotel. The sherut (shared van) from Jerusalem to the airport operates 24/7, is much cheaper than a taxi and very reliable. The hotel can call and book a sherut for pick-up at around 1:30-2:00 AM. Most hotels in Jerusalem do this for their guests every day.

Eldan has a good location with walking distance to the Old City, Emek Refaim, Ben Yehuda, etc, so you don't really need a car in Jerusalem.

There are many interesting places to stop between the two cities. My personal preferences would be Neot Kedumim (Biblical botanical gardens), Mini Israel (models of Israeli buildings), the Armored Corps museum at Latrun, and the Arab town of Abu Ghosh, which has the best Arab food in Israel.

Public bus from Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion runs 24 hours a day; it has a few stops in central TA before getting on the highway:
https://www.touristisrael.com/public...urion-airport/

The bus from Jerusalem to the airport also runs 24 hours:
https://www.touristisrael.com/bus-be...rusalem/20176/

On the highway between the cities, there's a fort at Latrun, and the town of Abu Ghosh is supposed to have good hummus places (never been, but it's on my list for next time.)

Israel has an Uber-like outfit called Gett. Never used it, but it's pretty popular.

Gett Taxi is not like Uber. It's an app that dispatches and pays a registered taxi. You can use it to call a taxi to your location. It worked pretty well for me, but it failed on the edge of the old city of Jerusalem when it couldn't locate my position adequately.

Israelis will warn you to make sure your cabby "turns the meter" without telling you what that means. Israeli taxi meters are mounted on pivots. The driver has to physically turn the meter to switch from the available to the engaged position. If he drives away without doing this, he's robbing you. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to call the police when this happened to me. I rather doubt they'd have done anything, but it would have gotten the cabby's attention. I can only plead jet lag. :(

We used Gett a few times while in Israel earlier this year. While the service uses licensed taxis, the ordering and payment process worked exactly as it does with Uber or Lyft. Payments were automatically processed via the app and I promptly received detailed receipts in the app and by email as soon the the rides were over. IIRC, the cost of a ride from TLV to the airport was a set price.