One of the big questions many visitors ask, is, should I rent a car or wing it with public transportation?
Well, this is a great question and every destination has a different answer. Israel is no different, but there are certainly some important things to consider before making your decision.
Where will I be staying?
It’s important to consider where you will be staying, because, if you choose to rent a car where will you park it? How much will it cost to park each day? These are pretty important in deciding if you will rent a car. Often times, people don’t consider the cost of parking which can really add up and make your car rental more expensive than you thought or how far you will have to park from your front door. If your hotel or rental has parking, that’s great, but that’s not the only thing that will affect your decision.
In addition to parking, traffic in a congested city like Jerusalem will be a real pain to deal with. Many times, it’s easier and faster to walk or take the amazing light rail while in Jerusalem.
Where will I be going?
So here comes the game changing question…where are you going during your visit to Israel? If you plan on generally hanging around Jerusalem or Tel Aviv and don’t plan on traveling far away from your home base, then as we mentioned above, you should consider using taxis and public transportation. It’s not only more convenient than having to deal with parking and rental expenses, but it will also be more efficient and cost effective.
On the other hand, if you plan on really getting around, going up north to Tiveria, Rosh Hanikra, Haifa or any other location more than an hour away, then you might want to consider renting a car. Once you consider going further, waiting for a bus or train can start eating into your precious time. Some people like to take public transportation to and from the airport, but then will rent a car for the few days they need to take some trips. Other’s like to have the convenience of the car rental at all times and will rent it for their entire stay, and then take public transportation while in Jersusalem, since it’s really easy to get around.
How do I deal with parking?
Parking in Israel, really isn’t so difficult – IF, you know what your doing. On the flip side, if you don’t know how to read the signs or where to park, you could get some hefty fines or even get towed…which will certainly be a pain to resolve.
So, what’s the secret for parking? There is essentially only one thing to know. On the streets where it’s ok to park, you will see a painted blue and white line. If you see that and there is a space – grab it!!! In Jerusalem, they are hard to find, but outside the city, it’s a little easier. Once you park, go find a posted sign with instructions. You don’t have to know how to read Hebrew, although it can help.
What you want to look for on the posted sign, is the start and end time. The start time tells you how early you are allowed to park or when the parking fees start, and the end time is when you are allowed to park until or when the parking fees no longer apply, and it’s free to park. PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION to what we just said. Some areas only allow permit holders to park before and after the start and end times. This means STAY AWAY before the start time and after the end time. You should see this mentioned on the sign, so be sure to read the signs. If there is no mention of permits required, then it’s free to park there before the start time and after the end time.
So, how do you pay? Here is the tough part. Unfortunately, Israel doesn’t really have meters or machines to pay in most areas, they use a mobile app. There are two mobile apps you could use. One is called PANGO and the other is called CELLOPARK. If you do not have a smart phone, you can pay with your mobile phone by calling the number SOMETIMES posted at the bottom of the parking signs – HOWEVER- you must have an Israel SIM card or phone with an Israel mobile number for this to work.
The better and easier option is to have the mobile app on a smart phone. To sign up for the apps above, you will need an Israel phone or SIM card with an Israeli number (except for the hack we discovered – see below). The reason it requires an Israeli number is because it sends you a text code to confirm the account. For some reason, it won’t send the text to an American number.
If you have an Israeli SIM card and phone number, just sign up for a new account, add a credit card for payment and be sure to enter the license plate on your car – this is how parking enforcement will know your car has an active parking session.
HOWEVER, if you are using you American mobile phone number and SIM card, there is a hack. Download the app and start filling out the registration. At some point it will ask for your number so it can send you a code to verify your account and phone. Since this doesn’t work with American numbers, you will contact customer service for CELLOPARK via their Whatsapp customer service number by clicking this link.
https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=972543231266&text&type=phone_number&app_absent=0In our experience, the customer service agent (during daytime business hours) was quick to get us signed up on the app.
Once you are set up, the app is pretty simple. The CELLOPARK app will show you where you are on the map and at the bottom of the page, there is a big button to click, which says PRESS TO START – this starts your parking session. Wait! Remember above that we discussed the start and end times of each parking area? The app will ask you which area you are parking at. Typically it will be an ending time of 18:00 or 19:00, so be sure to select the correct one. Once you select the start button, you will see a countdown to how much time you have left, based on the amount of money in your account. Be sure to come back to your car before the timer runs out. When you get back to your car, don’t forget to click STOP on the parking timer, as each minutes deducts from your paid balance. REMEMBER, just because you started the parking session, doesn’t mean that you are allowed to park there – make sure to read the signs to make sure there aren’t any special rules or permit times as we mentioned above.
What do I need to know about car rental Insurance?
This is important to know, because you aren’t in America anymore and things are a bit different. Many people think it’s ok to just decline the rental cars additional insurance offer. While it might appear to save you a few bucks, it might actually cost you thousands. Not all American insurance companies will cover cars in international destinations. So, if you plan on taking that route, be sure to call your insurance company before you leave, to ensure they will cover accidents in Israel. The other thing to know, is that even if they do cover you in Israel, you might be driving to areas in Israel that are not covered. Most territories over the green line will give you no coverage at all, which will be very costly and legally dangerous if you get into an accident.
Some of you are thinking, well, my credit card covers me when I rent a car…beware, the same could apply to credit cards. Call your credit card company to ensure the type of insurance coverage and what countries it covers. Some cards will only cover you as secondary insurance – this means they will expect you to have a primary insurance plan and they will only cover deductibles…that will cost you a lot of money if you get into an accident and don’t have the proper coverage.
Many times, car rental companies can insure you for a few extra dollars a day and having the peace of mind that you are covered from head to toe and not worrying about where that dent on the side came from, is sometimes worth the extra few bucks. As with any insurance be sure to ask your car rental company what they cover. Some will only cover the deductible because they expect your primary insurance at home will cover the rest – other times they could offer full coverage, so no matter what happens while you are using the car, you don’t have to worry about an dings, nicks or bangs that happen while you are using the car.
How do I navigate around Israel without going into a dangerous area? Is it safe to drive myself?
In a gist, it’s really not that hard to navigate around Israel if you use Waze or Google Maps. Just be sure to have the setting turned on that prevents you from being routed over the green line. As we mentioned above, if you go those types of areas, your car might not be insured AT ALL while in those areas. Additionally, it can be dangerous in some areas unless your vehicle is equipped with rock proof windows. So, it’s best to avoid those areas as best you can.
There are two main highways that should be avoided if you can. The 60 and the 90. There may be small parts of these highways that you will need to use, but they both go over the green line and if you have any car trouble or need to stop along the way, it could be dangerous. Highway 1 goes all the way north and is the recommended route for most lengthy travel, even though it might take a little longer.
