Car Rentals in Israel

I thought I might tell you a bit about car rentals in Israel and give you a few recommendations.

If this is your first time in Israel please consider coming with a group – this package deal usually includes a bus and then you can just skip the whole Israel rent a car experience (not that it is a bad experience…).

If this isn’t your first time in Israel or if you just like to be independent rather than being attached to a group – you have several options:

The first option is to contact a private tour guide that has a private van and will be able to drive you around and guide you through the country.

Your second option is to travel using the Israeli public transportation system. While Israel has a decent train and bus systems that can pretty much take you anywhere – I do not recommend you to use this method. While this can prove to be your cheapest option, it does not allow for too much flexibility in planning your trip through Israel.

Your third option is to use one of the many Israel rental cars agencies. You can find all the big names and global companies including Avis, Hertz and the rest of them. You can also look for the bigger Israeli car rental companies such as Eldan and Shlomo Sixt – you can find their branches in the airport as well as throughout the main cities. Don’t choose a car rental company that is too small and only has one or two branches as their supply of cars is usually low and the maintenance level isn’t as good.

My favorite company and one that I can definitely recommend to you is a company you probably already know . The service is good, the cars are in great condition and the prices are quite reasonable as their name suggests. DO buy insurance! While driving in Israel is safe for the most part – you would want to make sure you are covered in case something happens.

A note on driving in Israel:

Most roads and freeways in Israel are in good condition. There are several new highways and the driving experience is quite pleasant really. The locals for the most part are following the traffic rules. Having said that the traffic can get rough at certain times of the day especially in the bigger cities – the worst is in Tel Aviv during rush hour. So just try to avoid getting into traffic jams during the early morning hours and between about 4-7 pm. Otherwise you should be fine.