International Relations Office
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Israel
| Leisure |
| Getting Around |
By air: Israir (www.israir.co.il) flies at least once daily (including Saturday) between Ben-Gurion airport, Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Eilat and Haifa. Arkia (www.arkia.co.il) operates flights between the same cities, as well as international charters to Jerusalem. By rail: Israel State Railways (ISR; www.israrail.org.il) runs a convenient, efficient and inexpensive network of passenger rail services. The main line runs along the coast; the northernmost station is Nahariya and heading south there are stops in Akko, Haifa, Binyamina (for Caesarea), Netanya, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Ashkelon. From Tel Aviv there is a spur to Be’er Sheva and Dimona; a spur to Rishon LeZion and Rehovot; a spur to Ben-Gurion airport; and a spur to Jerusalem. Plans are afoot to extend the network down to Eilat. There is also a project to build a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (completion date 2011), with a stop on the way at Ben-Gurion airport. The ride will take 28 minutes. The main problem faced by foreign travellers is the language barrier. Trains are not marked in English, announcements are made in Hebrew and there are no route maps on the trains. If you don’t speak Hebrew, the best thing you can do is ask your fellow travellers about which trains to take and where to get off. Note that ISIC holders get a 20% discount. By road: Drivers won’t need an international driving licence, but must have their home driving licence in order to rent a car or drive a private vehicle. Buses: The national bus service, Egged (www.egged.co.il), has an extensive route system in Israel, partially due to the fact that it’s also the major transport vehicle for soldiers moving about the country. As such you can expect to find buses filled with soldiers heading home for the weekend or back to their base. Some routes make stops near army bases, although this is never very inconvenient. Egged buses are modern, clean and equipped with air-con, making travel safe and comfortable. Buses generally run on time, though it’s far from an exact science. Remember that on Shabbat Egged intercity buses don’t run at all (Friday afternoon to Saturday evening). Most intercity routes have an Egged bus departing two to five times an hour but you can expect long waits if you are out on the back roads, which may be serviced by only one or two buses a day. Egged also serves West Bank settlements, utilising a fleet of a more than 100 bullet-proof buses. Car-hire: Hiring a car is a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It doesn’t make much sense to have one in Jerusalem or other big cities, but it’s definitely a good idea for the Golan, Upper Galilee and Negev areas. Note that Tel Aviv has a serious parking shortage and you’ll probably end up having to park in a private lot at around 45NIS a day. Hertz (www.hertz.co.il), Avis (www.avis.co.il) and Budget (www.budget.co.il) each have about 15 to 20 offices countrywide. Car hire with insurance and unlimited kilometres costs as little as US$250 per week or US$600 per month. Note, most Jerusalem-based rental-car agencies forbid you to take their cars into the Palestinian Territories, though Green Peace is an exception Public Transport : Buses are used widely within the main cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa. If you don’t read Hebrew, or you are new to a city, it can be a little difficult to figure out the bus routes. You may need to ask others at the bus stop which bus to take. You can also ask advice from any driver that passes by; they are usually pretty helpful. In Tel Aviv, the local bus company Dan (03-639 0444; www.dan.co.il) transports about 600, 000 commuters a day. It operates from 5am to 1am daily except during Shabbat hours. West Jerusalem is served by Egged (www.egged.co.il), while Arab buses handle most of East Jerusalem. Haifa is also served by Egged. |
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Some recommended dishes:
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| Others eg. Travel Guide |
