Israel Car Rental
If you are the independent traveler, or you are visiting family and friends renting a car can be very simple. The roads are great, the signage is very clear and you can get everywhere easily.
Just think — In the morning you can be in the Judean desert and within a few hours, you are in the mountains of the Galilee. You can be in Jerusalem one hour and within 60 minutes (depending on traffic) you can be on the beach of Tel Aviv sipping a cold drink, or floating in the Dead Sea.
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Tips for renting a car in Israel
- When choosing a car, you need to think about how many people will be travelling each day and how much luggage room the car has when changing from one hotel to the other.
- In Israel, in general, people drive smaller European cars.
- Remember that reservations are for vehicle groups only. Many times, the type of vehicle or the model size, engine size or trunk size are not guaranteed.
- Make your reservations way in advance. Car rental companies are very busy during holidays, conventions and summer.
- Always try to bring the car back with “Full Gas”. Otherwise, you will pay much more for the car rental company to fill the tank. Also, keep your receipt in the case you get a bill from the car company for gas.
By Kyle Taylor [CC by 2.0], via flickr - Car Insurance is very important. Talk to your credit card company if you think/know that they cover some of the insurance. The employee at the car rental company cannot give you these answers. Whatever insurance you don’t have, make sure to take. It saves so much hassle and money G-d Forbid you need it.
- Best not to leave ANYTHING in the car when it is parked.
- Israel has great direction signs. They are usually in English, Hebrew and Arabic. But, getting a GPS in the car or using a portable GPS is highly recommended.
- Israeli drivers have little patience and drive quite fast. So, don’t get nervous when you hear someone honk the horn, or yell. Just drive the way you always drive — CAREFULLY!!
- When you arrive, you may be tired, anxious and wanting very much to get to your hotel. Your credit card will serve as a deposit during the rental period, and as means of payment for said rental and additional charges, if needed. Make sure that you have the following ready to present at the counter:
- Valid driver’s license.
- Passport and/or Israeli ID.
- Valid credit card in name of the rental customer only, printed in clear prominent letters (non-electronic).
- When you are returning the car, sometimes, you just want to run to your flight. Stay the extra time to get the receipt from the car Rental Company. It will save you time and energy later if there are any disputes.
- According to Israeli law, all Israeli citizens are liable to VAT, including in Eilat.
