Moving by car in Israel means to provide yourself with maximum freedom in action. Tourist buses do not go anywhere, but by car you can get to anywhere in the country. In addition, in all cities except Haifa, public transport stops walking from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Roads in Israel are excellent, traffic jams almost never happen - driving at the wheel will be fun.

Documents, insurance

A driver in the age of 21 to 75 years old can rent a car in Israel .But there are firms that agree to formalize the contract only if the client is not younger than 24 .Some firms charge an additional fee for young drivers when renting executive cars .The car rental company must provide a passport, driver's license (with data in English) or international driver's license .Pay attention to the "expiration date" of the driver's license .This document must be valid for two consecutive years .You will also need to purchase insurance, it does not cover the personal property of the driver and is not valid outside the territory of Israel, for example, in the Palestinian Autonomy .

A credit card is also required for the rental. It will block the rental amount and a security deposit. Money will be written off the card after you return the car. A cash deposit is not accepted, Electron and Maestro cards will not be taken into account.

If you are going to rent a car at Ben Gurion Airport or leave your car there when you return home, be prepared to pay an additional tax .Many rental companies quite severely penalize those who do not return the car on time .So - watch the clock! Transport is served with a full tank, but fuel is rarely included in the rental price, while returning the car that travels only "on gasoline pairs" is also not worth it .You will be asked to pay for fuel .Be sure to take a navigator on your journey .Without this technical device, you run the risk of getting lost in the labyrinth of streets in Israeli cities .

Fuel and refueling

Gasoline by Russian standards is quite expensive, about 60 rubles. It is interesting that when paying by credit card at gas stations there is a limit of 1600 rubles. When paying in cash, there are no restrictions. The cost of gasoline in Israel is closely related to world oil prices and the ratio of the dollar to the shekel.

Refueling in Israel interesting - in the machine you need to drive the car number. For the first time, it's best to ask the workers of the refueling service to do everything right.

Traffic Laws

The movement in Israel is right-sided. Pedestrians have a priority, so watch out for the situation at pedestrian crossings. Some streets have special dedicated lines for public transport. You can not call on them, but you can determine them by the yellow markings. In Israel there are no usual traffic lights, arrows indicate special traffic lights. You need to get used to this. Crossroads are equipped with security cameras.

The driver and all passengers must be fastened during movement .Adolescents under 15 years are not allowed to ride in the front seat, children under 4 years old must be seated in a car seat .When moving the campfire, you must always include lights, in a city with lights on you need to drive cars weighing more than 15 tons .During good weather, it is prohibited to use fog lights .Talking on the phone while driving without a wireless headset is prohibited .Hold on to the wheel with both hands - the police also pay attention to this .

Penalties

The fines in Israel are quite palpable, and except for monetary compensation for the offense, you can earn and deprivation of driver's license .And if you are stopped in a state of intoxication, then, in addition to a fine of several thousand shekels, the deprivation of rights for two years, you can get a criminal sentence - up to two years ."In the bushes," traffic police officers rarely sit, but follow the speed limit very strictly .On the roads there are cameras .Police officers during work always include flashers .Do not even think of offering a bribe to traffic police officers - in Israel this is a serious crime .

Some amounts of fines: travel to the red traffic light - 1000 shekels, unfastened seat belt - 250 shekels, talking by the phone at the wheel - 500 shekels. If you stop on a sunny day with the fog lights on, you will have to give 100 shekels.

Toll roads

In Israel there is only one toll road. It is designated as the road number 6. The fare depends on the length of the route, it is better to pay by the card at the entrance.

Parking in the cities of Israel

Arriving to find free parking in Israeli cities is not easy .As a rule, all places are occupied by cars of local residents .To throw the machine where horrible, too, should not be .The penalty for improper parking is very noticeable beats on your pocket - you can part with several hundred shekels .Especially be careful not to leave the car at the curb, painted in red-white or red-yellow colors, otherwise you will have to look for your transport place on the parking lot .And do not park in places that are designed for disabled cars .This is not only a bad tone, but also severely punished by the law - immediately comes the tow truck and takes the car to the parking lot .Therefore, the car must be left on paid parking .In some places it is customary to pay for a day, but it is more profitable for tourists to pay for the hours when the car is actually parked .

Car rental firms in Israel

Israeli rolling companies: Eldan.

International companies: Budget, Avis, Sixt, Suncar, Cal Auto, Albar.

Rental brokers: Ayda Israel, Cars-Scanner-Com, Europcar, Cars 4 travel.com, Economy Bookings.

All prices are indicated in March 2013