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Getting There By Air:

Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV)
Tel: (03) 975 5555.
Website: www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/BenGurion/

Ben Gurion International Airport, also known as Tel Aviv Airport, is located near Lod on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway (Highway 1), about 25km (15 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv and approximately 45km (29 miles) west of Jerusalem. It is Israel’s principal hub for international and domestic air traffic, served by over 47 airlines and with two terminals designed to handle up to 12 million passengers each year. Work to build terminal three is currently under way.

Whether flying in or out of Israel, the check-in period is always at least three hours prior to departure. To date, all passengers are normally subject to one-to-one interview by security personnel but this is being phased out in favor of high-tech scanning machines.

Airport facilities: Facilities include 24-hour banks, restaurants, duty-free shops, general shops, post office and 24-hour tourist information. Avis, Budget, Eldan, Eurodollar, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty all provide car hire services. It is worth noting that most airport services (including public transport) are reduced on Shabbat (approximately Friday 1700 to Saturday 1700).

Transport to the city: Buses to Jerusalem, operated by the Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il/Eng/), leave the airport every 25-45 minutes 0630-2140. The bus stop is outside the airport arrivals building, opposite parking lot number one. Bus numbers for Jerusalem are nos. 405, 423, 945 and 947; tickets can be bought on the bus. Buses terminate at Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station on Jaffa Road in west Jerusalem. Taxis are located on the right outside the airport arrivals hall. The Nesher Company (tel: (02) 623 1231) runs a sherut (shared taxi) service between the airport and Jerusalem, charging a fixed rate per passenger. For an extra charge, they will take passengers and their baggage to (or collect from) anywhere in the city.

Getting There By Road:

Israel has an excellent road network and, because the country is relatively small with varied scenery, traveling by car can be a great pleasure. However, the major roads can be very congested, so motorists are advised to allow plenty of time for journeys. Traffic drives on the right and road rules are similar to those in Western Europe and North America. The minimum legal driving age in Israel is 18 years, while the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%. All passengers must wear seatbelts at all times and children under 14 should not travel in the front seat. Road signs are international, distances given are in kilometers and all signposting on major roads is in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The speed limit is 100kph (62mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on intercity roads and 50kph (31mph) within towns. It is compulsory to carry either a national driving license from any country or an International Driving Permit. Insurance is mandatory in Israel and is organized by the government. Visitors driving their own vehicles can purchase the insurance through a local agent. The certificate must be carried in the car at all times – a photocopy is not acceptable. A departure tax is payable for those who leave Israel by land if they arrived in the country by air.

The Automobile and Touring Club of Israel - MEMSI (tel: (03) 564 1122; website: www.memsi.co.il/ , Hebrew only) provides information and assistance, with free services for members of affiliated motoring organizations, such as the AAA (in the USA) and the AA and RAC (in the UK).

Emergency breakdown service:
MEMSI (03) 564 1111

Routes to the city: From Tel Aviv (and Ben Gurion International Airport), Highway One runs to Jerusalem. Further north, Israel’s only motorway, the Ayalon Highway, runs from Haifa to Tel Aviv. These two roads would be the route to Jerusalem from the north; however, from the east, the city is reached by the Yeriho (or Jericho) Road from Jericho, Qumran and the Dead Sea. This road divides as it approaches the city, giving drivers the choice of entering via Arab districts of east Jerusalem or circling to approach from the west.

Coach services: The Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888, website: www.egged.co.il/Eng/), a worker-owned co-operative, is Israel’s national bus and coach service operator. The comprehensive network of buses to all parts of the country depart from Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station, on Jaffa Road, west Jerusalem (tel: (02) 530 4704). Services come to a complete halt for Shabbat (generally from around 1500 on Friday to about 1900 on Saturday).

Coach services also run from Jerusalem into Egypt and Jordan. They can be booked from Metzada Tours, 9 Koresh Street (tel: (02) 623 5777, website: www.mazada.co.il/express.htm), departing daily from Koresh Street, or from Aviv Tours (tel: (03) 604 1811, website: www.aviv-tours.com), departing daily from the Jett agency, 3 Ben Sira Street. To travel to Amman, in Jordan, it is necessary to catch an Arab bus from the East Jerusalem Bus Station, at Sultan Suleiman Street (beside the Old City), to the Jordan border crossing at Allenby Bridge (also known as King Hussein Bridge). As this involves going through the West Bank, it is not recommended given the current security situation.

Getting There By Rail:

Israel Railways (tel: (03) 577 4000 or 5770; website: www.israrail.org.il/english) is the national rail provider. The railways in Israel, previously an unused remnant of British Palestine, are undergoing a rapid revival and expansion, with new, modern air-conditioned trains being brought into service and new railway track being laid. This massive upgrade means that many of the services may be suspended or disrupted.

Getting Around:

Public Transport
The Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il/Eng/), provides an inexpensive, comfortable, efficient urban bus system within west Jerusalem, as well as elsewhere. All routes are based out of the Central Bus Station (tel: (02) 530 4704) on Jaffa Road. Bus services run daily, except on the Sabbath (Friday afternoon to Saturday evening) or on Jewish religious holidays. Ordinary one-way tickets are purchased from the driver. All drivers speak at least enough English to deal with basic enquiries.

Visitors planning to spend more than a few days in Jerusalem should consider buying a kartissiyah, a multi-fare punch card that offers 11 journeys for the price of 10. There is also a special card called hofshi-hodshi (‘freedom for a month’) that is good for one month of unlimited travel on urban buses. The price is equal to 40 ordinary one-way tickets.

Egged buses do not generally cross the ‘Green Line’ into the West Bank, except for the annexed areas, such as Gilo, which are now considered to be fully integrated districts of the city of Jerusalem. Egged buses also travel to the Jewish towns and settlements on the West Bank, many of which are near Jerusalem. Arab bus companies, serving east Jerusalem, as well as Arab towns within Israel and the West Bank, operate from the East Jerusalem Bus Station, at Sultan Suleiman Street, or on Nablus Road, both near Damascus Gate. These buses are painted blue or green and white, and while they tend to be crowded and rickety, they’re cheap and run daily, including Friday and Saturday. Payment is made to the driver upon boarding.

Buses have been a favorite target of suicide bombers and some visitors may feel that bus travel is too risky. Despite the fact that Israeli bus drivers are highly trained to anticipate and deal with danger, this has proved inadequate when dealing with the particular threat of suicide attackers. However, buses remain the most popular and economical form of transport and Israelis are still using them as normal. Bombers can, of course, strike anywhere, not only on buses. It is safer to take long-distance non-stop buses, which depart from a central bus station (where there is high security), rather than buses that stop frequently to pick up more passengers. Visitors who notice anyone or anything suspicious (while waiting for a bus, boarding a bus or during a journey) should walk quickly up to the front of the bus and tell the driver immediately, even if the bus is moving. All bus drivers speak some English.


Taxis
Taxis, which look like ordinary cars with a colored light displayed, are legally required to use a meter for every journey. However, travelers sometimes need to insist that the meter be turned on. If, as frequently happens, the driver claims that the meter is ‘broken’, it is wise either to agree a fare beforehand or find another taxi. To avoid being cheated, it is worth asking your hotel receptionist or the tourist office for some idea of what the fare to specific destinations should be. Taxis can be hailed in the street or booked in advance. About 20 different taxi companies ply the streets of Jerusalem, including the popular Nesher Taxis (tel: (02) 623 1231), based at the intersection of Ben Yehuda Street and King George V Avenue in west Jerusalem, right across from the City Tower. Other recommended taxi companies are listed on the Jerusalem city website (www.jerusalem.muni.il). In the present situation, for safety reasons, many west Jerusalem taxi drivers prefer not to go into Arab districts at all. Fares are 25% higher at night and on Shabbat. Tipping is not usual, and not expected, although a very small gratuity of say 5% is sometimes given.

Sherutim
An alternative to a taxi or bus is the popular sherut (literally ‘service’, ie service taxi; the plural in Hebrew is sherutim, but visitors should be aware that this also means ‘toilets’). These shared taxis are usually stretched Mercedes or minibuses, seating seven or 12, and they generally follow fixed public bus routes. However, they allow passengers to get on and off anywhere on the journey and may take alternative routes when necessary to dodge heavy traffic. Delays are rare and passengers should board quickly as drivers pull away sharply – both drivers and passengers are very impatient of anyone holding things up. Some sheruts run on Shabbat. Sherut fares are about the same as bus fares, Sheruts running regular set routes within the city are mostly only available in west Jerusalem, but will go to other areas on request (for a fee). They also serve as a popular way of traveling from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv or the airport.



Driving in the City
Driving in all parts of Jerusalem, except the Old City, is fairly straightforward, although traffic on the main roads is bad and driving tends to be aggressive. For most sightseeing or getting around in central west Jerusalem, it is more enjoyable to walk or use local buses. Vehicles are only permitted to enter the Old City through Jaffa Gate, following the road through the Armenian Quarter, where there is limited parking. Alternatively, the Karta parking lot, below the walls of the Old City, near Jaffa Gate, has space for 5,000 vehicles and is open six days a week (closed on Shabbat).

Much of Israel uses the EasyPark smartcard system, an in-car electronic device (about the size of a pocket calculator), which automatically deducts the cost of street parking from the driver’s credit or debit card and which can be read electronically by parking attendants. Most locals have one of these devices in their cars, but it is also possible to buy traditional parking cards. These can be obtained from street kiosks, post offices and gas stations. The traditional parking card is a strip of paper with punched tabs for the hours of the day; drivers tear a tab to designate the month, day and hour they parked. Five different kerbside color codes indicate what parking is permitted – blue and white means parking is allowed with pre-paid parking cards only. Visitors should not park where there is any other kerbside color as they all represent restrictions and parking regulations are rigorously enforced.


Car Hire
The majority of car hire companies are located in central west Jerusalem. If a car is hired locally, rental fees are moderate, pre-booking through an agency abroad may result in a higher price. Rates tend to go up at peak holiday times. To rent a car, drivers must be over 24 years and in possession of a full national driving license with at least two years’ driving experience, insurance and an international credit card. Car hire companies will not allow hire cars to be driven into the West Bank at the moment.

Eldan, 24 King David Street (tel: (02) 625 2151/2/3; website: www.eldan.co.il), is the main Israeli car hire company. It has a user-friendly website accepting secure online payment and offers substantial price discounts for Internet bookings. International companies include Avis, 22 King David Street (tel: (02) 624 9001; website: www.avis.co.il), Budget Rent-A-Car, 23 King David Street (tel: (02) 624 8991; website: www.budget.co.il) and Hertz, 18 King David Street (tel: (02) 623 1351 or 625 6334; website: www.hertz.com).


Bicycle Hire
Despite the hills, cycling is popular in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, as in most major cities, there is something of a love-hate relationship between cyclists and motorists (particularly during rush hour, when traffic is intense and tempers are even shorter than usual). Recently, cycling organizations have been making an effort to increase public awareness about two-wheeled commuters and the need for better cycling paths. This has bolstered an interest in cycling and has inspired the ongoing construction of a bike path around Jerusalem, as well as the fact that some now consider the bicycle a safer means of getting around than public transport, which has often been targeted by suicide bombers.

However, bike hire in the city is almost unknown. The Jerusalem Cyclists Club, 16 Harazim Street (tel: (02) 643 8386) may be able to advise, while a useful website for cyclists visiting Israel is The Green Wheelers (Mountain Biking in Israel) (website: www.geocities.com/ron5506), who organize cycle rides and tours all over Israel.

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