Jerusalem Travel Guide

Jerusalem, Israel — Travel Tips

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 20km (12 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. Whether flying in or out of Israel, the normal check-in period is three hours prior to departure. All passengers are normally subject to one-to-one interview by security personnel. High-tech body scanning machines may also be used.

Approximate flight times: Flight time from London is 4 hours 30 minutes, from Los Angeles 17 hours, from New York 11 hours, from Toronto is 10 hours 55 minutes if direct and from Sydney 14 hours 35 minutes.

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

Transport to the city: Public transportation services from the airport are located in the three-story bridge on the second floor, next to Gates 21 and 23. Israel's national bus network is mainly operated by the Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il/Eng). Egged run a shuttle bus around the airport connecting with bus services to Jerusalem (buses 945 and 947). The fare can be paid 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 fare to Jerusalem is about NIS225. The Nesher Company (tel: (02) 623 1231) runs a sherut (shared taxi) service between the airport and Jerusalem, charging a fixed rate per passenger of around NIS45. For an extra charge, they will take passengers and their baggage to (or collect from) anywhere in the city. It is also possible to travel to Jerusalem by train direct from the airport: the station is at the entrance to Terminal 3.

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, 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 seat belts 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 services
MEMSI (tel: (03) 564 1111).

Routes to the city
From Tel Aviv (and Ben Gurion International Airport), Highway 1 runs to Jerusalem. Routes from north and south connect with the highway close to Tel Aviv. From the east, the city is reached by the Yeriho (or Jericho) Road from Jericho, Qumran and the Dead Sea.

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).
Depending on the security situation en route, local tour companies also run coach services from Jerusalem to Cairo and Jordan. Metzada Tours, at Jerusalem Pearl Hotel, 15 Jaffa Street (tel: (02) 623 5777, website: www.mazada.co.il), offers several cross-border tours, with full information on visas and other requirements.

Getting There By Rail

Israel Railways (tel: (03) 577 4000 or 5770; website: www.israrail.org.il/english) is the national rail transport operator. Modern air-conditioned trains run down the coast from Haifa to Tel Aviv and inland to Jerusalem via the airport. However, there are frequent train cancellations, and the journey to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv or from the airport takes longer than the bus, though the fare is cheaper.

Getting Around in Jerusalem, Israel

Public Transport

The Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il/Eng), provides an inexpensive, frequent and efficient bus system within 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. Although Egged buses do not generally cross the 'Green Line' into the West Bank, in Jerusalem they do serve the annexed areas which have become fully integrated districts of the city of Jerusalem, such as Gilo.

Bus 99, designed for tourists, follows a guided circular route through the city, with a commentary, passing almost every place of interest: a ticket allows you to get off wherever you wish, and continue your journey later with no extra charge. Although very inexpensive already, fares are discounted for many groups of people, including children, students the disabled and seniors. Visitors planning to spend more than a few days in Jerusalem should consider buying a 'two-trip' ticket (15% discount) or a kartissiyah, a multi-fare punch card that offers 11 journeys for the price of 10. Other discount cards include hofshi yomi ('freedom for a day') allowing you to ride buses all day long, and 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.

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. 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). 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.

Sherut
An alternative to a taxi or bus is the popular sherut (literally 'service', ie service taxi). 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 the city center (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 petrol 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 curbside 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 curbside color as they all represent restrictions and parking regulations are rigorously enforced.

Car Hire

The majority of car hire companies are located in central (ie west) Jerusalem. If a car is hired locally, 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 hire 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 Palestinian territory at the moment.

Eldan, 24 King David Street (tel: (02) 625 2151/2/3; website: www.eldan.co.il/en), 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, 19 King David Street (tel: (02) 623 1351; website: www.hertz.com).