Hi,
I'm thinking of going from Jerusalem to Akko for a day trip. I'm told it would be a long day by public transport. Would a realistic option be to rent a car for the day? Would that cut down the travel time? I'd be travelling alone. Are Israeli drivers REALLY as bad as I've heard? :-)
It's a long trip even by car. Even if you take highway 6 (toll road, but much faster) it will probably take about 3 hours to go from your location in Jerusalem to the entrance of the Old City in Akko. But I assume that you only want to rent the car for 24 hours and most rental agencies are open from 8AM to 6 PM. So if you pick up the car the evening before to get an early start you would have to leave Akko no later than 3 PM to get back by 6. If you rent the car in the morning you won't leave J'm before 9 AM so you won't get to Akko before noon.
In summary - a lot of driving for very little touring. I suggest that you rent the car for 2 days (at least), stay overnight in the north and use the extra day to see Haifa, Rosh Hanikra, Safed, Zippori, etc, etc, etc.
Israeli drivers are slightly more aggressive than their North American counterparts. However if you search all of the travel forums for trip reports posted by tourists that rented cars, the nearly unanimous consensus is that they had no problems. Of course you will be driving in unfamiliar territory, so you should drive cautiously as you would in any other country.
I would also advise you to rent the car for two days and to spend the night inside Akko's Old City, it has a lot of charm. Akkotel hotel is very commendable, and so is fabulous seafood restaurant Uri Buri inside the Old City's harbor.
Israeli drivers are BAD, people drive Middle-East style, not Western style. Do drive defensively at all times and always expect the unexpected. People are extremely aggressive and some drivers are total nuts, have seen some reverse in the middle of the highway. The good side is that the infrastructure is very good. I encourage you to rent a car, but be focused at all times.
Canayen:
You can ignore anything that CATW says about Israelis. To claim that Israelis drive "middle-east" style is absurd; I suggest that you spend a day driving around Amman, for example, to see the difference. Nonetheless, defensive driving is recommended because there is a higher percentage of aggressive and inconsiderate drivers.
It's not that bad by public transport - you can catch a service taxi from J'lem to TLV (45-60 minutes) and get dropped off right by the Hagana train station.
From there its a smooth train ride along the coast to Akko (about 90 minutes).
This is a travel forum, and its purpose is to inform people on what they should expect.
Travellers planning on driving in Israel should be warned that Israelis do not drive smoothly like in Western Europe but very agressively, which explains why the rate of accidents is so high in Israel, where traffic accidents are the number one killer.
Anyone driving on Israeli roads has to know in advance he / she needs to drive defensively and expects other drivers to be extremely agressive. People are used to changing lanes without indicating, running red lights, reversing in the highway if they missed the exit, passing you by the right side... This is nothing new and is one of the most common topics in the Israeli press:
http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=209762
Travellers planning on driving in Israel should be warned that Israelis do not drive smoothly like in Western Europe but very agressively, which explains why the rate of accidents is so high in Israel, where traffic accidents are the number one killer.
Western Europe: do you mean France, Italy, Spain ? Have you ever actually bothered to look up traffic accident statistics before posting your bigoted nonsense. Look at the statistics here for example:
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/publications/2009/pdf/rsr_05.pdf
Mbgg, as an Israeli you may think that Israeli driving is normal because you've got used to it but I can tell you that for European and American citizens arriving in Israel, Israeli driving is NOT normal but scary.
The US embassy keeps warning its citizens living in Israel on the high rate of traffic accidents. People should not expect the same style of driving as in Western countries, but always drive defensively:
"Israeli roads and highways tend to be crowded, especially in urban areas. Aggressive driving is commonplace, and many drivers fail to maintain safe following distances or signal before changing lanes or making turns.Overtaking on high-speed undivided two-lane roads is common and results in frequent accidents. Drivers are also prone to stop suddenly on roads without warning, especially in the right lane. Drivers should use caution, as Israel has a high rate of fatalities from automobile accidents."
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1064.html#traffic_safety
The comparison is to "Western Europe"
US Embassy - Rome:
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in Italy, you may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. Italy has one of the highest rates of car accident deaths in the European Union. ..... Motor scooters are very popular, and scooter drivers often see themselves as exempt from conventions that apply to automobiles. ...... Drivers of bicycles, motorcycles, and other vehicles routinely ignore traffic signals and traffic flows, and park and drive on sidewalks.
Traffic lights are limited and often disobeyed, and a different convention of right-of-way is observed. .... In rural areas, a wide range of speed on highways makes for hazardous driving. Roads are generally narrow and often have no guardrails. Travelers in northern Italy, especially in winter, should be aware of fog and poor visibility, responsible for multiple-car accidents each year.
US Embassy - Paris:
.. but traffic engineering and driving habits pose special dangers. Lane markings and sign placements may not be clear. Drivers should be prepared to make last-minute maneuvers, as most French drivers do. The French typically drive more aggressively and faster than Americans and tend to exceed posted speed limits. Right-of-way rules in France may differ from those in the United States.
Pedestrians make up 13 percent of the deaths in motor vehicle accidents in France (roughly the same as in the United States), but this percentage is increasing. Most of these accidents occur when a pedestrian steps out onto the street, often when a car or motorcycle is making a turn onto a pedestrian crosswalk. Pedestrians should be cautious even when they have a green walking signal since this is no guarantee against aggressive drivers.
US Embassy - Madrid:
Traffic in Madrid and Barcelona is faster paced than in U.S. cities and can be unnerving because of unfamiliar signs or motorbikes weaving between traffic lanes. Drivers should always obey the closest traffic light, as there are separate pedestrian lights in the cities. Drivers should be alert when driving at night in urban areas because of the possibility of encountering drivers or pedestrians under the influence of alcohol.