Re: renting a car for a day

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

www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=205253

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.

Driving in Israel is much more dangerous than in Europe. The road safety culture is very limited in Israel, despite some Israeli NGO's best efforts.

So -
- the OECD statistics show that traffic safety is roughly on a par with Europe (better than some countries, worse than others).
- the American Gov't issues similar warnings for drivers in Italy, France and Spain as it does for Israel.

But CATW (the "AsAEuropean") is determined to prove to us that driving in Israel is much worse than in these countries.

@canayen,
look on the bright side- you're getting a free preamble to Israel when no topic is void of politics or prejudice, even driving directions.
I agree with the practical advice mentioned- better to do an overnight trip but if you can't, it is feasible as a day trip. As mbgg wrote, the relative difficulty is not the drive but rather the logistics of renting which may limit you. It's 2 hours by car (ask at the rental company if you can take toll road 6 or not). Drive with awareness as you would in a new place and know your route (so you don't end up driving with a map in your lap and you'll be fine. All road signs are in Hebrew/Arabic/English.

@catw,
I'm so disappointed. I began reading your post and had such high hopes (no sarcasm here). You began with some very useful and practical advice (just like you do on non Israel related topics!!!) but then that little genie popped up again and you just couldn't resist yourself. So close, but yet so far...

Here's some useful info in Akko
http://www.tiuli.com/track_info.asp?lng=eng&track_id=13

You can always rent a car in the afternoon before the agency closes, arrive in Acco by 20:00, sleep there, and have an early morning start the next day.

Mbgg / Amirico, every Westerner living in Israel will tell you that the roads are dangerous due to agressive driving and lack of respect of even the most basic driving rules. This is one the first thing you hear when you emigrate to Israel - do not expect people to drive like in Western countries.

I assume you're both Israeli citizens, which explains why none of you seems to realize that this is not a normal situation. The Middle-Eastern driving style in Israel often takes Western visitors by surprise, which is why it's important to warn all people who plan on renting a car that they should drive defensively.

Many excellent Israeli NGOs work hard to change Israeli drivers' mentalities. I find it sad that you would not support their efforts to save lives.

I find it sad that you would not support their [NGOs'] efforts to save lives.

catw, can you point us to the exact place in this thread where anyone wrote or implied that?

Maybe some of those excellent Israeli NGOs can try to change CATW's mentality :-)

;-)

Ah, I see we're back to our favourite topic! :-)

Canayen, ignore any suggestion that driving in Israel is awful. It isn't. The roads are good, and as long as you stay alert and are prepared for unpredictable driving from those around you, it's no harder than driving anywhere. Also, I have never seen an Israeli reverse down a motorway! There are nutters in every country, but Israelis do more or less (and I use that term loosely) stick to the rules.

Also, for what it's worth, if you want to see "Middle Eastern driving" you should spend some time in Cairo, Teheran, Damascus or Amman. Israeli driving is not in the same league as some of the things people regularly do there.

I knew this was going to be a good one when scrolling through the ME page and saw it already had 17 replies in just a few hours.

I also had a pretty good guess who the usual suspects would be. :-)

guilty as charged :-)

So.................. I guess I should thank everyone for showing up today? :-) But I do get that everything in Israel is political and that's not a problem for me.

I think I'll go by public transport. Shared taxi to Tel Aviv and then train straight through to Akko. Seems it'll take about 3.5 hours each way? So if I get there by 11, I can wander until 7, then make my way back to Jerusalem. A long day. I am reluctant to stay overnight in Akko as I have a very good and economical vacation rental in Jerusalem at a weekly rate, and from what I can gather, there is not much economical in Akko.

Someone did mention that there is a direct bus service Jerusalem to Haifa, then I could hop a train to Akko. Anyone any experience with that? Also seems that traffic in Tel Aviv during peak hours is an issue.

BTW, thanks to all who offered traveller's advice.

As for driving in some western European countries, I agree it can be chaotic. I lived in France and Italy long ago and learned to drive quite aggressively. Took a rental car a few years a few years ago and toured northern Italy and southern France. I was quite happy when I returned it and went back to public transport!

To be more specific:

Service taxis between TLV and Jerusalem run 24h/7 - they leave when full, which can take about 10 seconds at peak hours, and 30 minutes in the middle of the night.

Midweek, your first train from Tel Aviv-Hagana leaves at 5:24. They run approximately every 30-40 minutes.
The voyage takes between 1:29h and 1:59h, depending on the number of stops.

The last 4 trains leave Akko for TLV at 19:48, 20:14, 21:14, 22:14.

The train station in Akko is about 1 km from the Old City.

You can either take the train from Tel Aviv or from Haifa (it's the same line, actually); I would say both options are similar for convenience/hassle, though I'd prob favour going from Tel Aviv. If you are coming on the sherut from Jerusalem you can ask the driver to drop you off at the most convenient point for the "HaHagana" station in Tel Aviv - it's very close to the bus station.

The train from Tel Aviv to Akko is nice - it goes right along the coast. Sit on the left hand side of the train (if you're facing forwards) for the best views. From memory, it's about 60 shekels, but it might have changed since I last travelled that route. Traffic shouldn't be too bad since TA bus station is only just off the main highway - you don't need to go into TA itself.

Also, bear in mind that Akko train station is a little way from the old town.

The direct bus from Jerusalem to Haifa is route 940. (The 947 is slow, with a lot of stops, so don't take that one.) Timetable at www.egged.co.il/eng. The bus terminal in Haifa is called Hof Hacarmel and is right next to Hof Hacarmel railway station. It takes exactly two hours from Jerusalem to Haifa.
Train fare from Tel Aviv to Haifa is NIS 70.50 return (round trip).

You didn't ask, but in case you're wondering, forget the train from Jerusalem.
(a) the Jerusalem station is miles from anywhere and is a major hassle to get to;
(b) trains are infrequent;
(c) trains are slow. Scenic, and worth doing once in your lifetime, but not if you're in a hurry to get somewhere else.

we were going to do this a few weeks ago, and determined that the fastest way was a sherut to tel aviv and the train to akko. it's still going to be one long day! while akko does have lots of fun and amazing sites, we decided that it was too long a day and we'd be too tired to appreciate the beauties of akko, and opted for a day in caesarea. which was wonderful, by the way - the newer section of antiquities was great! i am still promising myself a day in akko soon, and i will indeed drive, but i think i'll stay over night at my aunt's in haifa....

Honestly, I don't think driving in Israel is that bad. The roads are great with clear signage. City driving gets pretty hectic, but that's true just about anywhere. There are much MUCH worse places to drive in Europe. Sicily is 100x worse!

Yallah -

Honestly ..... haven't you read CATW's learned pronouncements on driving in Israel ? Shame on you for contradicting the words of an "AsAEuropean" :-)

The advantage of taking the 940 bus to Haifa is that it drives on Highway 6 and totally avoids the morning rush hour in Tel-Aviv.