Road

Text : Israel has an excellent road network and, because the country is relatively small with varied scenery, travelling 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 kilometres 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 licence from any country or an International Driving Permit. Insurance is mandatory in Israel and is organised 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 organisations, 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. 

    

      

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