Driving in Israel is one of our pet topics, a much loved and talked about subject by a whole army of seasoned anglos and immigrants and tourists in the Holy Land! Check out our guide to driving in Israel, as well as a bit of a reality check for driving on the roads in the Holy Land.
Once you’ve decided to go for it and hire/rent that car, be pleased with yourself. And once you’ve had a little spin on the roads of Tel Aviv or wherever and you’re still in one piece, congratulate yourself. But it’s only when you’ve found a parking space in the heart of Tel Aviv that you can consider yourself a real player.
Parking in most towns and cities is usually not so tricky, but in Tel Aviv it’s a war. In fact, according to a recent report some 450,000 vehicles are fighting daily over 278,000 parking spaces. So yes, be on the ball for that spot just about to open up, think positive and sharpen up your reversing skills!
The lack of parking spots results in some 3000 parking tickets a day, the majority of which get dished out between 5pm – 7 pm in central Tel Aviv. And those tickets aren’t usually for Tel Aviv citizens; some 83% of the daily tickets are given to non-Tel Aviv residents. The only bright spot on the horizon – some 175,000 tickets are rescinded every year.
Driving (and parking) in Israel – your real Holy Land challenge!