Israel Travel Answers

Personally i alway like a rental car as it keeps one always independent unless if you visit a big city only (London paris etc'for example). But you can surely use a public transport just take in consideration that durint Weekend meaning from Friday after noon till saturday night and in Passover at the Holiday it self whixh is Tuesday so from monday night till tuesday night you wont have any transportation. So it means that in the week of Passover you'll have almost 6 days without public transport, April 5th from noon time till April 6th night, then the weekedn and then the end of passover which is exactly a week from the 5th. Sharon.

I would rent a car no matter what, if it was me. I just wouldn't feel safe on public transport at this time. If you do rent a car, however, you should be careful where you go. Some places aren't safe for driving I hear, and it's very easy to get lost in a city like Jerusalem and find yourself on the wrong side of things. You could also consider hiring a driver. Should not be very expensive, and they will know much better than you where to go and where not to go. My0.02... -Roman.

To clarify what Sharon wrote: *No* public transport: ----------------------------- Noon April 5th till about 8pm April 6th Noon April 9th till about 8pm April 10th Noon April 11th till about 8pm April 12th Also, during the Passover holiday (April 5th-12th), the roads will be pretty crowded, with lots of traffic jams.

Wow wow Roman, next thing you'll advice her to buy a gun wear a bullet-proof vest and a helmet... Hey She's coming to Israel (!!) not to the fighting area in Iraq or in gaza. Do you know when was the last bombing here ? Do you know what the avarage of this bombing per year ? Whats her chances to be on such buss ? Geez why wont you come back here and refresh your memory and see how everyting is normal here instead of frighten people by such info ? Besides if one is afraid to be wrong at the ways in Jerusalem the best solution as i would have done cause i dont know Jerusalem as well, is just park the car in a parking lot or in some street and take a taxi. Simple ha ? Thanks, Sharon.

Wow Roman you're surprising me! Is it you? Or somebody else was typing for you this reply? As far as I know it's been a long time since your last visit here. And by the way, you have family in Israel, are they really feel so insecure living in Israel? And where did you see anything cheap in the Holy Land, especially a private driver? Yes, public transport is a problem during the Passover, but Moniot Sherut are running regularly and you can rely on them. This service is available from Tel Aviv to many cities. Enjoy your stay, Nat

There is no wrong way to go in Jerusalem. It is not some kind of "border town" and it's not dangerous to drive around. The only trouble is finding parking in the city center. The streets are sometimes winding or one-way, and it is not always easy to get exact directions, although people speak English and are usually very helpful. Israeli drivers are a little wild, too, so you need to practice defensive driving.

Well Gila i dont really think so, i can find my way everywhere i go but i always lose all direction when im in Jerusalem, and ince we arrived by mistake to East Jerusalem, not sure if its really danjerouse but i wasnt feeling comfortable being there. I thin If one doesnt know jerusalem well it is a bit confusing to drive there, and yes add to that the Israeli drivers and you better take my first advice and use a taxi... :-) P.S. Roman if one has to be careful in Israel its from the drivers not of the suicide bombing which hardly happens and the chances to be hurt maybe.... 1: ??????????

I recommend using public transport - including taxis. As already stated, the chances of anything happening to you are much lower than being mugged or run over in a large North American city. However, Israeli drivers *are* dangerous. When my father was here, I refused to let him rent a car. Unless you come from a country where drivers are similarly 'whacko', try not to rent a car here. Steve (a 'whacko' Israeli driver :))))))

I knew I would be in the minority with my opinion, but it is what it is. It is true that I am basing it in part on my impressions of 2 yrs ago (and even more recent times), as well as media reports. Tentions and terrorist acts have flared up very rapidly in the past and it's just really hard for me to feel safe in a bus after seeing photos and newsreels of one blown up on the street in front of a hotel - only a few months after I stayed there and spent two weeks driving by that very spot every day. I'm not trying to scare anyone, guys, just expressing my opinion. As for driving (or rather not driving) in Jerusalem - that was based on numerous admonishments from both my family there and my co-workers in Yoqneam, not from personal experience. -Roman. P.S. Am I the only one in the world who doesn't think Israeli drivers are that bad? Or could it just be because I'm used to our friendly Massachusetts drivers :-)

"It is true that I am basing it in part on my impressions of 2 yrs ago (and even more recent times), as well as media reports" You said it your self ! 2 years ago are not now and Media is wayyyyyyyyyyy far from reality ! If you have relatives here then it makes what you say to even worst ! as you should be updated from first hand and know that it aint what it used to be here ! Therefore please dont bring in any unneeded fears to people's mind ! thank you !!!! You this week there was a new statistic about the 2003 attacks compared to 2002 and 2001, and the results shows one thing (which obviously felt by all of us here) which is almost 50% decrease! (reasons to that may be a reason for anothe discussion). As i said about the drivers... i still say you should be a ware on the streets .... although i must admit i've seen worst drivers then the Israelis with no doubt.

Sharon, if things have changed for the better then I'm more than happy to hear it! Believe me, I do long for the day when people won't have to fear or even feel the slightest bit concerned getting on a bus or go to a public place, for my relatives' and everyone else's sake. If I'm wrong about not feeling safe using public transport if I were in Israel right now, then it's a wonderful thing!! But it is still hard for me to change how I feel about it. Especially given the recent years' history when the statistics have unfortunately changed overnight. But that's just how I am. A friend of mine in college almost died bunjee jumping, the cord snapped on the very next jump after him killing the jumper. To this day I refuse to bunjee jump, despite all the improvements in safety and statistics. If I was reluctant to use public transport in Israel before, seeing that torn apart bus in a place that I actually had a personal connection with just reinforced it. Perhaps my opinion will change in time; I certainly hope it will. But as of right now, it is what it is. I do not wish or want to scare anyone, and I am no doomsayer or pessimist (although I can be a bit cynical at times). And it gave me absolutely no pleasure to say what I did. I hated having to say (type?) it. But I will also express my opinion when I have one. Others do not have to agree with it, but I will not apologize for feeling differently, even if I'm in a minority. -Roman.

You can feel anything and im not telling you what to feel. thats your personal feelings. But the way you describe your feeling it makes it sound as if this is reality here, and its NOT !! one thing is to describe real reality and say that you stuill have fears and another way is to make it all (most) sound black. Hiring a driver... who heard about such thing here ? its actually sound like alittle joke, im sorry Roman, thats how i felt when i read it. What i say is when people help others in the forum its rather be based on reality and not Media and exagarated stories... Anyway here is a posting (from 2 min' ago) of Mark who just returned to Canada and been in Israel for the last 10 days. You can read it. virtualtourist.com/f/p/d10c/... S.

Thanks for all your help! Hope I can add an addendum to my question - Should I just postpone my trip by one week to avoid the chaos of the holiday?

To my personal opinion yes, one week postponing will be good for you and save you some mess.

I completely agree with Sharon. I spent nearly two weeks in Israel, and didn't see any hint of political violence or whatsoever. However, I did see a car accident, happening just 2 meters away from me. Hopefully, no one was hurt, but the naked reality is like this: drivers in Israel are rather crazy (as in most of the Middle East). -Mark

Yes its a definit Middle East thing.... saw that in my eyes in Egypt... with all the respect that if to compare to other countries around us we're quite a good drivers :-))

The problem with hiring a driver would be that the driver would be an Israeli.....LOL. You've already heard the comments about Israeli drivers - I will not expand on them.... Attraction of hiring a car is the freedom it provides - most public transport connects the main cities and/or moshavim/kibbutzim, but there are vast parts of Israel that are accessible only by private transport. But the worst aspect of car hire is the parking in the cities (you know the joke - the first words the Israeli child says is not 'mama' or 'dadda' - but 'quick, there's a parking space'). Tel Aviv is fairly easy to move around in (its moreorless a grid), Jerusalem? Thats gridlock. But biggest fear of driving in Jerusalem is accidentally driving into the religious no-go areas on the Sabbath (in spite of the blocked off roads, it can be done by accident - believe me....!!). But as already stated, you don;t need a car in the cities - there's plenty of public transport options, including taxis (which are relatively cheap). Intercity buses are fine - if concerned simply take a non-stop one (i think its important not to mix up intercity and local buses re security - my one safety ''point' was to not travel by local bus, although a sherut was fine - but that was as much about being a comfort junkie as anything else!!). Postpone by a week? I would agree with Sharon - yep. Not only to avoid the 'madness' in terms of people on the road etc, but also costs - hotels are more expensive etc at this time as it is effectively HIgh Season. And then there's the dietary issue - how much do you like Matze? -:) No 'Jachnung shel Ima' in Tel Aviv......A culinary deprivation (oh, but wait, its open on Saturdays, so its not kosher - Sharon, help me here -:)) Enjoy Keith

Although I have to add that having just come back from Vietnam, at least in Israel I was never actually scared on the road (simply amazed!) - if you want to be scared, go on a bus in Vietnam and sit there as a bus driver with 25 passengers overtakes MORE THAN ONCE on a hair-pin bend with a 1000 metre drop to one side and a fully-laden truck coming downhill towards you LOL

NO! Don't postpone, if possible try and make friends and be invited to a passover...oh what I would do to attend one of these feasts. Also I think Israel is one of the safes place on earth, I had no problem with any arabs or israelis they are both helpful, no fiction. Beside that would be the best time to beat the crowd everybody with be indoors.

The Seder tends to be an extended family event (23 and 17 were the numbers at the ones I attended), so invitations are not usually extended that readily to people passing through . And on the Seder evening, you're right, everyone tends to be indoors, to the point where, if I remember correctly, most things are closed, certainly until late in the evening.

Anyone who is in Israel at the time is gladly invited to my seder!

Yes, I hear that there is a gentleman near the western wall that invites people to a seder and put you in with a family. Some organization and to be honest I can't remember the name...but I did see it on the "tele". And as for the transportation I had no trouble getting on the public bus...

Yes, I hear that there is a gentleman near the western wall that invites people to a seder and put you in with a family. Some organization and to be honest I can't remember the name...but I did see it on the "tele". And as for the transportation I had no trouble getting on the public bus...

"And then there's the dietary issue - how much do you like Matze? -:) No 'Jachnung shel Ima' in Tel Aviv......A culinary deprivation (oh, but wait, its open on Saturdays, so its not kosher - Sharon, help me here -:)) " Okay, Keith motek here it is, in Passover due to all the biblical history, Jewish are not alowed to eat any kind of dough / flour !!! which means that there's no bread of any kind in Passover ! they should eat the Mattza instead which personally i think its really a horrible thing and i never eat it, also, all restaurants cant serve anything which made with all the above. Formally. So yes you can find some restaurants which keeps bread or make it by them selfs and then you can enjoy it but i think most places wont even have it, and if you stay at a big hotels you wont have any kind of bread all this week. (obviously dont try to search for a pizza that week or any real bun in Mcdonalds at that week) Of cours that as for the Jewish people here, there are those who keep the tradition and those whom are really religiouse and there are the none religiouse (who buys a lot of bread before passover and put it in the freezer in order not to be stucked lol) So yes Kieth.. no Jachnun on Passover as its made of dough (unless if you eat it made at home and not count on hajachnun shel ima :-P) ! As for my self.... i hope to be outa here for that week ! this is there worst holiday to my opinion, no wait Yom kippure is the worst.. :-)

"you know the joke - the first words the Israeli child says is not 'mama' or 'dadda' - but 'quick, there's a parking space')" never heard that but its Gadol motek !

Personally, I would postpone - unless you really want to attend a Seder and/or be with family here during the holiday. *Everything else* is preferable after the holiday (no holidays when everything's closed, normal bread, no super traffic jams, reasonable prices). And a correction to what keith said: Buses go everywhere *where people live* - without exception. Public transport may get difficult - and even non-existent - to non-residential sites, such as national parks, Mini-Israel, etc. And, of course, in the more remote kibbutzim and moshavim, the transport is relatively infrequent (but regular and dependable).