Overland Israel Travel
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Contents
- 1 Visiting Israel
- 2 Entering Israel with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in Israel
- 4 Gas price in Israel and Diesel price in Israel
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Israel
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Israel
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting Israel
Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.
Entering Israel with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: August 2013
Required Paperwork
(To check if you need a travel Visa for Israel, application instructions and fees see: Israel Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
Process at border
In August 2013 UnUrban Adventures crossed from Taba in Egypt to Eilat in Israel] and documented the process. Read that article.
Everything must come out of your vehicle and be inspected. Yes, absolutely everything.
April 2014. It took us 6 hours to clear from the borders. You have to empty the whole car or motorbike. All your stuff (literally piece by piece) goes through Xray (like the airports). You hand over the key of your vehicle and they drive it to a large Xray as well. If you are driving from south to the north, you must probably have a stamp from Sudan. This will make things more complicated and you will have to go through some intensive questioning. All border officials are professionals, welcoming and kind but this is the policy and they enforce the law extremely thoroughly.
Cost of entry
Free.
Permitted length of stay
3 months for the Temporary Vehicle Import is normal.
Extension of stay
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.
Exiting with a vehicle
Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.
Driving in Israel
Recommended books for Overlanding in Israel
Travel insurance for Israel
World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.
Vehicle insurance requirements
Yes. European Green Card Insurance is accepted, or you can buy Israeli insurance at the border.
Cost of vehicle insurance
See Green Card Insurance.
Isreali insurance has been stated as expensive, around $100.00 USD for three weeks for a 4x4.
We paid 209 USD (or 150 EUR) in April 2014 for 1 month for a Suzuki 4x4. You shop at the borders in Taba.
Where to purchase vehicle insurance
At the border, or have your European Green Card Insurance beforehand.
Driving license
International Driving Permit and licenses which are usually accepted in Western Europe and North America are valid in Israel.
Driving side of road
Right.
You cant drive a RHD vehicle in Israel. We crossed from Mersen, Turkey (by boat) across to Haifa with our RHD vehicle and all was 100%
Mandatory items in vehicle
State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)
Roads
General Road quality
Modern roads.
Road signs
Usually okay. Signs are in Hebrew, English, and Arabic.
Toll roads
Non-existent except road number 6.
Bribery in Israel
Non-existent in Israel. If you try to bribe a police officer, you will be arrested on the spot.
Checkpoints
describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.
Traveling with pets
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.
Gas price in Israel and Diesel price in Israel
Last updated: JULY 2015
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded | $1.74 USD per Liter[1] |
| Diesel | $1.74 USD per Liter[1] |
gas prices change from place to place (more expensive in cities, diesel is much cheeper (up to 20% difference) in industrial areas'
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
no gas shortages are known to occur.
gas stations are found everywhere. longest road without gas would be route 40 from Mizpe Ramon southwards - 94km.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.
State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
No problems driving at night at all.
Vehicle parking
Parking on the street is safe. Usual common sense applies.
Special driving considerations
Israelis are considered aggressive drivers. Traffic accident rate is among the lowest in the world, though. Everything said in this page does not necessarily applies to the occupied territories (Gaza and West Bank).
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Israel - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Israel
I live in Israel and camp a lot. hope to create a good english map for overlanders in Israel one day.
"pay" camping is found in many NP, and info about it can be found in their website:
fees varie from one NP to the other, those charging by head are ~10$-15$ per person, those charging per car are ~20$. these would normally have drinking water, toilets and showers.
here's a link to a map showing all NP with camping (in Hebrew), red tent=tensts only. blue tent=OK for caravans as well (not sure about theprice for caravans): map
in the Negev (south) there are many private campsite with good facilities, that can cost up to 25$ per person
many NP have free "overnight" spots that are good for wild camping (have tap water but nothing else), but these are not on a map. generally it is very common for families and hikers to sleep overnight in these spots.
it is also very common for poeple to wild camp in the beach (RV camping in urban beaches is not allowed)
roadside camping in urban areas will go unnoticed in most places (TLV excluded, and common senses provided), FOR A FEW DAYS. this FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/460783537341425/?fref=nf is a forum for caravaners in Isarel and can be consulted.
Camping guide books
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Drinking water
Tap water is perfectly safe.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Israel
GPS Maps of Israel
Waze is very popular.
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Israel
- iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.
Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.
Special Overland Travel interests
List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
Add known good mechanics here.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Israel
Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle.
List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.
Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'
References
Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.
Helpful External links
Add any helpful external links here.
- Israel: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Israel - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Israel travel guides at wikivoyage
- Israel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
