Israel road trip: our itinerary (10 days)

It has been a while since I have been to Israel with my best friend. Although my travel diaries are all online by now, I don't want to keep the itinerary of our road trip from you. After we had informed ourselves, we quickly realized that a rental car is the only way for us to see everything we want to see – even if this has not only advantages. You can find more information in the last paragraph below. We booked all accommodations in advance and also reserved the rental car online beforehand.

Tel Aviv – Mitzpe Ramon – Eilat

After we landed late in the evening in Tel Aviv and after waiting for what felt like an eternity we finally got our car and went to an accommodation near the airport. The next day we had the first longer trip – from Tel Aviv we went to Mitzpe Ramon and from there to Eilat. The first part of the trip took about two and a half hours, because we wanted to avoid the toll Highway 6 and therefore had to take a little detour. In addition, it was relatively crowded on the highway, because at the same time a bicycle race was taking place, which also went over the highway and one lane was closed for it. In Mitzpe Ramon we had a long break before we continued through the desert to Eilat. The part of the route took forever – partly we were the only car far and wide, and the road just didn't end anymore. Fortunately, we can always have a good time and so this eternal drive ended at some point. In retrospect, I would have planned one night in Mitzpe Ramon and even skipped Eilat completely. You can find the travel diaries and my tips for Israel here.

Eilat – Jerusalem

From Eilat we went after only one night again in the direction of Jerusalem. After Eilat has disappointed me rather, Jerusalem has inspired me for it all the more! The drive went again via Mitzpe Ramon and took forever, again we avoided Highway 6. In Jerusalem we had problems to find a parking place for our car, and when we finally found a free place, we decided to postpone the trip to the Dead Sea for one more day. In any case, there is enough to do in Jerusalem and our Airbnb with roof terrace was the perfect starting point for the next days.

Jerusalem – Dead Sea – Jerusalem

Of course we also wanted to visit the Dead Sea and the Massada Fortress – but we decided to do a day trip. In retrospect I would have liked to stay overnight here, maybe on the way back from Mitzpe Ramon. From Jerusalem, it is best to drive through the West Bank, or you have to make a detour – but since this is usually not allowed with a rental car, we cleared it with the company beforehand. As long as you stay on the road and don't make any stops, it shouldn't be a problem.

Jerusalem – Haifa

From Jerusalem we went to the north of Israel – to Haifa. Here we planned to stay three nights, and that was a good decision too. We would have liked to do some excursions in the surrounding area, but this was not possible due to the political situation, as there was a travel warning at that time. We therefore limited ourselves to an excursion to Akko and a lot of time on the beach.

Haifa – Tel Aviv

At the very end we wanted to visit Tel Aviv, even though we had heard several times that the city is not really worth it. After we were at the beach in Haifa until noon, we drove to Tel Aviv, definitely the shortest route on our road trip through Israel. After we tested the beach and explored the old town, we had to go to the airport again the next day. In retrospect, I would have liked to have spent a second night in Tel Aviv to see more of the city, even outside the walls of the Old City.

Israel road trip – is it worth it?

Yes, definitely! For us, the decision to rent a car was one of the best we made. This way we could easily fit in all the stops, plus it was the only option to really be able to look at everything in the short time we had in Israel. We reserved the car online beforehand – definitely a good idea, because at the counters at the airport some people were turned away who didn't have a reservation and so we saved a lot of money. In general, Israel is relatively expensive, so it certainly makes sense to inform yourself beforehand. In addition, you can be sure that all insurances are included and you do not have to buy expensive additional insurances on site.

A big disadvantage when traveling by car in Israel: parking. Not only because it is naturally more crowded in the big cities, but especially because the only options for tourists are the free parking lots or parking garages. Those who stand in a paid parking lot are simply out of luck in most cases, because often you can only pay with an app that you can only use with an Israeli social security number. Only in rare cases is there a parking machine somewhere nearby where you can get a parking ticket in the normal way. In Jerusalem and Haifa we were really lucky to find a free parking place directly in front of our accommodation and in Tel Aviv we finally drove into a parking garage. However, if you want to stand here longer, you have to expect relatively high costs.

Have you ever been to Israel? Where exactly were you on the road and what did you particularly like about it??