Travel tips

is the capital of Israel and is a must see for anyone visiting the country. It is not just that this city has many tourist attractions, it is also that it is quite simply, in the words of native Israelis, the heart of the country, Jerusalem. Car rentals are available in the nations capital wherever you need them and are a good idea, especially on Saturdays when the city slows down and there are no public buses running. Make sure that you do not drive your rental car into areas which are Orthodox on Friday nights or Saturdays though as that is likely to offend the local residents and could lead to unpleasant experiences (you will find that areas you should not drive into are typically blocked off anyway, so it’s unlikely you will go in by accident).

Car rental in Israel is a simple affair since Israel’s laws allow you to rent a car with just an American drivers license and to drive for up to 3 months without applying for an international drivers license. If you require a rental for than 3 months, you will need to get an international drivers license though (speak to the automotive association in your area for more information) and those planning long term stays of over a year would need to apply for an Israeli license after the year is up.

In fact, one of the best car rental agencies in the world actually offers service in Jerusalem. They are Car Rental Israel (www.carrentalisrael.com) (the local Avis representative). Car Rental Israel has everything you’ve come to expect from a car rental agency and more. They offer the newest fleet of quality in Israel, the cheapest car rental rates and it goes without saying that you can return your car elsewhere in the country (i.e. if you rent at Avis Eilat, while you’re down there, you can then return the car at Avis Jerusalem when you arrive). Car Rental Israel also has no cancellation fees and no credit car requirements.

Driving around Jerusalem and the especially the old city can be a bit of a challenge. The city has been in the process of building a light rail system along one of the main arteries, Jaffa Road, meaning traffic in the center of the city can become quite snarled. The old city presents its own unique challenges as areas where one may drive tend to be very narrow and there are a lot of pedestrians along the road, so you need to go slowly. However, in the outer neighborhoods of Jerusalem, cars a common site and you can easily navigate using your rental car. Israel’s capital also boasts an incredible array of world class cultural and tourist attractions too numerous to list here. However, a couple of highlights are:

The Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book. The Israel Museum, a gift to the people of Israel the United States of America (as it says at the entrance to the museum) is a world class art and antiquities museum where several one of a kind objects are housed. Among them is the only archaeological proof of the existence of King David, a tablet depicting an ancient king’s battles and saying that even David could not defeat him. Nearby is the Shrine of the Book, housing the oldest known example of the Hebrew bible, dating to the times of the Roman occupation of the land.

Another place you should not miss is the Yad Vashem holocaust memorial and museum. This special place shows the history of the holocaust and the Nazi’s plan to systematically exterminate the Jews. A special place at the museum is the quiet garden of trees devoted to righteous gentiles, those non-Jews who risked and sometimes gave their lives in order to rescue Jews from the clutches of the Nazis.

You can visit both of these places using your rental car. In Israel, the road system is similar to that of the United States, so you should have minimal trouble with driving around. Be aware however that there are a great many traffic circles and there is no right turn on red.

Steven Jones is a travel agent and tour guide in Israel. He has been conducting tours of the Holy Land for years and is a big fan of Car Rental Israel, where he tells all his clients to go.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/jerusalem-the-heart-and-soul-of-israel-1516600.html