SURVIVAL GUIDE - Jerusalem and the Holy Land - page 307

popular with soldiers heading
home or returning from leave.
But recently hitch-hiking has
become increasingly unsafe.
Women soldiers are now
banned from hitching and
we recommend visitors do
not hitch-hike either.

CYCLING

Parts of Israel are excellent
places for cycle touring. The
best regions are Galilee and
the Golan Heights, where the
scenery is at its most varied
and the altitude serves to
moderate the extreme summer
temperatures. Even so, from
June to August it is best to plan
to cycle only in the mornings,
to avoid the afternoon heat.
In Tiberias, it is possible
to hire bicycles by the day to
explore the shores of the Sea
of Galilee (see pp182-4) . In
Jerusalem you can rent bicycles
by the day from Walk Ways ,
who will deliver to your hotel.
For general cycling advice
and to enquire about joining
organized rides, enthusiasts
could also try contacting the
Jerusalem Cycle Club .

Typically heavy traffic on the seafront promenade in Tel Aviv

who hesitates least. Roads are
often in a poor state of repair.
Many are badly surfaced, and
road markings are often absent.
Speed limits are generally
100 km/h (60 mph) on open
roads and 40 km/h (25 mph)
in built-up areas. Care is
needed on desert roads, where
drifting sand can put the car
into a spin if hit at speed.
Direction signs are frequently
positioned right at the junction,
offering no advance warning
and making it all too easy to
drive past your turn-off.

little heed to other road users.
Car drivers must constantly be
on the lookout and be pre-
pared to take evasive action.
Other than on recognized
trails, off-road driving is not
encouraged as it can damage
the fragile desert environment.
Several such trails begin in the
region of Nuweiba (see p242) .

DRIVING IN CITIES

Traffic in and around Tel
Aviv and, to a lesser extent,
Jerusalem is nightmarish. You
should aim to avoid rush hour,
which is roughly 7-9am and
4-6pm. That said, it is not
unknown to encounter traffic
jams in Tel Aviv at 1am.

DRIVING IN SINAI

There are very few roads in
Sinai, so routes to drive are
limited. They do, however,
pass through some stunning
scenery. Traffic is light but
what traffic there is, is mainly
composed of buses and large
shared taxis; these generally
travel at high speed, paying

HITCH-HIKING

Known in Israel as tremping ,
hitch-hiking used to be a
common way of getting about
the country. It was particularly

Cycling in Jaffa

DIRECTORY

CAR HIRE IN
ISRAEL
Autoeurope
Tel Aviv.
Tel [phone].

CAR HIRE IN
JORDAN & SINAI
Avis
Amman.
Tel [phone].

Eldan
Tel [phone]. l
www .eldan.co.il
Europcar
www .europcar.com
Hertz
Ben Gurion Airport.
Tel [phone].

www .hertzegypt.com.
Amman.
www .hertz.com.jo
Oscar Car Rental
Amman.
Tel [phone]. l
www .1stjordan.net/oscar
Rent a Reliable Car
Amman.
Tel [phone].

l
www .autoeurope.co.il
Avanti
www .avanti.co.il
Avis
Tel *2722 or l
1-700-700-222.
www .avis.co.il
Budget
Tel *2200 or l
1-700-70-41-41.
www .budget.co.il

l
www .avis.com.jo
EuroDollar
Amman.
Tel [phone].

l
Jerusalem.
Tel [phone].

l
www .eurodollar-jo.com
Europcar
Amman.
Tel [phone]. l
www .europcar.jo
Hertz
Sharm el-Sheikh/Cairo.

l
www .reliable.com.jo

l
www .hertz.co.il
Pery
Tel Aviv.
Tel [phone] l
www .pery.net

CYCLING
Tzubike
Tel [phone]. l
www .tzubike.co.il