Transportation
in Palestine
Taxis: Taxis are widely available
in Palestinian cities. Fares are negotiable. West
Bank blue license plates (Palestinian plate numbers)
are prohibited by the Israeli occupation from
entering Arab East Jerusalem. Arab Jerusalemites
taxi’s (with yellow plates) may enter West
Bank and Gaza Strip .It is easy to transfer to
Palestinian taxi at the checkpoint.
An inexpensive alternative are Service Taxis.
These are usually stretch Mercedes seating up
to seven passengers, or Ford Transits , which
operate on a fixed price just like a bus. If uncertain
about the fare , just ask fellow passengers. Regular
rates are normally about 20% more than the bus.
Most of them travel between towns and cities from
recognized taxi ranks, departing when they are
full. This might involve waiting for six other
people but the system is very popular and long
delays are rare.
The locals also tend not to sit inside and wait,
but stand around outside instead. Passengers can
get out anywhere along the way, but you pay the
same fare regardless. After dropping off a passenger,
a replacement passenger is picked up where possible.
Car Hire: Local car hire firms
generally offer lower rates than the international
companies like Avis, Budget, and Hertz. If clients
are planning to drive throughout the country,
it can be a good idea to use a company that has
a few offices in case they require a replacement
car. Prices vary dramatically and shopping around
is recommended. Based on 3 days rental, you should
be looking at around $55 to $75 per day for a
Fiat Uno or similar with air conditioning, insurance
and a limited mileage. July and August prices
are substantially higher than the rest of the
year.
Note: Most car hire companies require that the
driver is over 21 years old and has a clean driver’s
license. It is not permitted to take hired vehicles
into Sinai or over the border to Jordan.
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Tel Aviv
Less than a century old, Tel Aviv is about finance,
business and fun - it's pretty hard to compete
with Jerusalem's three millennia of history, so
Tel Aviv doesn't even try. Nearly everyone who
lives here came from somewhere else, and a short
walk through the city will take you to the spicy
orientalism of the Yemenite Quarter, the seedy
vodka cafes of Allenby St and the Miami chic of
pastel pink beachfront condos. Tel Aviv isn't
big on sights, but if you've been to Jerusalem
you've probably had a gutful anyway. If you just
can't get enough, visit the Diaspora Museum, which
chronicles Jewish culture in exile, or the Tel
Aviv Museum of Art. When you've finished, wander
through the markets of the Yemenite Quarter, stop
for a cappuccino and then pull up some sand on
one of the best beaches in the Middle East.
The Galilee
Serious Bible territory, this is where Jesus did
most of his preaching as well as a spot of water
walking and some fish multiplying. It's also Israel's
lushest region, with green valleys, verdant forests,
fertile farmland and the Sea of Galilee. Nazareth,
Jesus' childhood home, is a popular destination
for pilgrims, but not much chop for the casual
visitor. Although there are some important churches
here, such as the Basilica of the Annunciation
where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the
town itself is pretty ugly. Tiberias, on the western
shore of Lake Galilee, is a much better base for
enjoying the area. Spend the day enriching your
soul at the tombs of ancient sages, then soak
away the pains of the body in the town's famous
hot springs. The Galilee is also home to the country's
most extensive archaeological site, Beit She'an.
The site is still being excavated, but a beautifully-preserved
Roman amphitheatre, Byzantine baths, a temple
and a colonnaded Roman street have already been
uncovered. The site is on the Tiberias-Jerusalem
bus route.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a cynic's delight, with Manger Square,
Manger St, Star St, Shepherds' St, two Shepherds'
Fields and an unheavenly host of 'Christmases',
but if you've got even the remotest Christian
background, you're bound to wind up here. Bethlehem
is built around Manger Square, the town centre
and, strangely, the town carpark. The Church of
the Nativity is the raison d'être of this
holy town, and one of the world's oldest working
churches. Built over the spot where Jesus is said
to have been born, it's a suitably august and
venerable piece of architecture. If kitsch is
more to your taste, take a look at Milk Grotto
Chapel, a shrine to the Virgin Mary's lactations.
Rachel's Tomb, on the edge of town, is one of
Judaism's most sacred shrines, and is also revered
by Muslims and Christians. There's not much accommodation
in Bethlehem, but it's only a 40-minute bus ride
from Jerusalem.
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