Just as driving in Israel is…interesting, so is parking.
Generally speaking, the smaller the town, the easier parking will be. Not only finding a parking spot, but just understanding the parking instructions is easier the smaller the place is.
Lets break down parking into different categories.
Parking in the City
Parking in a city is one of the more complicated things you’ll have to do if you’re renting a car.
The rules for parking vary city to city, street to street, and sometimes even by which side of the street your on!
Not only that, the parking instructions in Israel are in Hebrew. And only in Hebrew.
And it gets worse. Even if you can read Hebrew, you might not understand the parking instructions. A lot of Israelis don’t.
The two most infamous cities in this regard are Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. If you park on a constant basis in either of these cities, you’ve likely received at least 1 parking ticket, if not more.
If you’re going to park on the street, make sure you either know Hebrew, or ask someone on the street to help you figure out if you can park there. Though, as friendly as Israelis are and usually very willing to help, this is a sticky matter. A lot of the times even the locals aren’t really sure if you’re allowed to park there. They had a hard enough time figuring out if they themselves were allowed to park, and just because they haven’t received a parking ticket doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve got it right!
Why is it so complicated? Because that’s what we do here in Israel. We complicate things. It’s our specialty.
One side of the street is for residents only between the hours of 5PM and 7AM, while the other side of the street is for Parking Decal Permits 1-7 between 7AM and 6PM, and then it’s public parking until 9PM, and then it becomes residents only. It’s confusing. Very confusing.
This is also why the signs are only in Hebrew. There are so many instructions on the sign that there’s no room for another language.
A better option is to park in parking garages whenever possible. This is more expensive than parking in the street, but the potential additional expense of a parking ticket makes street parking more expensive.
That being said, they’re only 100 NIS, at least that’s what it was last time I got a ticket in Jerusalem (2019), so it’s not really all that bad. It’s just a sucky way to end your day when you get back to the car.
If you can do without a car when traveling in the city, or between cities, the better. You don’t need to worry about parking! Get on a bus or train and save yourself the hassle.
Parking at a National Park/Nature Reserve
Here, parking is much more convenient, makes much more sense, and is much clearer as to whether or not parking costs money.
Most parks/reserves have dedicated parking lots where parking in included in the price of your entrance ticket.
Making Up Your Own Parking Space
Israelis are very creative, and parking is no exception.
In the city Israelis tend to create parking spaces where you wouldn’t think anyone would ever try to park. Or just get on the sidewalk and irritate pedestrians.
But outside the city it’s another matter. There are a lot of hiking trails that start and end on the side of the road, and that’s where creative parking really comes in.
If you need to creatively park for some reason, just be sure that you’re not blocking traffic. And not blocking the sidewalk either.
Advice for Parking in Israel
Park in parking garages when you’re in the city. This way you’re 100% sure you’re allowed to park there and won’t rack up parking tickets. Especially in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
Better yet, use public transportation to save yourself the hassle.
Outside of a city parking is much easier and much less of a concern while traveling.
And be careful when creating your own parking space.
What other parking tips would you give to people trying to park in Israel? Let me know in the comments!