Driving To/In Occupied Palestinian Territories
Before travelling to the occupied Palestinian territories, check your government’s website for the latest updates as there may be travel advisories in force covering some or all areas. You must produce a passport and immigration slip, to cross between Israel and the OPTs.
One of the main challenges of driving in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem is direction finding, as apps such as Google Maps and Waze have only basic information on roads. (Though Maps.me has better coverage). Also, as there are restrictions governing where cars with Israeli and Palestinian plates can drive, navigating can be difficult. Also, the question of whether rental cars from Israel can be driven into Palestinian territories is a favourite on travel forums, with the answer changing constantly. My understanding is that only cars rented from a number of Arab owned companies in East Jerusalem can be driven into the occupied territories. Israeli vehicles can be driven in, but rental vehicles, expecially from the big multinational comapnies are restricted due to insurance complications.
Road standards generally aren’t as good as those in Israel and road signs are less frequent, which, coupled with the satnav /map issues mentioned above, can make navigation difficult. Old cities such as Bethlehem have a lot of narrow, busy roads in the centre. Many roads are steep and with tight corners. Driving style can be fast and unpredictable too.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Palestinan Occupied Territories Car Rental
None of the big multinational companies operate here. If you are a local car rental company in OPT, or a company in Israel which allows vehicles to be driven there and would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com
