Israel trip budget help

amother

Peony

Thu, May 23 2024, 2:36 am

I really don't recommend relying on citycar or daily rentals. The possibility of getting stuck without a car at the last minute will really mess with your plans. Taxis might be an option, but will probably run you way more than a rental. If your priority was getting from place a to place b with minimal cost, I might advise differently. But if your priority is to give your kids a fun and memorable trip, spend on the rental for peace of mind.

I've seen what happens when people go on a trip and figure they can manage without a car, or just renting when they need. It causes a lot of stress.

Elfrida

Thu, May 23 2024, 2:38 am

Ridethewaves wrote:

what about renting two small city cars/my-cars for 10nis an hour? You pay per km instead of gas. They also have daily rates. You can only sign up once you're in the country because you need your travel visa from passport control. takes a day to process registration.

They are meant for short journeys around the city. After a certain point the kilometer charge goes up. I have friends who used one to go to a Bar Mitzvah in Efrat, and it worked out a very expensive journey. They said afterwards it would have been cheaper to get a taxi.

camp123

Thu, May 23 2024, 3:01 am

If you do a car swap or rent from a private person makes sure you are fully insured. There are many people willing to take big risks but if you were to have an accident and you are not fully insured this trip will end up costing a lot more than you bargained for. The cost of car rental varies depending on the time of the year. If you come peak season bein hazmanim everything is more expensive.
I would recommend renting a car for part of the time. For Jerusalem you don't need a car. But, it's worth having one to go to ein gedi / dead sea area.

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, May 23 2024, 5:11 am

If you are on a budget you should try to do a much research in advance a possible. Check if there are family tickets or group tickets which come out cheaper etc.
Car rentals have a high season supplement during certain dates.

amother

Peony

Thu, May 23 2024, 5:29 am

Maybe you can budget an amount per person/per day for activities and food. If you spend more on one activity you balance it out by spending less on another activity. Maybe 100 shekels per person per day for activities? And a similar number per person per day (maybe a bit less) for food?

National parks cost like 35 shekels a person. Museums/tourist sites are more. Activities like jeeping, even more. So if you do one or two high-ticket activities and keep the rest medium or low, you can fill your days with a nice mix without going over budget.

Same thing with food. Eggs/yogurts/sandwiches etc can be you go-to for most meals. Pizza and falafel are reasonably priced alternatives. Once or twice go to a cafe or restaurant, those will be your big-ticket meals. (Don't forget to budget for ice cream, if that's important to you. It adds up fast!)

My thinking is, with an average daily budget you can predict how much you will spend, and then you can fit in all the desired activities without going over.