Car rental in Netanya: prices, seafront parking and Route 2

A small car in Netanya costs about 130-190 ₪ per day in low season and 190-280 ₪ at peak periods, based on comparison-site prices for the coming season.

• Car classes: a compact or small family car (Kia Ceed, Toyota Corolla class) is usually 200-380 ₪ per day, and a 7-seater 350-600 ₪, which matters for families coming to see relatives.
• Peak dates: Pesach, Sukkot, the High Holidays and July-August. Netanya fills up with visiting families from France, the UK and North America at the same moments, so automatic 7-seaters go first.
• Weekly rate: a 7-day rental often brings the daily price down by 15-25% compared with 2-3 days.
• VAT: foreign tourists on a B2 visa show the entry slip from passport control and pay no VAT on the rental; Israeli citizens, dual nationals and olim pay 18%.
• Currency: tourists are often quoted in US dollars; Israelis see shekel prices.

Netanya prices are usually close to those at Ben Gurion and Tel Aviv. If you land at the airport and need the car straight away, picking up there is often simpler than coming back for it.

For a beach stay in the centre, no; for living in the outer neighbourhoods, visiting family across the region or touring the north, a car saves a lot of time.

• City centre and seafront: Independence Square, the promenade and the main beaches are walkable from central hotels and rentals.
• Outer neighbourhoods: Ir Yamim and Ramat Poleg in the south and Kiryat Sanz in the north are spread out, and buses between them can be slow.
• Train: Netanya station is east of Route 2, near the centre, with direct trains to Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Hadera, Lod, Ashdod and Ashkelon. Netanya Sapir serves the Poleg area and Beit Yehoshua is just south of the city.
• To the airport: comparison tools give about 47 minutes by train, usually with a change, and about 40 minutes by car off-peak.
• Shabbat: trains and most buses stop from Friday afternoon to Saturday night, which is exactly when families want to visit relatives or go to the beach elsewhere.

Many visitors combine both: train for Tel Aviv on weekdays, rental car for Shabbat and the north.

You can pick up at Ben Gurion airport and drive about 45 km, or at a city branch in Netanya; the right choice depends on your arrival day.

• Ben Gurion: the largest choice of suppliers and some desks working on Shabbat. Best if you land on a Friday or Saturday, or with a family and luggage.
• Netanya city branches: suppliers have branches in the city, often in commercial or industrial zones rather than on the seafront. The exact address appears on the comparison site when you book.
• Delivery: some local suppliers offer delivery to a hotel or address for a fee; check what is included.
• Opening hours: city branches usually close on Friday around midday and reopen on Saturday night or Sunday. Collecting on Friday afternoon is risky.

For a stay of a week or more where you only need the car for a few days, take a taxi or the train from the airport and rent in Netanya for the days you actually drive.

Street parking in Netanya follows the national curb colours: blue and white is paid, red and white is forbidden, and you pay through Pango or Cellopark.

• Blue and white: paid during the hours posted on signs. Some streets near the centre and the seafront have resident-only rules at certain hours; read the sign at the start of the street, not just the curb.
• Red and white: no parking at any time. Red and yellow is for buses.
• Apps: register the rental car's plate in Pango or Cellopark as soon as you pick it up. If you pay with your own account, the ticket risk is yours, not the rental company's.
• Seafront: spaces near the cliff-top promenade and Independence Square fill quickly in summer evenings and on Saturdays. Paid car parks in the area are less stressful than circling.
• Kiryat Sanz: a religious neighbourhood on the northern beachfront. Drive slowly and discreetly there, especially on Shabbat and holidays.
• Fines: unpaid parking tickets and camera fines go to the rental company, which charges them to your card with a handling fee, sometimes weeks later.

If you stay in a rented apartment, ask the owner about a private space: it can be worth more than any parking app.

Route 2, the coastal highway, is the fastest way to Tel Aviv and Haifa from Netanya, but it is one of the most congested roads in the country at rush hour.

• To Tel Aviv: about 30 km. Allow 30 minutes off-peak and an hour or more on weekday mornings southbound and evenings northbound.
• To Haifa: about 56 km north on Route 2, 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic.
• Highway 6: the toll road runs inland, east of Netanya. It can be faster toward Ben Gurion, Jerusalem or the north when Route 2 is jammed. There are no booths: cameras read the plate, and the rental company bills you at the non-subscriber rate plus a handling fee.
• Fast lanes: new congestion-priced lanes on Route 2 were planned from 2026; if you use one, the toll is billed the same way through the rental company.
• Thursday and Saturday evenings: heavy traffic on the coast as families travel for the weekend and return.

For a weekday meeting in Tel Aviv, the train is often faster and avoids parking. Keep the car for evenings, Shabbat and trips out of town.

Netanya is central: Caesarea is about half an hour away, Haifa under an hour, the Sea of Galilee about 1.5 hours and Jerusalem around 1-1.5 hours.

• Caesarea: the national park with the Roman theatre and harbour, and the aqueduct beach. About 30 minutes north via Route 2.
• Zichron Ya'akov and the Carmel wineries: about 40 minutes, a good half-day combination with Caesarea.
• Haifa and Akko: about an hour to Haifa and another 30 minutes to Akko's Old City. In Haifa, the Carmel Tunnels toll can save time at rush hour.
• Sea of Galilee: Tiberias and the northern shore are about 1.5 hours inland via Route 65 or Highway 6.
• Jerusalem: about 1-1.5 hours via Highway 6 and Route 1. Park outside the Old City and walk in; parking near Jaffa Gate and Mamilla is the usual choice.
• Golan and the northern border: check the current situation and any official guidance before you go; some areas near the borders can be closed at short notice.

Rental contracts forbid driving into Palestinian Authority areas (Area A), such as the city of Tulkarm east of Netanya. Waze and Google Maps can route through the West Bank; check your route before you leave.

From Friday afternoon to Saturday night, rental branches, trains and most buses stop, so plan your pickup and return around Shabbat.

• Pickup: collect the car on Thursday or Friday morning. A Friday 13:00 pickup at a city branch may not happen.
• Return: ask whether the branch has a key drop box; otherwise return on Sunday morning, which costs one more day but saves stress.
• Ben Gurion: some airport desks operate on Shabbat, the main option if you land on Friday afternoon or Saturday.
• Beaches and roads: Saturday is the busiest beach day; the coast road back toward Tel Aviv and Haifa is jammed on Saturday evening.
• Yom Kippur: almost nobody drives anywhere in Israel. Do not plan any trip that day.
• Holidays: at Pesach and Sukkot, book the car 6-10 weeks ahead, especially automatic 7-seaters.

Families visiting relatives for a holiday often book a Thursday-to-Sunday rental: it costs little more than Friday-to-Saturday and avoids the Friday closing time.

The national rules apply in Netanya: a valid foreign licence works for one year from entry, basic insurance is included and VAT depends on your status.

• Licence: a valid foreign licence is accepted for up to one year from your entry into Israel; bring an International Driving Permit if it is not in English. Rental companies usually require 1-2 years of licence history.
• Olim: you can drive on your foreign licence for one year from your entry and have five years from your aliyah date to convert it. If you are waiting for your own car or for conversion, a monthly rental can fill the gap, but after the first year the foreign licence alone is not enough and insurance may refuse a claim.
• Age: most suppliers set 21 as the practical minimum for small cars, with a young-driver surcharge under 24; larger cars often require 25 or more. Check your rental terms.
• Credit card: a credit card in the main driver's name, not debit or prepaid, with enough limit for the deposit.
• Insurance: compulsory third-party cover is included by law, and CDW and theft protection are included or mandatory, with an excess of roughly 2,000-4,000 ₪. Tyres, glass and underbody are usually excluded.

We recommend comparing on DiscoverCars, which lists Israeli suppliers such as Shlomo Sixt, Eldan, Avis/Budget Israel and Hertz, with free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup and a full coverage option. Check Economybookings for a second quote. These are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, and your price is unchanged.