Car rental in Ashdod: prices, roads and day trips to the south

A small car in Ashdod 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 is usually 200-380 ₪ per day, and a 7-seater 350-600 ₪.
• Peak dates: Pesach, Sukkot, the High Holidays and the July-August school holidays, when families from abroad come to stay with relatives in Ashdod. Automatic 7-seaters sell out first.
• Weekly rate: a 7-day rental often lowers the daily price by 15-25% compared with a 2-3 day rental.
• 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; residents in shekels.

Ashdod prices are usually close to Ben Gurion prices, but the airport has far more cars at holiday time. If you are booking late for Pesach or Sukkot, check the airport too.

Pick up at Ben Gurion if you land on a Friday or Saturday or travel with family and luggage; pick up in Ashdod if you only need the car for part of your stay.

• Ben Gurion: the widest choice of suppliers, and some desks working on Shabbat. The drive to Ashdod is about 45 km, roughly 35-45 minutes off-peak.
• Ashdod city branches: several suppliers have branches in the city, often in commercial or industrial zones. The exact address appears on the comparison site when you book.
• Delivery: some local suppliers deliver to a hotel or home address for a fee.
• Opening hours: branches usually close on Friday around midday and reopen on Saturday night or Sunday.
• Getting there without a car: Ashdod Ad Halom station, near the Ad Halom junction at the city's entrance, is on the coastal line, and taxis from the airport are common.

For a two-week family visit where you plan three or four outings, renting in Ashdod for those days can cost much less than keeping a car parked for two weeks.

Ashdod is one of the easier Israeli cities to drive in: it was planned as separate neighbourhoods linked by wide avenues, and parking is less stressful than in Tel Aviv or central Jerusalem.

• Neighbourhoods: the city was laid out as about 17 neighbourhoods, each with its own shopping centre and park, and most are named by Hebrew letters (Aleph, Bet, Gimel and so on). Waze handles the addresses well; write the neighbourhood with the street name.
• Blue and white curbs: paid during posted hours, through Pango or Cellopark. Read the sign at the start of the street for resident-only rules.
• Red and white: no parking. Red and yellow is reserved for buses.
• Seafront and marina: spaces near the beaches and the marina fill up on summer evenings and Saturdays; arrive early or use a paid car park.
• Shopping centres: malls have large car parks, often the easiest option in the city centre.
• Port area: heavy trucks around the port and the industrial zones on weekdays; leave more distance and avoid overtaking near junctions.
• Fines: parking and camera fines go to the rental company, which charges your card with a handling fee, sometimes weeks later.

Register the rental car's plate in Pango or Cellopark as soon as you collect it.

Highway 4 runs north along the coast toward Tel Aviv and south to Ashkelon, while Highway 41 heads east toward the interior and the main north-south roads.

• To Tel Aviv: about 32 km, 30-40 minutes off-peak, mainly via Highway 4. Weekday mornings northbound and evenings southbound can double that.
• To Ben Gurion: about 45 km, roughly 35-45 minutes off-peak.
• To Jerusalem: around an hour off-peak, depending on the route Waze picks and traffic at the city entrance.
• To Ashkelon: about 20 km, around 20 minutes via Highway 4. The train takes about 8 minutes.
• To Beersheba: about an hour by car, about the same by train.
• Highway 6: the toll road ends in the Beersheba area and can be the fastest way north on long trips. There are no booths: cameras read the plate and the rental company bills you at the non-subscriber rate plus a handling fee.

Use Waze in English and check the route before you leave: it is the easiest way to see live traffic and closures.

Ashdod is a good base for the south: Ashkelon is 20 minutes away, Beersheba about an hour, and the Dead Sea around 2 hours.

• Ashkelon: the national park with its ancient ruins on the sea, and the marina. About 20 minutes south.
• Beersheba and the Negev: about an hour to Beersheba, then the desert: the Ben-Gurion tomb at Sde Boker and Mitzpe Ramon on Route 40. Fill up before leaving Mitzpe Ramon: the stretch south to Yotvata runs for over 100 km without a petrol station.
• Dead Sea and Masada: from the south, the usual route goes via Highway 6 or Highway 4 to the Shoket junction, then Route 31 to the Zohar junction and Route 90 to Ein Bokek. Allow about 2 hours. Masada is open from 8:00 with shorter hours on Fridays; book ahead.
• Jerusalem: around an hour; park outside the Old City and walk in.
• Areas near Gaza: check the current situation and any official guidance before driving toward the Gaza border region; some roads can be closed at short notice.

Carry water and keep the tank above half for any Negev or Dead Sea trip. Summer temperatures in the desert often exceed 40 °C.

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

• Pickup: collect the car on Thursday or Friday morning; a Friday afternoon pickup at a city branch is risky.
• Return: ask whether there is a key drop box, or return on Sunday morning.
• Ben Gurion: some airport desks work on Shabbat, the best option if you land on Friday afternoon or Saturday.
• Religious neighbourhoods: some parts of Ashdod have large religious communities. Drive slowly and discreetly on Shabbat, and respect any barriers or signs.
• Yom Kippur: almost nobody drives anywhere in Israel. Do not plan a trip that day.
• Holidays: at Pesach and Sukkot, book 6-10 weeks ahead, especially automatic family cars.

A Thursday-to-Sunday rental usually costs little more than Friday-to-Saturday and avoids the Friday closing time.

The national rules apply: a valid foreign licence is accepted 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. A monthly rental is a common bridge while you wait for your own car, 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: 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; CDW and theft protection are included or mandatory, with an excess of roughly 2,000-4,000 ₪. Tyres, glass and underbody are usually excluded.
• Forbidden areas: rental contracts forbid driving into Palestinian Authority areas (Area A) and outside Israel.

Compare Ashdod branches with Ben Gurion for the same dates, and include taxi or train costs and the extra rental days in your calculation.

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.

Ashdod checklist:
- Friday closing time of the branch.
- Excess and deposit on your credit card.
- Fuel policy (full-to-full is usually the cheapest).
- Child seats ordered in advance for family visits.
- Photos of the car, odometer and fuel gauge at pickup and return.