What you need to know as a tourist in Israel

Are you going to spend a vacation at sea in a warm country? Then, welcome to Israel! Warmer, probably, only in the Sahara. But there is no sea. And here in Israel are three! But before we start, let’s get ready.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

1. International passport. On the day of entry into Israel, it must be valid for at least 6 months.
2. Air ticket for arrival and departure from Israel at the end of the holiday.
3. The address where you are staying (hotel, rented apartment, relatives or friends’ apartment).
4. If you are visiting friends or relatives, you need an invitation written in Hebrew indicating the passport and contact details of the inviting person, indicating your passport and contact details and the length of stay. Plus a copy of the inviter’s ID. It is necessary to print and show at the border control in printed form.
5. In the case of a stay at a hotel or in a rented apartment – supporting documents on payment and confirmation of the order.
6. Paid insurance in case of Covid. (in Russia it costs 1,000 rubles).
7. The amount of money for the entire period of stay in Israel is not less than 50 dollars for one day. In connection with the sanctions, Russian cards, accounts, etc. do not work in Israel. Cash is accepted everywhere in shekels. Dollars can be exchanged at any exchange office for shekels.If the purpose of the trip is treatment, then you need a confirmation letter from the medical center.
8. If the purpose of the trip is treatment, then you need a confirmation letter from the medical center.
9. Medical insurance. If you come from a travel agency, then you will be asked to do this. If you are driving on your own, then take care of it yourself. I strongly recommend that you make insurance, because if you get sick, then, of course, you will be helped, but then they will bill you, which will unpleasantly surprise you. Medicine for foreigners in Israel is very expensive.
10. Visa not needed!

Please take into account that, in accordance with international practice, the final decision to allow a person to enter the territory of a foreign state (regardless of the visa or visa-free regime) is made by the border services and other competent authorities of the state of entry directly when crossing the state border.

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

If you do not want to pay big money for roaming, but want to communicate with relatives and friends, we advise you to think about a temporary Israeli SIM card in advance. There are a lot of offers on the Internet. And if you are tired of everything and want to take a break from communication – fly in and turn off the phone!))) If you arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and you do not have a booked transfer to the hotel, and you are not met, then there are several ways to get to the destination.

Taxi

Taxi drivers, like everywhere else, stand at the exit of the airport and offer their services. If you cannot call an official taxi using the application, then be careful with private drivers. Compare the offered prices. And don’t forget – you’re in the east! You can and should bargain! The prices for a taxi booked in advance are approximately the following: from the airport to Tel Aviv from 102 dollars. To Bat Yam – from $92, to Rishon LeTsiyon – from $100, Herzliya – from $112.

Bus

Bus stop at the airport at the 3rd terminal. There are vending machines where you can buy a ticket. But a transfer trip. First you need to take Shuttle number 5 at exits 21 and 23 of the third term and get to the Airport City stop. There, transfer to the city bus of the number you need. For example, for $3.3, bus number 478 will take you 30 minutes to get to Tel Aviv Central Station.

The train

The train from the airport to Tel Aviv Central Station takes approximately 12 minutes. The price is 4.5 dollars. If you go to another station, then the price is different. Do not lose your ticket until the end of the trip, exit from the station on tickets. Trains do not run on holidays and Shabbat. Tickets can be bought at the box office or booked in advance. The minibus will take about 30 minutes and costs $8. Mini buses run around the clock. Can stop on request. Tickets can be bought directly from the driver.

Car Rental

You can rent a car without a driver. It is better to take care of this in advance. If it’s not possible, then you can rent a car directly at the airport. For this, the following documents are needed: a passport, medical insurance, IDL, and photocopies of documents. $1,000 deposit. Be careful, all prices may vary depending on the exchange rate!!!

Car rental with driver

And the most convenient option is to pre-order a transfer (a car with a driver), who will meet you, help you load your luggage, deliver you to your destination and also conduct a mini-tour along the way! If you are flying to rest in Eilat, then this is a different airport. Ramon Airport is located about 20 km. from Eilat in the Timna valley. This is a new airport operating from 2019. You can get from the airport to the city by car, bus (they run every 30 minutes, tickets are sold in vending machines) and by taxi – about 100 shekels, + luggage is paid separately. On weekends and holidays add 25% to the cost. And our cars with a driver can meet you there.

MONEY

The currency of the State of Israel is the Shekel. The shekel is subdivided into 100 agora, the singular agora. Just like rubles and kopecks, dollars and cents, euros and euro cents. As of April 17, 2023, the exchange rate is as follows: 1 shekel – 24.3 rubles. 1 dollar – 3.6 shekels, 1 euro – 4.1 shekels. You can change dollars and euros at any official exchange office. Rubles are not taken everywhere and in small quantities. You can pay everywhere either in cash or by card. But, due to sanctions, Russian cards do not work. If there are foreign cards, then there are no problems.

At Ben Gurion Airport there are exchangers in two places: in the long hall, before the entrance to the hand luggage check, and in the round hall after passport control.

Ramon Airport has an exchange office and an ATM. At airports, I advise you to change small amounts, just to get to the city, because. In cities, the exchange rate is beter than at the airport. In cities, money can be changed both at exchange offices and at banks, ATMs and post offices.

And one more thing: for tourists who are going to travel around the country on their own, without sightseeing buses and cars, it is advisable to get a bus card on the first day. On the card, in the same place where you order, you can put any amount of money. 1 fare costs 5.3 shekels. You can’t buy a ticket from the driver. Fine is120 shekels.

HOTEL OR APARTMENT PRICES

There are many accommodation options for tourists to stay. Let’s consider some of them. We are looking at a double room without children from April 30 to May 13, 2023.

Tel-Aviv

Tel Aviv first. Apartments, studios with one room will cost from 160,000 to 238,000 depending on the location and content. Rooms in hotels from 130,000 with a shared bathroom to 398,000 with all amenities. The price depends not only on the amenities, but also on the proximity to the beach or the city center. There are offers for a free taxi from the airport. Some hotels include breakfast in the price. A few hotels include breakfast and dinner options. There is no all-inclusive system, as in Turkey.

Eilat

Now Eilat. If you book a tour to Eilat from April 30 to May 13, 2023 for two adults, then the price range in hotels and apartments will be from 79,000 rubles. up to 387,000 rubles. Almost all hotels include breakfast, in apartments and suites – of course, no. Almost no hotel in the services writes about the transfer. Pay attention to this.

Netanya

To the north of Tel Aviv there is the wonderful resort town of Netanya. Almost all hotels in the city are located along the beaches. For example, the five-star “Island Suites” right next to the main Sironit beach. There are hotels for every taste – from very budget to 5 stars. Lots of 2-3 star hotels. We analyzed prices for the same two weeks from April 30 to May 13 for two adults. Prices range from 97,000 rubles for one-room apartments to 336,000 rubles in a luxury hotel. Breakfast is included in only 11 hotels. There is no “all inclusive” system.

FOOD

As the system “all inclusive” in Israeli hotels does not exist, the tourists organize their meals by themselves . If in almost all apartments, studios, and hotels there is always the opportunity to cook something on your own, then in hotels, of course,it isn’t possible to prepare food yourself. There are cafes and restaurants. For self-cooking, it is better to buy products in stores, it is cheaper there and the quality is guaranteed. In small shops on the embankments of the expensive ones. In Russian stores, prices are higher than in Israel. Israel has a fixed price for bread and milk. These products cost the same everywhere. Cafes and restaurants are also very different. There are places where you can eat for 100 shekels (shawarma and drink), and there are places for a thousand. Most importantly, always remember that portions in Israel aren’t small. If you order a salad, then you will get it not in a saucer, but in a bowl. It is highly recommended to take one serving for two people. And it still can be hard to finish the whole meal!) I once ordered the Chocolate Tower dessert in the city of Holon.Six people ate it, but we couldn’t finish it all.

TRADITIONS

We would like to remind everyone that Israel is a religious state. The state religion is Judaism. Of course, Muslims, Christians, and believers of other faiths live here, but Jewish traditions are observed at the state level. One of them is Shabbat. The word Shabbat literally translates as Saturday, and goes back to the Hebrew root, which means “rest”, “rest”, “stop”. Every week, from Friday evening until Saturday evening, shops, cafes (except for embankments), all government agencies (except for police, doctors and firefighters), the entire service sector, including urban transport, are closed. If you do not have a rented or booked car with a driver, you use the weekend option within walking distance of the rental property. National holidays are another thing worth paying attention, before going on your trip. During the holidays everything that can be closed is closed. It is especially not recommended to travel to Jerusalem on religious holidays (Pesach, Ramadan, Easter). Since the city is a disputed territory of Israel and occupies, disagreements escalate on holidays. It is best to go to Jerusalem on weekdays with a bus tour, or by booked car with a professional driver and guide. If you still decide to go on your own, then it is not recommended to go to the eastern part, to the Arab quarters. (Unless you are a Muslim and dressed respectively). They do not really like lounging tourists in shorts and with bare shoulders. This must be taken seriously. In general, on a tour to Jerusalem, you need to dress in such a way that you can easily go to any place of worship without causing any complaints. The tourists should wear a shirt or a blouse with long sleeves,a skirt or a dress below the knees for women, men in no case can wear shorts. Head should be covered for both men( hats) and women(shawls). The visitors should respect local rules.

EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THIS

Before traveling to Israel, we suggest that all tourists save the most important emergency numbers for themselves. In general, this should be done, in my opinion, before traveling to any country. Forewarned means protected!

Phones in Israe: 100 – Police: report on unexploded ordnance and objects related to national security, such as solidarity and terrorist attacks.

101 - ambulance: message about providing and receiving first aid

102 ‒ Fire and rescue services: fire and fire trap reports

103 ‒ Electric Company: Power Outage Information

104 ‒ Home Front Command: Emergency Information, Instructions and Availability

Address of the Russian Embassy: Tel Aviv, 63573, st. Hayarkon, 120 (St. Hayarkon, 120, 63573 Tel Aviv).. Phone: +972-3-522-67-36, 522-67-44.

Consular section of the Embassy: Tel Aviv, st. Kaufman, 2 (Kaufman st., 2, Tel Aviv). Phone: +972-3-510-10-20.

SOUVENIRS

Now about the pleasant. If you are going to buy souvenirs, then try to do it in Tel Aviv in a large market. It is located in the Jaffa area. This is not even one market, but several streets where they sell everything your heart desires. Prices are lower than in small souvenir shops. And most importantly you can and should bargain! You are in the East! And if you want to see the real oriental bazaar, then in Tel Aviv there is a central Carmel market. There are always a lot of people, cleanliness is not guaranteed, but the choice of products, spices and everything else is much larger and cheaper than in stores. Also the market is very noisy and very bright!

SEAS

As we already wrote at the beginning of the article, there are 3 seas in Israel. Red, Mediterranean and Dead.

People from all over the world come to the Red Sea to see the underwater world. Even if you are not scuba diving, you can simply put on a mask and dip your face into the water. Almost off the coast, an underwater fairy tale begins. The variety of shapes and colors of marine fauna is amazing! At the same time, it must be remembered that there are few sandy pieces everywhere, mostly pebbles, sharp and slippery stones – you should definitely bring or buy special shoes on the spot in order to enjoy your vacation without injuries.

Dead Sea. The water in this sea is so salty that it does not even let you get caught. It’s also oily and slippery.) When you go into the sea to sit and lie down, the main thing is that water does not get into your eyes and nose. Feelings are very unpleasant. But this water is alive, curative. Skin diseases are cured like nowhere else in the world! Mediterranean Sea. Clean, beautiful, warm! Much of Israel’s coastline! The water temperature rises to 30 degrees in summer. Together with humidity up to 80%. From May to September, you leave Ben Gurion Airport like you are in a sauna. But if that doesn’t scare you, go ahead! Moreover, it is still warm in April, September, October. November is also warm, and there is no such humidity, so people swim without any hesitation.

Come to Israel! Our company can take into account the whole range of transport services and help to relax on the shore in an interesting and high-quality way!