Israel

Traveling

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service: For further information please visit the Ministry of Tourism website.
Diplomatic representations: List of Consulates and Embassies of Israel abroad

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation: Taxis are common in Israel and ensure urban and interurban travel. It is common to give a tip to the driver. Shirouts (shared taxis with 7 to 10 seats) make interurban connections at a reasonable price. This is often the only means of transport available on Saturdays. The cost of a journey is similar to that of a bus trip. The city has a developed bus network. Train is less expensive than bus but much less developed.
Haifa has a metro (Carmelit) but the number of stations which it serves is less. It is thus an under-utilised mode of transport. Tel-Aviv also has a metropolitan network. Shared or service taxis are the only means of public transport in the Palestinian Territories.The route presently possible is: Nahariya-Haifa-Tel Aviv-Beer Sheva. The Jerusalem - Tel Aviv line is closed for work.
Maps of urban networks: Train Plan
Plan of Carmelit of Haifa
Tel-Aviv Metro Plan

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation: Ben Gourion Airport is the main international airport. Eilat is served either by its own airport (for small or medium carriers), or by that of Aqaba in Jordan(for large carriers), but Jordanian authorities do not require special formalities. Internal air services in Israel are provided by the Arkia Company with well maintained aircraft.
Buses serve the entire country and cheaply, but the service in interrupted on Saturdays and the days of the Jewish festivals. The train though less developed than bus is however less expensive. A service is provided between Tel-Aviv and Beehr Shee'va, Tel-Aviv and Nahariyya and Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem.
Rail companies: Israeli Railways

Airlines

Name	Type	Domestic flights	International flights
El Al	traditional	yes	yes
Arkia	low cost	yes	yes
Sundor	low cost	yes	yes
Israir Airlines		yes	yes

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation: The road network in Israel is very dense and in excellent state. The traffic can sometimes be dangerous. There are no particular problem with the fuel supply. The traffic signs are in Hebrew and English. Insurance necessary for passengers travelling in their personal car, is normally included in the rental. Joint reports possible. Police intervention in case of physical injury. Throughout the Palestinian Territories, the roads are good. Service stations are rare in some regions of Cisjordanie.
Road maps: Israel road map
Find an itinerary: CT Atlas

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical: Numerous historical sites: archeological, cultural heritage sites, etc.
Cultural: List of monuments referenced as world cultural heritage sites of UNESCO.
Various museums : to see the list of museums in Israel, click here.
Nature: You can go trekking into the wild: in the green hills and streams in the North, on the Mediterranean coast in the West, around the Dead sea (the lowest point of the planet), in the deserts, Arides mountains and old volcanic craters in the South. The Israeli Company for protection of nature manages a number of natural reserves. For further information, visit their website.
Religious: 3 main religions are widely represented by sites mainly in Jerusalem and around the Lake Tiberiade. At Nazareth there are a number of religous monuments (Church of Nazariens)
Thermal: There are a number of spas in Israel. The main spas are located at the Lake Tiberiade and near the Dead Sea.
Beach: Several and magnificient beaches all along the Mediterranean coast, Red Sea and Lake Tiberiade. Activities like swimming, surfing, sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing are possible.
Winter sports: It is possible to ski on the Mount Hermon.
Outdoor activities: Trekking, Diving, Cycle Trekking, Golf, Waterskiing, Fishing, Mountain climbing.
Shopping: There are several commercial centers where you can do your shopping, like the Malha commercial center of Jerusalem. Picturesque markets, annual trade shows, street stalls or boutiques in the large cities shall allow you to bring back souvenirs For further information, visit the Tourism Office site.

Top 10 highlights of the capital city
Yad Vashem Memorial
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
West Wall (for Wailing)
Tower of David Museum
Old City of Jerusalem
Mount of Temple
Rock Dome(al-Haram al-Sharif)
Via Dolorosa
Garden Tomb
Al-Aqsa Mosque

Top 10 highlights of the country
Neve Tzedek (small village in the center of Tel Aviv)
Eilat
Beer Sheva
Negev Desert
Mount Thabor
Tiberiade
Lohamei Hagetaot
Haifa
Nazareth
Caesarea

Tourism organizations: Israeli Tourism Office

Living conditions

Health and safety

Health precautions: No requirement regarding vaccination for international travel. DT, Polio, Hepatitis A and B are advisable presently. Protect the passenger against diarrhoea. Visitors are strongly advised to carry their general medicines. Water should be boiled, filtered or consumed in encapsulated bottles. Avoid walking barefoot on sand or wet/muddy ground. Be careful of insect bites during rural stays : mosquito nets, mosquito repellants are advisable.
International hospitals
For further information on sanitary conditions: Israel Travel guide
OMS Recommendations
For further information on safety conditions: Warnings given by the American State Department /div>
Advice of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Emergency numbers

	100
	101
	102

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem (GMT+2in winter, GMT+3 in summer)
Summer time period: Summer time from March to October.

Map of the time zone

Fuseau(x) horaire

Type of climate: The average temperatures in January are 13 deg. C and in June 24 deg. C. The temperatures are mild the whole year on the coasts. Summer lasts from April to October. Winters are cold in the mountain regions. The ideal period for visiting the country is from April to May.

For further information: Israeli Meteorological Service

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Climate

Eating

Culinary specialties: Israeli cuisine is very similar to the Middle East cuisine; it is also partly inspired by the Central European cuisine. The dishes are generally quite spicy.
Baba ghannoui eggplant caviar: eggplant puree in lime juice. Generally served in a plate or in a Ravier spread with small chopped onion and finely cut parsley as starter with pita bread.
Taratour : sesame sauce. Taratour is generally served with baked fish, vegetables pan fried vegetables. It is essential in preparation of chickpeas purÃ©e (hummus) or eggplant (baba ghannouÃ¯).
Other typical dishes are : Thina (sesame purÃ©e), Falafel (fried chickpea balls),Shewarma (meat of turkey, calf or mutton in a pita).
Drinks: The beverages very widely consumed in Israel are cola, beer, fruit juices and wine.
Dietary taboos: Pork is prohibited and the food should be kosher.

Paying

Domestic currency: New Israel sheckel.
ISO Code: ILS
To obtain domestic currency: Foreign currencies can be exchanged from banks, certain hotels and exchange bureaus. There are many exchange points in airports and city centers. You can also withdraw cash easily from ATM's which are numerous.
Possible means of payment: Settlement is generally made in cash, by cheque or credit card. Some vendors like to be paid in foreign currencies.

Speaking

Official language: In Israel the official languages are Hebrew and Arabic. The national language of Jews is modern Hebrew, but since only 60 % of the Jewish population was born in Israel, this language is not the mother tongue of nearly half of the population.
Other languages spoken: Jews speak other languages like English, French, Russian, or Yiddish. English is considered as the main foreign language in Israel (main language for international communication), followed by French. Russian is the third important foreign language of the country. Finally, Yiddish is spoken by around 500 000 speakers. Moreover, a large number of other languages are spoken by the Jews originally from Latin America or Central Europe: Spanish,Romanian, Hungarian, German, Polish, Persian, Amharic and Tigrinia
Business language: English
Getting some knowledge: A little hebrew vocabulary : Travelnet
Free translation tools: dictionnaire hébreu français - Translation
liste de dictionnaires hébreu - Translation of hebrew into several languages