TIPS FOR TRAVEL TO ISRAEL
WHAT TO PACK
Dress is generally casual and informal. We suggest that you bring comfortable, easily laundered clothing. Layers are recommended year round as weather can vary during the day. A sports jacket is optional for the men – but not required even in nice restaurants. Comfortable walking shoes are a must! A sweater or light jacket are needed, as Jerusalem can get chilly at night – even in the summer months. Winter gear – warm jacket and an umbrella – are recommended in the winter months.
Expensive jewelry, electronics and other valuables should be kept to a minimum. If you bring any of these items, please pack them, your passport and a sufficient supply of any prescription medications you are taking, in your carry-on luggage. Once in Israel, we suggest placing your valuables in the hotel safe and carrying your passport, camera and cash/credit cards with you at all times.
PASSPORT AND VISA
You will need a signed US Passport for travel to Israel, valid for at least 6 months after the return date to the U.S. Please carry it with you. Do not pack it in your luggage. Consult your local US Passport office if you have any questions about the validity of your passport or if you must renew your current one. If you are not a US citizen, please contact the Israeli Consulate for the most up to date entry requirements.
US citizens need not apply for a visa before leaving for Israel: they will be given this visa upon their arrival in Israel free of charge. Anyone traveling to other countries requiring visas should check with the appropriate Consulates directly for applications forms and information on how to process the application.
MONEY
The shekel (NIS - New Israeli Shekel) is Israel's legal tender; you can change money at the airport. Many stores and hotels will gladly accept your dollars, and may give you a discount when you pay in dollars. Bring a lot of small bills. In Israel, singles and fives are easy to change. Credit cards are widely accepted. Your bank ATM card is also accepted at many Israeli bank ATMs. You do not need to change a lot of money into shekels. American money is accepted almost everywhere.
ELECTRICITY
Electrical current in Israel runs on 220 V. For personal appliances from the USA like a hairdryer or curling iron, you will need a convertor. For small electronics like phone chargers, laptops or iPod chargers, a plug adaptor is all you need (like the one pictured here).
WEATHER
Israel enjoys long, warm, dry summers (April-October) and generally mild winters (November-March) with somewhat drier, cooler weather in hilly regions, such as Jerusalem and Safed. Rainfall is relatively heavy in the north and center of the country, with much less in the northern Negev and almost negligible amounts in the southern areas.
Regional conditions vary considerably, with humid summers and mild winters on the coast; dry summers and moderately cold winters in the hill regions; hot dry summers and pleasant winters in the Jordan Valley; and year-round semi-desert conditions in the Negev.
Weather extremes range from occasional winter snowfall in the mountain regions to periodic oppressively hot dry winds that send temperatures soaring, particularly in spring and autumn.
Table of average temperatures in major cities in Israel
C - Centigrade | F - Fahrenheit
Cities:
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jerusalem
C F
6-11C 43-53
7-14 44-57
8-16 44-61
12-21 53-69
15-25 60-77
17-27 63-81
19-29 66-84
19-29 66-86
18-28 65-82
16-26 60-78
12-19 54-67
8-14 47-56
Tel Aviv
9-18 49-65
9-19 48-66
10-20 51-69
12-22 54-72
17-25 63-77
19-28 67-83
21-30 70-86
22-30 72-86
20-31 69-89
15-28 59-83
12-25 54-76
9-19 47-66
Haifa
8-17 46-63
9-18 47-64
8-21 47-70
13-26 55-78
15-25 58-76
18-28 64-82
20-30 68-86
20-30 68-85
16-27 60-81
13-23 56-74
9-18 48-65
Tiberias
9-20 49-67
11-22 51-72
13-27 56-80
17-32 62-89
20-35 68-95
23-37 73-98
24-37 75-99
22-35 71-95
19-32 65-89
15-26 59-78
11-20 53-68
Eilat
10-21 49-70
11-23 51-73
13-26 56-79
17-31 63-87
21-35 69-95
25-40 77-103
26-40 79-104
24-36 75-98
20-33 69-92
16-28 61-83
11-23 51-74
Dead Sea
13-22 56-72
16-25 61-78
20-29 68-85
24-34 75-93
27-37 80-99
28-38 83-102
29-38 83-101
27-36 81-96
24-32 75-90
18-26 65-80
13-21 56-71
A FEW WORDS IN HEBREW TO GET YOU STARTED
Shalom................. Hello, goodbye, peace
Todah.................. Thank you
B’vakasha............ Please, your welcome
Slicha................... Pardon me
Boker tov............. Good morning
Laila tov.............. Good night
Malon.................. Hotel
Monit................... Taxi
Kama zeh oleh?.. How much does this cost?
GRATUITIES
Tipping is very personal and should be reflective of the service you receive. We cannot dictate the amount of tips you pay, but since so many people ask, we have provided some basic guidelines that we hope will help.
Tips can be paid in Shekels or US Dollars.
Guide: It is customary to tip your private Israel guide at the end of your tour. We suggest a minimum of $50 per day for a private car of up to 6 passengers. This is per car, not per person. This is only a recommendation and tips should be determined by the individual.
In Jordan, it is customary to tip a guide a minimum of $10 per person per day.
Hotels: It is customary to tip hotel personnel (bellboys, chambermaids, etc) as you would anywhere when you travel. Tips to waiters and front desk personnel are at your discretion.
Private Drivers: It is customary to tip private drivers if they have provided good service and been helpful. It is not customary to tip taxi drivers. We simply “round up”.
Restaurants: It is customary to tip your wait staff. Please note that the tip cannot be added onto your bill or paid with a credit card. Tips must be paid in cash (shekels or dollars) and should be a percentage of your bill. Depending on the standard of the restaurant and quality of the service, tipping should be anywhere from 10 – 20%.
HELPFUL HINTS