Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

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

For more information

Embassy of Israel in Greece
1, Marathonodromon str
154 52 P Psychico
Phone: 2106719530-1, 2106719773
Fax: 2106749510
ambass-sec@athens.mfa.gov.il

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-Beersheba. 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 Gurion 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 aircrafts.
Buses serve the entire country and cheaply, but the service is interrupted on Saturdays and the days of Jewish festivals. The train though less developed than bus is however less expensive. A service is provided between Tel Aviv and Beersheba, Tel Aviv and Nahariya and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Rail companies

Israeli Railways

Flight from Greece

Two aircraft companies operate regular direct flights from Athens to Tel Aviv : Olympic Airlines and El Al Israel Airlines.. To find out air connections from Greece to Israël click here.

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 the West Bank.

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, barren 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 Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias). At Nazareth there are a number of religous monuments (Church of Nazareans)

Thermal

There are a number of spas in Israel. The main spas are located at the the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) and near the Dead Sea.

Beach

Several magnificient beaches all along the Mediterranean coast, Red Sea and the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias). 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.

Tourism organizations

Israeli Tourism Office

Eating

Food 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 purée (hummus) or eggplant (baba ghannoui).
Other typical dishes are: Thina (sesame purée), Falafel (fried chickpea balls), Shewarma (meat of turkey, calf or mutton in a pita).

Drinks

The beverages widely consumed in Israel are cola, beer, fruit juices and wine.

Dietary restrictions

Pork is prohibited and the food should be kosher.

Paying

Domestic currency

Israeli New Sheqel.

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 check or credit card. Some vendors like to be paid in foreign currencies.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Israel, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

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, Rumanian, Hungarian, German, Polish, Persian, Amharic and Tigrinya

Business language

English

Getting some knowledge

A little Hebrew vocabulary : Travelnet

Free translation tools

Hebrew French dictionary - Translation
list of hebrew dictionaries - Translation of Hebrew into several languages
Lexilogos - Arabic-English-Arabic Dictionary

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: February 2012