Going to the Promised Land to see with your own eyes the places where biblical events unfolded is the dream of many travelers. It also has four seas, trendy nightclubs and restaurants with great Middle Eastern cuisine. What else does a traveler need who decides to go to Israel on his own? Only a convenient flight and a valid passport.
Entry formalities
Direct flights to Tel Aviv are operated by the local airline El Al and Russian carriers. If you follow their special offers and do not depend too much on the official vacation schedule, you can wait for favorable prices for air tickets.
Russian citizens do not need a visa when crossing the Israeli border if the duration of the intended trip does not exceed 90 days. At the entrance, you just have to answer numerous questions from the border guards, which are often the most unexpected. The answer must be taken in all seriousness - they do not understand jokes here and may be refused entry even because of the most innocent remark.
Shekels and spending
The local currency is called the Israeli shekel. Dollars or euros are exchanged at any bank or exchange office, but it is worth considering that during Shabbat, from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, these organizations do not work. This rule applies to most shops, museums, restaurants and public transport.
Going to Israel on their own, the traveler should imagine that this country is not cheap. Prices for food, transport and hotels here are the highest in the region and are almost equal to those in Europe:
- Breakfast in a mid-range restaurant will cost about 50 shekels, a cup of coffee will cost from 10 to 20, depending on the institution, and you can have a full lunch for 150-170 shekels in a cafe and 50-100 in a food court in a shopping center.
- One trip by public transport in the cities of Israel will cost around 8-10 shekels, and by train between cities - from 30 to 50 shekels. Taxi drivers will ask for at least fifty dollars for a trip within the urban area, and for a liter of gasoline, in case of renting a car, you will have to pay almost seven shekels (information is valid as of August 2015).
- The average cost of a night in a 4 * hotel on the Dead Sea will be $ 100-130, in a hotel near the beach in Tel Aviv - from $ 70 to $ 100, and in Jerusalem you can spend the night paying from $ 70 to $ 130, depending on the distance hotels from the center of the Old Town.
