Aaron & Jomi

Transportation:

Israel has very good public transportation.  Below are links to the main bus company of the country (Egged), as well as the website for the train.

 

Egged

http://mslworld.egged.co.il/eggedtimetable/WebForms/wfrmMain.aspx?width=1024&company=1&language=en&state=2

 

Israel Railways

http://www.rail.co.il/EN/Pages/Homepage.aspx

 

Taxis

Obviously there are taxis, and you are not required to tip.  We recommend telling the driver to use the meter, which will automatically start at around 13 shekels, so don't be surprised.  Most of the time taxis charge for luggage, around 4 shekels per unit.  

 

Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport

There is free internet in the airport. 

 

You can easily catch the train to ‘Haifa -Hof HaCarmel’ train station from just outside of the baggage claim at the Airport. You can purchase the tickets right beside the entrance to the train, either from a machine or a person in the ticket booth. Each ticket is about 45 shekels for an adult. 

 

When you are on the train, you can leave your bags in one of the baggage racks, place it next to you at your seat, above your head, or even inbetween the seats.  You do not need to sit beside the bag if you leave it on the baggage rack- but rather check on it every so often.  On the train feel free to talk to people and ask them questions if you need.  Also, there is free internet on the train!

 

From ‘Haifa -Hof HaCarmel’ train station you can easily hail a cab to the Dan Panorma Hotel.  The exit from the train station is clearly marked and will take you out towars the beach name "Camel". A cab should cost about 50/60 shekels.  Often, there is a small additional fee for each person and bag so it may end up being a bit more.

 

 

Telephone

 

The country code to call into Israel is  011-972-xx-xxx-xxxx.  Phone calls within Israel begin with zero "0" in places of the 011-972-. The ring sound here sounds like a beep or a very slow busy signal sound.

 

If you would like to rent a phone to use try Israel Phones: http://www.israelphones.com.  You can rent a phone and have it sent to your home in the USA or pick it up at the airport. 

 

Your American or Canadian phone should be left on Airplane mode while in Israel so as not to inccur roaming charges. You can use free wi-fi while on Airplane mode everywhere in Israel!

 

Money

The currency here is the New Israeli Shekel, and is roughly 3.5 shekels to the American dollar (as of March 2014).  We recommend arriving in Israel with some Israeli money, though money can be easily exchanged at the airport.  ATM's will give you shekels and also dollars can be exchanged to shekels throughout the country. Virtually every single hotel, restaurant, and store accepts credit cards- though be aware that there are often service charges when using credit cards abroad. 

 

There is also the option of traveller's cheques, and those can be cashed at the Front Desks of the big hotels, such as Dan or Crowne.

 

What to pack/wear

October is when summer ends and fall begins, so prepare for warm weather (26 Celsius or 80 Fahrenheit is common, but temperatures do rise to around 30 C or 86 F), though a soft shell fleece jacket is a good idea for night as it can get windy.  You will want to bring clothing that will allow you to be comfortable in summer heat.  Shorts, t-shirts, sandals, HAT, comfortable walking shoes, and a swimsuit are a must.  Light long sleeve shirts as well as a scarf are good to have in order to layer if it gets too cold for comfort, or when you enter a building with strong air conditioning.

 

Concerning modesty, at the majority of places in Israel you can wear whatever you want.  However, at religious sites a certain amount of modesty is required.  Thus, shoulders and knees must be covered.  Some people really like convertible pants for this, as well as pashminas/shawl-type scarfs to cover the shoulders.  

 

For the wedding (yeah!!!), you must understand that the Israeli dress code is very casual.  Expect guys to be wearing shorts, khakis, black pants, or jeans with a button down shirt or a polo shirt. Girls to be wearing light summer dresses or simple fall dresses. You may want to bring along a light sweater or scarf for the evening. Heels are not required, and frankly are discouraged as we plan on dancing the night away!  For further reading about Israeli weddings, go here.  Also, this is a good newspaper article about what to wear to Israeli weddings click here.

 

 

 

Electricity

Israeli voltage is 220V at a frequency of 50 Hz.  The plugs commonly used are either the European Type C or the uniquely Israeli

Type H.  The Type H outlets accept Type C plugs without a problem.  

 

This is the type of adapter you want to get, though remember that this is an adapter and not a converter, thus will not change the voltage or frequency.  If your device is not specified for 220V, you will need to bring a converter so you do not damage your device. Please pay attention to things like hair dryers and curling irons, and double check your cameras, computers, tablets, and phones.

 

 

Security Issues

Due to the region in which we reside, security in Israel is very different than it is in the US or Canada.  For those of you who have never been here before, you will see soldiers walking around with rifles but it is important to understand that this is normal as these soldiers are coming from or going back to their bases and not responding to a security threat.  There is no need to be surprised or alarmed.

 

When entering restaurants, malls, bus stations, and hotels, there maybe at least one armed guard who might ask to inspect your bags and/or run a metal detector wand around your waist area.  Some places (such as train stations) will require you to go through a metal detector and any luggage you are carrying will be put through a x-ray scanner.  All of these things are normal and Israelis view them similar to how North Americans feel about having their bags checked by a security guard on the way out of a mall or store.  These things take seconds and are not like a security check at an American Airport.

 

Concerning your passports, you do not have to carry them around with you as you are issued a tourist Visa at Ben Gurion Airport that has all the pertinent information that could be required, thus- the tourist Visa should be carried everywhere.

 

Here is link that speaks further about security in Israel: http://www.jerusalem-hotel.co.il/170140/Hotels-in-Israel-and-Security

 

 

Touring and other things to do

There is no shortage of things to see and do in Israel.  Even after eight years in Israel, we are always finding out about new things to see or do.  Below we have listed links to tourist sites that have good information, though there is a plethora of information available on the internet and in quality travel books.  Furthermore, there are apps available for download for iOS and android.

 

In addition to the wedding festivities, we would love for you to see a bit of Israel!  An organized tour will be arranged between October 6-12, 2014, for those interested.  Places visited will include Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and northern Israel, where both historic and modern wonders will be visited. Please click here for the information about our wedding and "Wedding Week" touring in Israeland let us know what days you are interested in joining us for via the RSVP page click here. 

 

Ministry of Tourism - Well organized and kept up-to-date, this site has all kinds of things listed on it.

http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Pages/home.aspx

 

 

Israel Nature and Parks Authority - For nice trips in our national parks, this site is organized by region and highlights both nature and archeological sites.  These places are great, and the site is very well done. 

http://old.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/company_search_tree.php?Cat=378~All~~~~&ru=&SiteName=parks&Clt=&Bur=614100786

 

http://www.haifatrail.com/haifa-trail-main-eng.htm

 

http://www.touristisrael.com/

 

http://www.visit-haifa.org/eng/

 

http://igoogledisrael.com/