12 things you need to take to Israel
What to take with you to Israel to the tourist so that the rest passed "on the pyater"? What clothes to packed in a suitcase? What medicines take? Read the answers in this article.
Important moment
Before collecting a suitcase for rest in Israel, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the list of things forbidden to import things. So as not to put something illegal or at least be morally ready that these things are confiscated at customs. Read our detailed article "What can and Cannot be imported to Israel".
1. Money – a lot of money
Theoretically, you can take nothing but passport and money. Everything you need can be bought in place. However, remember that Israel is one of the most expensive countries of the world.
According to the last study, The Economist Group (Newspaper The Economist) from March 2019, Tel Aviv took the 10th place in the list of the most expensive cities in the world.
Any item will cost twice as expensive than at home. Exceptions are the products of those international brands that keep prices the same worldwide, most often these are brands of clothing, shoes, leather goods, accessories.
Accordingly, the more necessary things take with you, the less you will buy in place, the cheaper the rest will cost. Consider that some things we are familiar to the brands in Israel do not sell. First of all it concerns cosmetics, hygiene, baby food.
How much money is needed, read in our article "How much money to take to Israel".
About where and how it is advantageous to change dollars and euros on Shekels, in the article "Currency Exchange in Israel".
2. Documents, Prints, Copies
For independent travelers only need Passport and Printing Tourist Insurance. Even the printouts of the air ticket and the hotel’s hotel are not required, as it is possible to take on the plane and to go to the hotel by passport. Prints are needed for controversial situations, and they are still better to do and take with them.
For tourists in traffic (batch tours) need a passport and insurance. And in this case, the printouts of vouchers and air tickets are not required, but very desirable to resolve controversial situations and ease of communication with the representative of the tour operator.
We highly recommend making photocopies of foreign and civil passports. Put them in luggage. These printouts will be suitable if the passport will decorate or lose. In this case, you need to contact the Embassy (Consulate) to obtain a document "Return Certificate". To issue this document, the consulate is obliged to confirm the person, and for this, copies will be very useful.
3. Patch and glasses if gathered on the dead sea
Most tourists in Israel are on the dead sea at least once. The dead sea did not accidentally receive its name, the concentration of salts in the water in it is 10 times higher than in the oceans.
Naturally, any wound, any cut or inflammation can bring inconvenience and even pain. No wonder there is a surcharge "like a salt on the wound".
If you gathered to swim in the dead sea, it is best to put all the wreck on the body with a waterproof plaster. On the eve of the trip, we strongly recommend shaving anything, since after shaving irritation can also cause pain in salty water.
To protect your eyes best to wear closed swimming glasses, but most tourists do not like to wear them. Sunglasses will be by the way, they will not protect the eyes completely, but will be removed from most splashes.
4. Packaging for preservation of gifts
This advice is relevant if pomegranate wine in Israel granted, olive oil, ceramics or other fragile gifts. Imagine what will happen if the bottles of wine break each other in baggage? They will spoil all things inside.
Therefore, it is better to provide a soft packaging for fragile gifts. The perfect option is a bubble film, and corrugated cardboard is well suited for bottles. Such packaging is easier and cheaper to bring with you, than to search in stores in Israel. The main thing is to have a place in the suitcase.
Also danger represent fruits that may leaned, let juice and spoil things in baggage. Fruits are better packaged in durable packages and tie a stronger. High strength packages are easier and cheaper to bring with them than to look for in Israeli stores. About fruits Read our article "Fruits in Israel".
The fact that still interesting can be brought, read in the article "What to bring from Israel".
5. Sun protection
In the summer months, the sun is active 11-12 hours, and it is necessary to burn in such a situation.
In the first days, it is better to refrain from finding in direct sunlight. Better sit under an umbrella or under a canopy. Some tourists too directly perceive such advice and sit exclusively at the bar (joke).
Take with you sunscreen, for an adult optimal SPF 30, for a child SPF 50. And the main rule – do not save, apply a normal amount of cream on the skin. Some tourists take expensive cream and try to apply smaller to save, and then surprised "why I burned? I smeared with cream!".
Wearing a headdress must be necessary, otherwise on the scorching sun, you can get a sunshine. First of all, take care of the shoulders from the sun, because the shoulders are burning first. To the beach bearing a small towel to cover your shoulders if you feel that they are burning.
6. Adapter for sockets
In Israel, voltage in the power grid – 230 volts, like us. But your type of sockets that are no longer found anywhere else. What do these outlets look like, look in our detailed article "Sockets in Israel".
Briefly. If your device has a plug type EUROPLUG (type C, fine contacts), then he will freely enter the Israeli outlet. If the device has a Schuko plug type (type F, thick contacts) or FRENCH (type E, thick contacts), it won’t.
Most devices are equipped with Europlug forks (fine contacts), but the power cables of the chargers of some laptops, tablets, PowerBanks are completed with forks F and E. In this case, you will need an adapter, it is best to immediately buy an adapter "all-on-all". Watch the photo above, click on the photo to enlarge. He will serve you more than one journey.
7. Modest clothes if you are going on excursions
If during the excursion it is planned to visit churches, synagogue or mosques, then you need to be dressed. In public places outside of religious institutions in Israel, the dress code is actually absent.
In Christian Temples, the dress code is not very strict. Shoulders and knees should be closed, there should be no underwear, no tightly fitting or semi-transparent clothing, neckline or open back.
In mosques, the dress code is stricter. But in all mosques, they give fitting clothes (or elements of clothing), so clothing better choose based on the instructions in the paragraph above.
However, in most Christian churches and synagogue give out clothes. However, it is not worth spending time, stand in line, and still happens that everyone is missing. Easier immediately dressed like.
eight. Women – Light Scarf
This is a very practical element of a wardrobe with a variety of functions. Its and men can be recommended to have with them.
Scarf you can cover your shoulders or cover your head when visiting religious institutions. You can cover any parts of the body, if you feel that they are burning in the sun. You can close the face, if the wind blows, and the wind in Israel is most often dust, because the country is deserted (more than 50% of the territory occupies the desert).
Light scarf easily placed in a backpack or bag, if it is not very small. Take with you such a scarf that will not mind will lose, because it can easily carry the wind. The color does not matter, the main thing is not to be transparent.
For travel, the simplest light scarf of polyester will be suitable, so you can buy it for 100-150 rubles.
nine. Second smartphone
Use the Internet in roaming expensive. For example, by the option "Zaregoris" from MTS – 350 rubles per day, megaphone – 460 rubles a day, Beeline or Tele2 – 350 rubles a day.
More profitable to buy a local SIM card. Buying SIM and Internet Package 10 gigabytes will cost about 70-80 Israeli shekels, for 200 shekels you can buy unlimited for a month. Actual Shekel Course See our article "Money in Israel".
But if you want to receive calls on your familiar number and use the Internet with Israeli SIM, then you need to have a second smartphone or a smartphone with two SIM cards.
Important note! If you do not use the Internet in roaming, if you did not include the necessary roaming options, then still we strongly recommend turning off the "Data Transfer" function on the smartphone. Otherwise, after landing, your smartphone will receive Internet access in roaming, starts downloading updates and other data and instantly reset the account.
ten. Raincoat, umbrella, sweater, jacket
Many believe that Israel is a country where heat and sunny all year round, but this is not quite so.
In Eilat really sunny all year round, there is almost no rain. However, in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv rains in winter there are often. Take raincoat or umbrella. Rainy months in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem – from November to March.
In the winter months, evenings and at night is quite cold. In Eilat, the temperature drops to 10 degrees, in Tel Aviv – up to 8, in Jerusalem – up to 5. Take with you a warm sweater or a light jacket if you are going to walk in the evening or at night.
Even in the hotel rooms at night it is cold, get ready to include air conditioning in heating mode.
Many readers will be survived, but in the cities of Israel there is snow. The last major snowfall was in 2013. Then in Jerusalem fell 10 centimeters of snow. Make conclusions from this fact and correctly collect a wardrobe on a trip to Israel in winter.
eleven. Aid kit
The composition of the recreation aid kits in Israel Standard: antiseptics, antisponigiors, light diseases, means for normalizing the work of the tract, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, bandages and plaster.
Some special medicines for travel to Israel are preparing no need for. Even insect funds are hardly needed, although just in case it is better to take a spray from mosquitoes.
If you carry any specific medicine, it is better to protect yourself from unnecessary questions at customs. For this:
1. Medicine should be in factory packaging.
2. The quantity must comply with your need for rest.
3. For 100% reliability, you can take a recipe from the doctor and make a certified translation for Hebrew.
Then there will be no complaints about you.
12. Proper clothes and shoes
De facto, in Israel there is no dress code in public places, except for some special districts, for example, in Mea-Shearim in Jerusalem. The Israelis themselves go to the funeral and weddings in jeans, and it does not surprise anyone, and indecent is not considered.
If you are going to excursions, take a detached and comfortable shoes. Walking on excursions in Israel has a lot. In Jerusalem there are potted streets.
If you are going to the beach in the summer months, then take beach slas. Summer sand on the sun heats up to +40 degrees and above. It happens that in the sand hurts.
If you are going to go on an expensive restaurant at least once, you take a weekend.
Avoid prints on clothes, especially those who have a religious or political tint.
If you are going to long-term excursions, take a small backpack so that the bottle of water and snack fit there. Often excursions pass in those places where there are no shops or cafes.
More important advice
– You will be surprised, but skates can be useful in Israel. In Eilat in the shopping center Ice Mall there is a skating rink, which loves to visit tourists. If you want to hit everyone on this rink with your skill, then take your favorite skates;
– Some tourists take a waterproof case for a camera or a camera. If you are going to the Dead Sea, the cover will protect the equipment from salt;
– Some tourists take a food supply with them to save. Food in Israel is very expensive, as we told in detail in the article "Product prices in Israel". Do not forget that almost all food products are officially prohibited for imports, you act at your own risk;
– smokers We recommend to take a stockpenter, as cigarettes in Israel are also expensive. Read our article "Rules of smoking and prices for cigarettes in Israel";
– lovers of drinking on vacation also recommend taking a maximum stock with them, the reason is the same – high prices. Read our article "Alcohol in Israel – prices and rules";
Successful holiday in Israel, and read our useful tourists articles about this country (List of articles below).
