Planning your own trip to Israel?
Here’s some helpful advice before you go.

Check List

Passport — make two photocopies, carry one with you, leave one at home. Passport should be valid for at least 6 more months, and in good condition.

Travel Insurance — make two photocopies, carry one with you, leave one at home; make sure you know the emergency numbers to phone and procedures in case of difficulties where you will need to claim. Travel insurance is not valid in areas considered dangerous by the UK Foreign Office, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their advice is here, and click here for travel tips.

Water bottle — you will need to drink a lot of water in Israel as it can get very hot; a good water bottle that clips to your belt or in a shoulder bag is good, so that you don't have to carry it in your hand or have a bulging pocket. See also section on staying cool. If you don't take a water bottle out with you then you will have to buy bottled water from street vendors, who will charge what they like to the tourists. The cheapest option is to take a bottle with you and fill it up at the hotel before going out. Water from the tap at hotels is considered safe to drink, although bottled water is readily available for a price. Drink plenty of water and often. It is better to drink a little frequently throughout the day rather than a lot all at once. Alcohol is expensive and causes dehydration.

Money — it is best to have some local currency (New Israeli Shekels) and US Dollars, as Israelis like both. Arabs like dollars (or least they used to), as do taxi drivers and those selling tourist items. You can also use credit cards but keep them secure and do not let the card out of your sight. Watch out for thieves/pickpockets.
Exchange rates are constantly changing, so check the rates before you go. A calculator is handy to have.
It makes sense for the whole group to exchange currency at the same time before departing to avoid paying too much commission. Visit the Universal Currency Converter website for up to date rates.

Wallet/purse — one that is hard to steal, especially if it can be concealed, e.g. trouser wallet for men.

Clothing — lightweight loose-fitting clothing for summer, strong comfortable shoes for walking, casual but smart. A hat to keep off the sun. You will not be allowed to enter religious sites (e.g. Temple Mount) unless your body, arms and legs are covered. Men need their head covered at Jewish sites (hat or skull cap).

Baggage — airlines usually have a limit of 20 kg weight for main baggage, and allow one small hand luggage item to take with you in the cabin.

Weather — Temperatures range from about 20 °C to 40 °C. You might find it helpful to take a small thermometer. Weather is usually hot and dry, wind and rain are rare. Most inside places have air conditioning. Sunscreen is essential to avoid sunburn, preferably at least SPF15, or SPF25 if your skin is very white.

Measurements — Israel is fully metric, so if you are not entirely familiar with metres, kilometres, Celsius, kilograms, etc., read up about them first, e.g. at www.thinkmetric.org.uk

Misc— Sunglasses (must provide 100% UVA and UVB protection, anything less will damage your eyes), washing powder, maps, Hebrew phrase book, camera with lots of film and batteries, luggage tags, toiletries.

Airport check in — be at the airport to leave for Israel at least 3 hours before departure. Coming back more time should be allowed, at least 3 hours or more, as Israeli airport staff are very security conscious and will thoroughly search ALL your luggage, bags, clothing. They will also interrogate you on why you are in Israel. Be prepared for lots of difficult questions. The right answers are the truth. They are obviously looking for terrorists.

Do not appear to obviously be tourists. Don't wear anything that draws attention.

Most signs are in Hebrew, try to recognise the more obvious ones like the symbols for EXIT . A lot of signs are in English as well. English is spoken but not by everyone.

Israeli police often carry M16 machine guns and routinely stop vehicles for inspection, especially if driven by Arabs. They look like soldiers but are not. National service is compulsory in Israel, so expect to see a lot of soldiers as well, usually dressed in green. Expect to see a lot of soldiers at Tel Aviv airport, as well as undercover security men.

Israel uses the metric system, so all temperatures will be in degrees Celsius, and road distances in kilometres. Be familiar with those units before going.

Staying Cool

(adapted from an article in TIME magazine, 13 Aug 2001)

Going to a hot country means you will be in a place hotter than what you are used to. Get used to higher than normal temperatures now, before going to Israel.

Overheating can cause heat-stroke, which in severe cases can lead to death. How temperatures will affect you depends on your underlying physical condition, how dehydrated you've become and whether or not you have had time to acclimate to a surge in temperature.

The body's first line of defence against heat is to shunt blood away from the torso and out to the skin. The brain sends signals to the blood vessels, commanding them to expand in size and increase the amount of blood being pumped by the heart. Then, working much like a car's radiator, the body cools itself off by warming the air around it.

Next come the sweat glands, which release enormous quantities of water through the skin. It's not the sweating per se that cools the body but evaporation that draws heat from the skin and lowers its temperature.

But once air temperature reaches into the 30s, your body has trouble dissipating any heat. And if the air is already full of moisture, as it is on a day with high humidity, it's hard for sweat to evaporate from your skin. With no place else for the heat to go, the temperature inside your body begins to rise dangerously.

Mild cases of heat exhaustion — a serious but not necessarily life-threatening condition — should respond rather quickly to a few simple measures. Try cooling off by heading for the nearest air conditioner. Apply damp towels all over the body, especially places like the wrist and temples, where blood vessels are nearest the skin. Drink plenty of liquids to help replace all those lost body fluids. Water is generally the best option. Alcohol, tea and colas, which act as diuretics, can actually increase fluid loss.

Heat-stroke occurs when the body's internal temperature-control system gets overwhelmed. Signs that this may be happening include confusion, disorientation and hallucinations. Sometimes (but not always) the body becomes so dehydrated that it will stop sweating altogether. If that happens, you've got a real medical emergency that requires immediate professional attention.

The best defence is to avoid overheating in the first place. Remember, it takes a while to adjust to any major jump in temperature (from a few days to two weeks). Try to avoid exercising in the hottest part of the day. Wear loose-fitting clothing that allows air to circulate around your body. And be sure to drink plenty of liquids (especially water — you will need a full water bottle often).

The elderly and the young are especially vulnerable to heat stress. So are people who are overweight or who suffer from heart disease or other health conditions. Whatever you do, don't ignore the signs of heat stress in yourself or those around you. When the thermometer is rising, everyone is at risk.

HOW TO STAY COOL

• Exercise in the morning or evening when it is milder
  
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks and caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, coke
  
• Remember that drugs like stimulants and antihistamines can decrease heat tolerance
  
• Cool the body by applying wet towels or ice packs to the wrists, neck, armpits and groin
  
• Seek medical help if body temperature rises above 39 degrees Celsius (normal body temp is 37 °C), or if there are signs of disorientation, delirium or confusion

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