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Learn About Jerusalem

When to Go

The best time to travel to Israel are the months between March and October, the best are the spring months between March and June. If you would like to visit the desert areas, the preferred time to travel is during the cooler winter months.

Helpful Websites

Getting Here

Ben Gurion Airport is known as one of the safest airports in the world. There is a strong presence of security forces at the airport, which include the IDF (Israel Defense Force) and the police.

2010 was the busiest year in the history of the airport, with more than 12.1 million passengers (an increase of over 10% from 2009 and more than 95,000 business operations.

Getting Around

Israel puts great effort to provide convenience to travelers with disabilities. They have devoted considerable effort and resources to enable persons with disabilities to visit destinations and tourist attractions and enjoy comparable public services. Still it is important to keep in mind that much of the terrain in Israel is uneven.

ACCESS ISRAEL provides detailed free information in English and Hebrew on accessibility for travelers with disabilities: www.aisrael.org.

Money

The Israeli economy is very similar to the European, but usually food products are cheaper. For a tourist with moderate level of spending, lets say a souvenir a day, lunch and refreshments, $50 a day may be enough.

Safety

Israel is a very safe country to visit and travel through, however safety is one of the biggest concerns raised by travelers. Israel today is generally a safe country for tourists. The Israeli government forbids its citizens to cross into the area controlled by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank area.

Tourists should always carry with them their passport or, at least, a photograph of it in the smartphone because they might be requested to access certain sites, especially the famous Wailing Wall.

Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, are fascinating destinations that no traveler should miss by an unwarranted fear. Simply be well informed of the situation at all times and maintain reasonable precautions.

Tipping

Tourist and locals usually tip in Israel, especially in restaurants. If the bill does not include a service fee, a 12% tip should be added to the payment. It is also custom to tip bellboys or any other service providers at hotels. Usually taxi drivers are not tipped.