Knowing 10 tips for travelling to Israel doesn’t come naturally. Second guessing what to pack, where to go, and the best ways to get there are always issues that arise for most travelers. Here are 10 tips that will make your journey through Israel less daunting.

1. Tipping. In Israel it is customary to usually tip at 10 percent for restaurants and you typically don’t tip bartenders and taxi drivers.
2. Street Food. Street food in Israel is practically its own subculture. There are “sit down” restaurants scattered about, but with all of the beautiful attractions around, eating and walking are very customary. Typically, the street food consists of falafels, shawarma, sabich, and Tunisian sandwiches. All of them are delicious and can be eaten on-the-go!
3. Driving. As with American cars, the driver’s seat and steering wheel are on the left and you drive on the right side of the road. You don’t need any sort of international driver’s license, just one from your home country. However, you will need some tough skin. Israeli drivers have little to no patience at all on the road.
4. When To Travel. It’s said that autumn is the best time of year, weather wise, to travel to Israel. Each day is usually between 61 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s great weather for walking around and exploring.
5. Check To See Your Visa Requirements. There are two types of Visas for Israel. The first is an “immigration visa” and the second is a “visitor’s visa”. If you are wishing to stay for a while, then you would want to go through the process of getting the “immigration visa”. If you are simply visiting for a vacation/short amount of time, then you will only need the “visitor’s visa”.
6. Currency To Avoid. Israel’s currency is broken down by agorot (like cents) and shekel notes (like dollars). The highest shekel note is 200 and it is recommended not to receive these when exchanging currencies because most places won’t accept them. This is because they are very rare and harder to trade.
7. When To Exchange Currency. It is best not to exchange currency on Sundays with a bank. The banks are open on Sundays but because there is no world currency trade on Sundays, the banks will charge you a larger commission than what they normally would any other day.
8. Trains. If you are taking a train anywhere, it is usually best to plan on it running a few minutes late. The train system has developed quite a bit in the past few years, but it is still a work in progress.
9. Wheres Your Embassy? When travelling to any country, it’s always best to know where your country’s embassy is located in case of emergencies.
10. Traveler’s Checks. Some businesses do not take traveler’s checks. If you have traveler’s checks, it is best to cash them in at a post office. The post office is commission free and they are easy to find.

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