Israel Travel Planning & Travel Tips

Americans living in or visiting Israel are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and obtain updated information on travel and security within Israel.

U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem

14 David Flusser
Jerusalem 9378322, Israel
02-630-4000

Climate:

As small as Israel is, the climate varies greatly from north to south. Our favorite times to go are March-April (wildflower season) and September-October. The Negev desert forms the southern two-thirds of the country, and summer in the Negev can be too hot to enjoy (temperatures above 100 F/37 C). It's possible to see desert sights in the summer if you go sightseeing early in the day. It can get quite wet and cold during the winter (you might even see a white Christmas in Jerusalem or Bethlehem)

Calling Internationally:

Public pay telephones accept magnetic phone cards, good for 10, 20, or 50 units. Magnetic phone cards cost a bit less if you buy them at the post office but they are also sold at stationers, news stands, and at many hotel desks. A local call is generally one unit and permits you to speak for 3 minutes. There are also slightly more expensive pay phones that accept shekels, but they are fewer in number. Pay phones that use cards do not accept coins.

Dialing tel. 144 will get you directory assistance. Directory and overseas operators speak English. The overseas operator is tel. 188. Toll-free numbers have prefixes of 177 and 1-800, however, when you use the 1-800 number to access AT&T, there is a charge.

Each city in Israel has an area code: Tel Aviv and the airport are 03; Jerusalem is 02; Haifa and the Western Galilee, 04; Netanya and Heerzlia, 09; Eilat and most of the Negev, 07; Tiberias, Nazareth, Safed, and most of the northeastern Galilee is 06. Look in the phone book for others.

Electricity:

The electric current used in Israel is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). If you bring an electric shaver, iron, or radio, you can buy an inexpensive transformer in Israel to convert the current to the American voltage cycle. Or you can buy 220-volt equipment at special shops that can be directly used in Israel. Sockets (or power points) usually take special Israeli three-prong plugs or sockets designed for round plugs. If your appliance has two prongs on its plug, you can buy a plug adapter in Israel quite easily for 2 or 3 shekels.

Travel Insurance for Israel Trips:

You should consider the benefits of travel insurance as part of your Israel travel planning. Most travelers look for travel tips that discuss the importance of travel insurance and travel insurance through Travel Guard can provide important coverage for your trip.

Whether you're taking a family vacation or business trip, Travel Guard has a plan for your Israel trip. These plans may include valuable medical expense coverage, trip interruption, medical emergency assistance and treatment services and more. And with Travel Guard's 24-hour assistance line, your coverage can act as a travel guide should your plans change.*

For more than 20 years, Travel Guard's plans have covered millions of travelers throughout the world. We're America's leading provider of travel insurance plans and assistance programs and we're here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Coverage provided through Travel Guard is easy to buy and with our 24-hour emergency travel services it's even easier to use.

*Non-insurance services provided by Travel Guard.