Israel

If you are Jewish and aged 18 to 26, you are entitled to a free 10-day all expenses paid trip to Israel run by Birthright Israel. As part of this trip, you will be taken to the various cultural, religious, and natural sites around Israel, and may get a chance to interact with university students or with soldiers of the IDF.

Costs

Israel is expensive. Prices are similar to the upper end prices of western and northern Europe. Israel's currency is the New Israeli Shekel (שקל חדש or ש"ח), which is often known simply as the Shekel. It is shortened in English to ILS or NIS. It's denoted by the symbol ₪. One shekel is 100 agorot. The plural of "shekel" in Hebrew is "shkalim".

Israel generally has a modern, sophisticated travel network, although public transit service is not as good as in Europe or East Asia. It is safe and easy to get around the country, although it can be slow (due to traffic, or slow or infrequent buses). Israelis are always willing to help a lost tourist, so never be afraid to ask people for directions or advice.

The official language of Israel is Hebrew, a language that was revived in the early 20th century, after having had a status similar to that of Latin among Catholics for over 2,000 years. Because the modern language is relatively new, it has no regional dialects. Hebrew is a relatively difficult language to learn and it is not necessary to learn it to get by.

There is a constant threat of rocket and missile attacks on Israel and terrorist attacks can occur anywhere and at any time. Be alert to personal safety risks. There continues to be a high threat of military and terrorist attacks against Israel. The security situation can deteriorate rapidly, without prior notice. Therefore, it is recommended to check your country’s travel advisories a few hours before your trip. As conditions can change rapidly.

There are no special medical issues in Israel, and no immunizations are required for entry. A hepatitis A vaccine is recommended, though. Travelers to West Bank and Gaza should strongly consider getting a typhoid vaccine and Hepatitis B vaccine as well.

By phone

Roaming with your own device

Israel is mostly covered with 4G and 5G, but make sure to have VoLTE enabled. Other networks like CDMA2000 and iDen were shut down. Previous generation 2G and 3G networks have very limited coverage, and all of them are planned to be completely shut down in 2026.

In general, Israelis are friendly, hospitable, and welcoming. The country as a whole has a Western-oriented outlook on life. Foreign visitors are deeply appreciated by the locals and they will do just about anything to make you feel comfortable and welcome in the country. Strangers will be more than happy to assist you, help you with anything you need, inquire about you and your background, and give you advice on anything. If you manage to make some friends here, they will do their best to take care of you here.