Israel is a country with a well-developed economy and a high level of security. But, besides this, tourists in this country are attracted by sights and a large number of attractions. And visiting all these places, as well as living, requires investment. How much money is needed to visit Israel and what will the money go to?
How to prepare
Israel is one of the states you don't have to prepare for visiting in advance. The fact is that the culture is practically no different, there is no need to do vaccinations just before the trip, and many local residents speak Russian in a colloquial way.
Another important point concerns the visa. Those who will stay in Israel for less than 90 days can use the visa-free regime for visiting the country (such trips usually include tourist, business trips or pilgrimage trips). And those who stay in Israel for 90 days or more will have to apply for a visa to Israel.
As for a tourist visa, it will be issued to a tourist upon his arrival at the airport, and no additional duties or fees are required for this. A tourist visa gives its holder the right to stay in Israel for 90 days.
In connection with the frequent incidents of terrorist acts and the threat of their further spread, monitoring and control is carried out at checkpoints at airports. In order for a tourist visa to go through without problems, the following documents should be prepared:
- foreign document (while its validity must be more than 6 months at the end of the trip);
- vouchers (proof of hotel or hotel reservation);
- air tickets one way and the other with date and time stamp;
- medical insurance for the entire stay in another country;
- proof of solvency (card of any bank or cash);
- the child's passport;
- child's passport or birth certificate;
- power of attorney and permission from parents.
These documents will help you apply for a visa as soon as possible and without unnecessary problems.
A few words about tours
Usually, world tourist operators offer excursion pilgrimage tours to everyone, which is used by many Orthodox tourists. When purchasing such tours, its price will include:
- Round-trip flight.
- Accommodation in a hotel with a certain category.
- Transfer.
- Tours.
- Food.
In this case, a person will only have to take a budget of $ 80-100 per person per day of stay. If, during a tourist trip, you plan to visit Eilat or Jerusalem (the most popular places), you should double the amount. But it is best to calculate the amount of expenses for the tourist who comes not for the sake of pilgrimage and not as part of a tour, but on his own.
Air travel
For independent travel, you must purchase a plane with a flight from Moscow to Israel. The cost of this ticket will consist of the following parameters:
- Visiting season.
- Aviation company.
- The required number of transfers.
- Departure time.
To choose the most cost-effective option, you will have to monitor prices and study the offers of several sites and ticket companies. The average cost of an air ticket from Moscow and Israel in both directions for a person is $ 260.
Residence
Israel is a developed country that receives several hundred thousand tourists, businessmen and pilgrims every year, so there will be no problems with housing here. You can stay in a hotel or in a hotel, as well as choose an apartment or room for living.
The most budgetary option in this case is hostels (a separate bed in a room with many such places). The cost of a hostel in Israel starts at $ 12, while a hotel room is an average of $ 60. Apartments are also popular in Israel, and their rent through special services will cost about $ 40 per day.
Food
If you plan to eat not in restaurants and cafes, but on your own, then it is best to buy food in special Arab quarters. Naturally, there are no alcoholic beverages (legally sold) in these apartments.
An important point: in the city of Eilat, the cost of both alcoholic beverages and food is much lower than in other cities. This is due to the absence of taxes on these goods and the location of the resort town on the territory of free economic trade.
For calculations, you can give the average price indicators for the most frequently purchased food products:
- water (volume 1.5 liters) - $ 2;
- bread - $ 4;
- milk - $ 1.5;
- beef (kg) - $ 18;
- apples - $ 1;
- beer (0.5 l) - $ 4;
- strong alcohol (0.5 l) - from $ 25.
It is clear that a tourist in Israel will also want to visit a restaurant or cafe in order to get closer to the local cuisine. The cost of a good dinner at a restaurant (this dinner includes alcohol, cold and hot dishes, and salad) ranges from $ 40-45.
If you want to save money on this, then you can get by with food in local fast food establishments. Lovers of healthy food should know that there are always fresh vegetables and fruits in any of the stores, and many locals and vendors know Russian and can communicate fluently. This will help you shop for the products you need with convenience.
Excursion program
Also, do not forget about why many visit Israel both on their own and as a pilgrimage - these are excursions and excursion programs. In general, the list of all sights located in Israel is quite rich. And this is one of the reasons that a person is unlikely to be able to have time to visit everything there is, however, there are some of the most popular places (which represent the country's business card), which must be visited in any case.
To search for these most iconic places, you can take as a basis both the existing excursion pilgrimage programs, and purchase the most interesting programs in Israel.
It should be noted: there are some tourists who, for some reason, are afraid and refuse to purchase instructions for excursions to interesting places from local companies. However, Israeli tourism organizations and Asian resorts should not be confused with each other. Israel, as mentioned above, is a country with an excellent level of security, so no one will ever deceive a person here.
For a tourist, it will be interesting that in Israel you can visit Old Jerusalem for free (and with it the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Way of the Cross and the Wailing Wall). All these places are holy places that any Christian wants to visit. You can also visit the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, Bethlehem and the places of the false baptism of Christ (Yardenit) for free.
However, most museums, temples and attractions will be accessible to those who pay $ 7-10 to visit. In such a situation, the most important thing is to determine the most interesting and worthwhile places for yourself.
It is also worth seeking help from local tourist organizations that can arrange an excursion with Russian-speaking guides and a large number of a variety of interesting and memorable means.
Public transport
In Israel, public transport is represented by a variety of means - trains, route taxis, buses, as well as taxis and even airplanes. At the same time, the bus network in the state is developed in the best way, so a person, if desired, can get to almost any point in the country in a comfortable vehicle. Here are the fares for the most popular destinations (from Jerusalem to):
- Tel Aviv - $ 4.
- Eilat - $ 18
- Bethlehem - $ 2
- Ein Bokek (a resort located near the Dead Sea) - $ 10.
The railway in Jerusalem is developing at a fast pace, and the average fare for railway transport is in the region of $ 7-10, but at the moment this method cannot be called convenient enough.
If a tourist while in Israel wants to pamper himself with a taxi ride, the cost of each trip will be calculated by the counter. The cost of a trip within the city is 10-15 dollars.
Some unforeseen expenses
Very often, tourists, going to any country, believe that little money is needed for unforeseen expenses. However, as a result, such frugality can lead to the fact that a person will save on souvenirs, food and the inability to take out insurance against possible emergencies.
For the same reason, it is recommended that you set aside the $ 300 amount beforehand just in case. This will help save you from unforeseen situations and make it possible to spend time comfortably.
