Consider traveling to Israel on your own and the nuances that you will have to face when planning your trip. We will learn how to travel inexpensively, how to save money on travel and buying tickets, where it is better to stay at a hotel and choosing a resort for recreation, what documents are required to apply for a visa.
A visit to Israel - one of the most developed and at the same time one of the most traditional countries in the world - can be both pleasant and disappointing. To avoid problems, you need to thoroughly study all the subtleties of a visit to this state.
How to get to Israel on your own?
It is more profitable for tourists to go to Israel on their own, rather than using ready-made packages of services from travel companies, therefore, we will leave the item with the purchase of tours from large tour operators without explanation. This makes it easier to control all the moments and avoid paying commissions to intermediaries.
Even before purchasing seats on the plane, experienced travelers order medical insurance to travel to Israel. The minimum tariff for March 2021 is 1,638 rubles, it only covers emergency and dental care in the amount of 35,000 euros. By paying a little more than 21,000 rubles, you can expand your coverage to a third party, guarantee certain legal support, return home and compensation in the event of a delay in the flight. More expensive packages are needed only for those who travel there often and for a long time.
As for the prices for air tickets, it is better to book a flight 3-4 months before the trip, in order to save money, we recommend considering the nearest departure dates for your vacation, focusing on weekdays and not buying a ticket for the holidays. Let's talk about prices below.
Prices for flights to Tel Aviv and Eilat from Moscow
They will be the second component of travel expenses. The cost of a trip to Israel with a flight to Tel Aviv will be at least 9,200 rubles, and after making one change, this fee is reduced to 6,100 rubles. An Aeroflot board departing at 9:30 from Sheremetyevo costs 10,860 rubles. The flight time will be 4 hours 15 minutes. It is cheaper to fly through Warsaw, then the fee is reduced to 7400 rubles, but the travel time is already more than seven hours.
- The cost of plane tickets to Tel Aviv:
The flight to Eilat is possible only in transit through the capital of the country. The combination of Ural and Israeli airlines will bring a passenger there in 8 hours 45 minutes and will charge him from 16,000 rubles. Additional transit through Amsterdam increases the payment to 18-23 thousand rubles.
- Eilat ticket prices:
How to get to the center?
When the plane is already rolling down the runway, slowly extinguishing speed, it is too late to take an interest in the ways to the city center. Tourism experts always do this well in advance.
Attention: this is not just about convenience! Knowing how to get from Tel Aviv airport to the center on your own is also useful because such a question may be asked during passport control.
The suburban train does not work from 3 pm on Friday to 7 pm on Saturday. The rest of the time, the departure from the third terminal takes place every hour. Tickets are sold through a machine that works in English. The ticket (worth 16 shekels) must be kept until the end of the trip. Here you will also find a trip for the time you need.
The exit point from the train will not affect the price. Bus and minibus parking points are conveniently located near all train stations. Ordinary taxis stop at isolated areas.
Intercity buses - No. 5 or No. 5a are colored green and leave for the city from the third terminal. The fee is 14 shekels. The route is as follows - take this bus to the Ben Gurion Airport stop, and cross the street, take the 249th flight.
All minibuses leave from the same terminal, they make flights around the clock and seven days a week. You can even get to Jerusalem and Haifa (60 and 75 shekels, respectively). Traditional taxis accept payment by meter - and in the dark, on Saturday and on holidays, the payment becomes 25% higher.
Drivers have the right to charge each seat separately, with a minimum fare of 160 shekels. And yet, comfort makes people choose this particular option. A car can also be ordered online before arriving in the city on Kiwitaxi, this method will solve a number of problems, such as searching for free cars with tired children or large luggage.
How to get from Eilat airport to the city?
Bus 282 brings travelers one way for 21.5 shekels. If you pay 55 shekels, you can buy a weekly pass, including travel around Eilat itself. You won't be able to get on the shuttle buses - not only their staff, but also numerous taxi drivers who protect their client base are vigilant about this.
For 22 shekels, the 392nd shuttle bus goes to the city every hour. Its schedule, which is nice, is adjusted to the arrival of international liners.
The official taxi fare is 400 shekels; bargaining with private cabbies, you can save 50 - 80 coins. A group trip costs 120 shekels per person.
Car rental prices
A separate topic will be car rental at Israel airport, we recommend looking for free and inexpensive options on Economybookings.
Car rental from Tel Aviv airport will cost from 2 thousand rubles, but be prepared for an increase in cost, as this service is in great demand among tourists who come to Israel to relax at sea on their own.
From Haifa Airport, you can book a car from 1800 rubles / day.
Where to stay in Israel? The best resorts
Prices for holidays in Tel Aviv are high, because it is still the capital of the state. But there is a lot of tourist infrastructure and all kinds of establishments. Trade is going briskly, the beaches are urban and free of charge, but few can afford to look for housing in the private sector.
A shallow resort is discovered halfway to Haifa Netanya... There are 8 beach areas for 15 km of sand, most often fans of active leisure go there. The cost of a holiday in Haifa allows you to enjoy visits to the famous gardens and the shores of the most popular Middle Eastern beach.
- Beach hotels in Netanya
The highest marks are given by vacationers and experts Herzliyathat on the Mediterranean Sea. There is plenty of space for divers, yachtsmen and health tourism seekers. And it's also not bad for the last group of people to go to the Dead Sea, every hotel along its shores has a half board program.
- Hotels in Herzliya
Krasnomorsky Eilat surrounded by a national park and has an autonomous airport. Hotels are expensive everywhere, formal stardom shows little about the quality of service work.
- Resorts in Eilat
We recommend a trip to Israel with children on our own to Tel Aviv, Netanya and Bat Yam: there you can easily find attractions and numerous entertainments.
The Dead Sea coast is not suitable: a rare hotel accepts babies, and salty water under 6 years old is more harmful than useful. We advise you to go to Eilat, but be sure to understand all the nuances of the services provided.
Israel's beach hotels on the Red Sea are ready to receive tourists from April - then the summer season starts, and real summer reigns in Eilat. But the Mediterranean waters have not yet warmed up to 20 degrees. The summer months are hot and dry and hot everywhere. In the fall, the cost of travel is as high as at the opening of the season.
Best Hotels for Vacation in Israel
First of all, we advise you to book rooms in the offers below:
- In Tel Aviv, the Laguardia Hotel gets great reviews on its own trip to Israel.Internet is available free of charge, rooms are modernly decorated. It takes 1/3 hour to get to the hotel from Ben Gurion Airport by car. A seven-day visit will cost 26.7 thousand rubles.
- Leonardo Plaza Haifa is located naturally in Haifa. Some time ago, the hotel underwent restoration. A pool for children is provided and bicycles are rented free of charge. The way to the key cultural monuments is simple and fast. One traveler can stay here for 86,800 rubles. You can live in executive apartments for 96.6 thousand rubles.
- Dan Panorama Eilat, located in Eilat, is ready to provide its guests with air-conditioned rooms with high-speed Internet and a wide range of additional services. The style of the apartments has been worked out by qualified designers. Living in a standard single room will cost 75,000 rubles, breakfast is included in this price.
Long-term housing options
If you decide to find housing in the private sector for a long time, we recommend that you consider apartments with good amenities, which can be rented on average from 2500 rubles per day, depending on the resort area. For bookings of a month or more, the hosts easily go for good discounts.
Visa to Israel for Russians, what documents are needed?
In 2021, a visa to Israel for Russians traveling on their own for tourist purposes will not be required. This rule applies only to those who are going to be on the territory of the Middle Eastern theocratic republic for up to 90 days and will not work or receive an education there.
To obtain a B2 visa, you need to have air tickets in both directions and a document confirming material well-being. Another point of answer to the question of how to go to Israel on your own is a foreign passport, valid for 180 days from the date of entry and without marks about visiting unfavorable states. Children are transported with a birth certificate, a copy of the parent's passport and permission to leave.
It is advisable to have medical insurance and be sure to provide documentary support for the purpose of the visit to Israel. Even with a complete set of documents, it can be very difficult to break down the wall of mistrust of the border and customs services. The bad behavior or appearance of a tourist is a good reason for denying admission.
Prices for living in Israel independently:
Let's move on to the financial component and see the prices that you will face when traveling on your own.
Food and meal prices
The most affordable products are in Eilat. Shawarma is sold for 20 - 40 shekels, full-fledged hot dishes from 35 to 120 shekels. Within 20 shekels, you can buy yogurt and water, bread, hummus, apples. Fish and meat are very expensive. When buying alcohol, you will have to spend 15 - 30 dollars every day. Dinner in a restaurant in the capital will cost 3500 - 4000 rubles.
Clothing cost
Branded clothing is most profitable in Eilat, a T-shirt can be purchased from $ 5, breeches from $ 7. Down jackets cost at least 500 shekels in the country, jeans from 100, leather jackets from 700, and shirts from 50. Even if you look into outlets, you can buy shoes from leading companies only for 100 - 300 shekels, and even then not everywhere. In the markets, sometimes it turns out to buy T-shirts for 300 rubles, and other clothes at comparable prices.
What to see in Israel on your own?
The list of available monuments is great. These are the Timna Valley and the Wailing Wall, the Jaffa embankment, the old part of the city of Akko and the walls of Jerusalem, the David Tower.
Finding a guide for an excursion will cost an average of $ 20, and it is better and cheaper to organize trips to other places on your own. A two-week trip, judging by the reviews of experienced travelers, will cost 2.8-3.2 thousand dollars. This amount allows you to buy souvenirs and be reinsured against unforeseen costs.
An unforeseen supply of funds for one person should be another 500 - 1000 dollars, and it is better to distribute it across several cards. This does not include airline fares, hotel reservations and visa costs!
Perhaps you will be interested in our heading about vacations in Israel, where we tried to collect all the useful information on travel planning and financial issues.
