General Tips
Planning the time of your visit
The summer months of Israel (early June until the end of September) can be very hot and there are many more tourists at tourist attractions. The best weather is in May and October, before and after the strong summer heat but still very warm and comfortable. In November, the rainy season begins and the weather is colder. March and April also have pleasant weather that can be cool and sometimes with downpours (although these are usually not prolonged more than a few hours).
If you are coming during the hot months (June to September), make sure you have plenty to drink through the day and protection from the sun. Take a hat that shades your eyes and protects your head.
Israeli Feasts/Holidays
Another consideration when you are planning a trip to Israel is the feasts. On some feasts many shops, services and tourist attractions will be closed. On Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) the country is practically at a standstill, for instance. Remember that the Feast of Unleavened bread lasts for seven days, not one day. Take into consideration whether or not your travel dates coincide with feast days, as it could effect your plans.
A note on Sabbath days/ High days
On Sabbath (Saturdays), much of Israel grinds to a halt, including much of the public transportation system, many shops etc. This is particularly the case in Jerusalem and in more religious areas of Israel.
Sabbath actuallly starts on Friday evening, so most of Israel slows down on Friday afternoon. By law, services, except emergency services, are closed. All regular businesses are closed too. However, depending on the city and the area, some places, especially recreation/entertainment centres, can be open on Saturday evening, when the Sabbath is technically over, and some even open on Friday evening and Saturday morning. To give an example: Jerusalem is a very religious city and you are not likely to find shops and businesses open throughout the Sabbath or on High feast days. Haifa is much more secular and you're more likely to find things open, especially in the Arab areas.
The Feast of Tabernacles (Succot) in October lasts 8 days. The first day and the last day of the feast are considered Sabbath days, even if they don't fall on a saturday. All of the Sabbath rules apply to these days (including that they start the evening before). The days between the 1st and 8th days of the feast are considered regular feast days. On these days the shops, businesses and services do not run as usual. For instance, banks might be open for only a few hours in the morning. Another important feature of this period is that children are on school holiday. Many Israeli families flock to recreation sites. We strongly recommend not to venture to these sites during these periods of regular feast days, because apart from the long waiting lines, they will be full of badly behaved, rowdy teenagers and children. Another such feast is the Feast of Passover/Unleavend bread. Note that we are not recommending not to come to Israel at these times, as the atmosphere can be quite special, only to avoid, if possible, the recreational/family sites.
Religious sites
Make sure you are able to cover yourself (your shoulders and your legs down to the ankles) when you are visiting religious sites in Jerusalem, otherwise you may not be permitted to enter into some of the sites you had hoped to visit.
Diet
Forget your low-salt diet! In a hot country, salt is an essential part of the diet as you are constantly losing salts in your sweat and replacing these fluids with the pure water that you drink. No need to take this advice overboard but just leave any ideas about a reduced-salt diet at home for a while.
Bargaining
This is the running principle of sales in Arab markets for items like clothing, gifts etc. Don't start bargaining unless you actually intend to buy the item, although you do not have to buy if you are not satisfied with the price. Decide first for yourself what you think the item should be worth and don't pay more than that.
No-Go Zones
Don't go near the West Bank and don't wander into Arab cities (for example don't attempt to venture into Bethlehem alone) or Arab controlled areas like the Moslem Quarter of Jerusalem, unless you are with an experienced guide. It is not difficult to steer clear of trouble-spots and find your way around Israel very safely. Arab towns that we have mentioned in our 'Sites' page, such as Acco (Acre), Nazareth and Yaffo (Jaffa), are perfectly safe and are often packed with Jewish Israelis and foreign tourists. Arab areas in Haifa are also safe as most of the Arab population of Haifa is Catholic rather than Moslem, and are not actively aggressive against the state of Israel. All of the other places we have mentioned are Jewish run/inhabited and are easy and safe to access on Israeli roads.
Going to Church
Many tourists who visit Israel do not visit the local congregations of believers because they are busy running around to sites. However, we do recommend that believing tourists meet together with local believers in their congregations on the Saturday (unless a particular church meets on Sunday - usually this is the case among Arabic speaking congregations). Most congregations do regularly provide translation. However, we're sure you will be blessed even if you happened to take part in a meeting without translation. Please visit our churches/congregations in Israel page for recommendations.
And Finally...
Don't worry too much about language as almost everyone you turn to in Israel
will be able to at least have basic communication in English.
