Israel, as a country with a developed economy, the highest level of security and many attractions, including holy places, attracts many tourists. Of course, there is a complete feeling that the rest in this country is wonderful. In fact, the way it is. Tourists and pilgrims celebrate the highest level of security, service and quality of service. But what is the price of such a vacation? Perhaps the upcoming expenses are simply not worth it. Do Russians need a visa to Israel? We will try to dispel the existing myths and cover these topics in more detail.
Determine the size of the budget
How much is needed to visit Israel? All potential tourists are asking this question. I want to say right away that it is rather difficult to answer this question unequivocally, because the requests, preferences and opportunities of tourists are different. In many ways, the amount of spending in Israel depends on the chosen tour and the richness of the cultural program.
About tours
Most often, the largest global operators offer itinerary pilgrimage tours to Israel. There is nothing strange and surprising in this, because it is one of the holiest places for Christians on Earth. If you buy a tour, the price of which will include a round-trip flight, accommodation in a hotel of the selected category, transfer, excursions and at least breakfast, then planning an additional budget in this case costs $ 80 per person (day of stay). If you plan to visit Jerusalem or Eilat - the cult places of the country - the amount is automatically doubled.
Let's try to calculate the amount of spending for those tourists who go to Israel not as part of the tour, but on their own. Perhaps, in this case, due to the purposeful spending of funds and taking into account individual preferences, it will be possible to save a certain part of their budget.
Flight
So, in order to go on a trip, you definitely have to buy a ticket for the Moscow - Israel plane. Its price consists of several components: airline, season, number of transfers, departure time. In order to choose the best offer, you have to do price monitoring, get acquainted with the offers of several companies and sites involved in ticket sales.
On average, the cost of a flight from Moscow to Israel and back for one person starts at $ 260. Having at least one transplant reduces the cost to $ 170. But with two transfers, flying is completely unprofitable. You will hardly feel any savings, but you will spend a lot of time en route - it’s not worth it.
Cost of living
Israel is a developed country, which annually receives hundreds of thousands of tourists, pilgrims, businessmen: there will certainly not be any problems with living here. You can stay in a hotel or hotel, as well as rent a room or hotel apartment. What amount is needed to visit Israel, in particular, to stay here? The budget option is hostels, which provides a separate bed in a common room - from $ 12. A hotel room will cost $ 50-60. Apartments are very popular - here they are quite comfortable, equipped with everything necessary for recreation. With the help of special services and agencies, you can easily find a two-room apartment in the resort center at a cost of 30-40 dollars a day.
Nutrition
If you plan to eat on your own, foods are best purchased in the Arab neighborhoods. For quite objective reasons, you will not find alcohol here. In Eilat, the cost of food and alcohol is much lower than in other cities of the country due to the absence of taxes. The resort is located in the free economic trade zone, so it is much more profitable to relax and live here.
For the convenience of calculations, we give the average prices for the most popular food products:
- water (1.5l) - $ 2;
- bread - $ 4;
- milk (1 l) - $ 1.5;
- drinking yogurt (0.75-1 l) - $ 4;
- beef (1 kg) - $ 18;
- fresh perch (1 kg) - $ 10;
- hummus (250 g) - $ 4;
- apples (1 kg) - $ 2
- local beer (0.5 L) - $ 4;
- strong alcoholic drinks (0.5 l) - from $ 25.
Of course, during your vacation you will want to visit a cafe or restaurant at least once, get acquainted with local cuisine and just spend the evening in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. So, on average, a dinner in a restaurant, represented by a salad or a cold appetizer, hot and alcohol will cost $ 30-40. If you want to save money, you can not only cook on your own, but also eat local fast food of excellent quality (shaurma, falafel, grilled chicken). In any store you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
Excursion program
Continuing to answer the question, what amount is needed to visit Israel, I want to say about the excursion program. The list of attractions in Israel is quite diverse. Of course, all of you are unlikely to be able to and have time to visit, but there are some places of worship, a visiting card of the country, which every tourist is simply obliged to visit. Of course, you can pay attention to excursion or pilgrimage tours to Israel or purchase the most interesting programs directly in Israel. Some tourists are afraid to buy excursions in local companies. Do not confuse Israel with Asian resorts - this is a country with the highest level of security, so no one will deceive you here, moreover, they will provide the most comfortable travel conditions.
You, as a tourist, will probably be interested in the fact that a visit to Old Jerusalem, including a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Wailing Wall and the Way of the Cross, is free for everyone. These are shrines, uncial places where every Christian wants to go. Visiting the Bahai Gardens in Haifa and the place of the pseudo-baptism of Christ (Yardenit) is also free. Quite a popular holy place is the Tower of David, its visit is combined with the fortress wall of Jerusalem and is $ 10.
Many tourists are not enough of what they see in Israel, so they go to Palestine. The main attraction - the Temple of the Nativity in Bethlehem - is available to visit for free.
The average cost of entrance tickets to most museums and temples is 7-10 dollars. The main thing is to decide on the most worthwhile and interesting ones for yourself. Travel companies offer quite rich excursion programs, providing for visiting various memorable and interesting places. There are a lot of programs. Tours are conducted by a Russian-speaking guide and provide an opportunity to get to know the country better and save a huge amount of time.
Public transport
Public transport in Israel is represented by buses, minibuses, trains, taxis and even airplanes. The bus network is well developed in the country, almost anywhere in the country can be reached by a comfortable bus. Here is the fare for the most popular destinations:
- Tel Aviv - Jerusalem - $ 4.
- Jerusalem - Eilat - $ 18.
- Jerusalem - Bethlehem - $ 2.
- Jerusalem - Ein Bokek (Dead Sea Resort) - $ 10.
The railway is currently developing rapidly, the average cost of a train ticket is $ 7, but so far this method can hardly be called the most convenient.
If you decide to treat yourself and take a taxi, prepare for the fact that the amount of the trip is calculated on the counter. Small distances within the city on average cost $ 10-13.
Unexpected expenses
Trying to find the answer to the question of how much money to take to Israel, it is necessary to take into account unforeseen expenses. Quite often, tourists spend money on a ticket, believing that in this case the additional expenses will be minimal. Indeed, you can save on food, souvenirs, but it is impossible to insure yourself against emergencies. You need to set aside about 200-300 dollars in advance in order to feel as comfortable as possible.
Rules for visiting Israel
Surely you are also interested in the rules of visiting Israel for Russians. So, Israel is one of the few states for which Russian residents do not need to prepare to visit. The culture is strikingly different, no vaccinations are needed before the trip, many in this country speak Russian, why there will definitely not be any problems with the explanation.
Nevertheless, a rather urgent issue that all tourists think about is the question of what documents are needed for a trip to Israel. Russians need a preliminary visa to visit Israel only if they intend to stay in the country for more than 90 days. Do Russians need a visa to Israel? For short trips, a prior visa application is not required. This category includes tourists, pilgrims, businessmen and business travelers.
A tourist visa will be issued to you upon arrival at the airport, no additional fees and duties for this are provided. It gives the right to stay in the country for up to 90 days. Due to the increasing terrorist attacks around the world and the tense situation on the Israeli border, close monitoring has been conducted recently at all checkpoints. The airport is a danger zone. To avoid a number of problems and misunderstandings, prepare the following documents for travel to Israel and be sure to take them with you on a trip:
- passport valid for more than 6 months at the end of the trip;
- documents confirming the reservation of a hotel room (voucher);
- round-trip air tickets with the date and time of arrival / departure;
- medical insurance for the entire period of stay in the country;
- evidence of solvency in the form of a bank card or cash.
If you took a child on a trip, you must provide:
- birth certificate or passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (for children over 14 years old);
- child's passport;
- notarized power of attorney of both parents, which is a permit for the removal of a child from the country.
To summarize
We hope we were able to cover the topic of upcoming spending in Israel for you. Now you know how much is needed to visit Israel. We wish you a pleasant trip, lots of bright, colorful and unforgettable impressions of the country and its vast cultural heritage.