Experience Jerusalem

Some lessons learned by a tourist in Israel:

Pack a collapsible vinyl cooler to keep bottled water and snacks cold in the car during the trip… we did find a decent one (but pricey… $40 US) in Rosh Pina.  We also learned to look in camping supply stores in Israel, not super markets or pharmacies.  We ended up using it to bring back our dirty clothes in, so it served many purposes too.

Rent Sim cards for your cell phones to use while in Israel.  This allowed us to continue to use our personal cell phones (very helpful when you need a number in your address book) and not incur those big roaming charges.  The only caution is that your cell phone needs to be enabled for international service.

The Israeli medical system is different from ours.  Our older son (who has Israeli medical insurance) needed treatment for an ear infection.  We discovered emergency rooms do not typically treat transient patients without a doctor’s order… most people go to a clinic.  Finding a clinic that was open was the challenge, but we received help from a number of people in Haifa and were able to locate one where he received treatment quickly.

Post Offices do not stay open all day long, but they are a good place to exchange money.  We were told to look for non commission money exchanges too for the best rates.

Review Israeli traffic signs ahead of time.  Although we were able to figure out most of them, there were a few that mystified us, but we figured them out eventually.  I especially liked how the Israeli traffic lights start to blink before they begin to turn red and they flash yellow before turning green.  Also, how is it Israeli intersections all have round-abouts that work perfectly, but most people can’t seem to navigate them in this country?  The US could learn a lot from Israeli traffic practices.

In a pinch, if you get lost, just follow the tour buses… they will either take you to where you want to go in town or show you the way out of town… figured that out in Safed.