Israel Packing List Tips by gilabrand Top 5 Page for this destination

Bring your meds

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: For anyone who has health problems - and even those who don't - I highly recommend taking out health insurance before you leave. Bring all the medication you need, as well as the
prescriptions, just in case. If you need a refill in Israel, you will have to see a
doctor: Pharmacies will not fill prescriptions automatically - but again, it can
be done. I just helped a friend of mine whose meds ran out when he was here.
It's a pain in the neck, though, so please bring a full supply. If you
need a fridge in the room to store meds, you should call the hotel ahead of time. Many hotels
do have them but not all.

Hopefully, you will not need it, but Israel has very good health care. There are first aid
clinics (called Terem) in all cities, with good doctors and diagnostic services.
You pay a fee and get reimbursed by your insurance.

Medical tourism is also a becoming more common, and many hospitals have special departments to handle patients who come to Israel specially for a variety of medical procedures.

Plugged In

Miscellaneous: Most North Americans who visit Israel are not lugging anything like a refrigerator with them, but they may have small electrical appliances like shavers and battery chargers for mobile phones, laptops or digital cameras.

While American appliances operate on 110-115V, Israel uses 220-230V (which is standard in Europe). Battery chargers and shavers tend to be dual voltage. This information is usually printed in tiny letters on the appliance. Sometimes there is a switch.

If the appliance is only 110-115V, it CANNOT be used in Israel. I have ruined several gifts from well-meaning relatives this way....If the voltage is suitable, take a look at the shape of the prongs. If they are flat, you will need a plug adapter - a small gadget that slips onto the flat prongs so the plug can be inserted in a wall socket with round prongs.

Any hardware store should have them. If you forget to bring one with you, don?t worry. You can purchase them for a few shekels in any store that sells electrical goods or house-wares.

Sizzle or Freeze

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: The temperatures in Israel fluctuate widely from one end of the country to the other, and from day to night. This is true in winter AND summer. How you feel, of course, has a lot to do with where you're coming from and the kind of climate you're used to. Israel can be freezing or sizzling. In the winter, hilly places like Jerusalem and the Golan can be very cold. Even in the desert, temperatures at night drop really low. I have never been so cold in my life as in the Sinai in January.

Miscellaneous: If you are visiting Jerusalem in the summer, bring a sweater or light jacket for the evenings. You probably won't need it in other parts of the country where there isn't such a difference between day and night. In the winter, bring layers. Remember that houses are not heated all day long as they are in other countries (although this won't be a problem if you stay at a hotel). The truth is, other countries may be colder, but even Russians freeze in Israeli winters (I know - my husband has Russian workers). The wind just seems to blow into every crevice...From my experience, the best way to keep out the cold is to wear a clingy undershirt (yes, ladies - you, too) under your clothing.