Planning

• You will need a passport that is valid for at least six months from your date of arrival in Israel for allowance into the country. The other option will be to obtain a tourist visa from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs that will be valid for three months giving you permission for a short stay in Israel. United States residents can obtain a tourist visa free of charge however there is an application process. The application can be downloaded from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs web page.
  
  

Getting There

• To travel from the United States to Israel you must travel by air. Several American airlines offer direct flights from the country to Israel. A direct flight from Los Angeles is approximately 17 hours long. A direct flight from New York is approximately 11 hours long. You will need to go through customs at the Israeli airport in which you land. Items such as plants, firearms, knives and raw materials are prohibited from entering the country without a license or permit granted prior to your arrival.
  
  

Getting Around

• Upon arrival in Israel you may want to take advantage of the convenient public and private bus routes, taxi and rail services that can get you anywhere from Haifa to Eilat in a short amount of time for a reasonable price. You may also rent a car to get around. You must be 21 years or older and hold an international drivers license and credit card in order to rent a car and drive in Israel. Keep in mind that driving in Israel is done on the right side of the road. Although road signage is provided in English, Hebrew and Arabic it may prove difficult for a first-time traveler to get around the larger cities alone.
  
  

Lodging

• Accommodations in Israel range from camping grounds to extravagant resorts with pools and spa services and everything in between. As a single traveler, you may not be interested in roughing it in the woods alone but there are a variety of amenities to fit your lodging desires. If you would like a Christian spiritual experience that includes where you rest your head, Christian monasteries located near holy sites offer lodging for visitors and welcome them into their daily spiritual routines. Choose to stay at a resort near the Dead Sea to experience a spa treatment derived from the rich minerals of this natural wonder.
  
  

Sightseeing

• Go Israel has compartmentalized hundreds of attractions and activities for almost every type of travel experience you can think of while visiting Israel. Tourist services are prevalent all over Israel. As a single traveler in Israel, you may want to join the private bus company tours to many popular points of interest throughout the country.
  
  By joining bus tours you won't have to experience a visit to the Old City of Jerusalem or the Sea of Galilee alone. If groups are not your thing, you can always hire the services of a private tour guide for your stay. Israel is usually a destination offered in the form of a package deal from United States tour companies that will include tour services with your stay. You can receive further information on tour operators and travel agents for Israel through the Israel Ministry of Tourism.