Taking a sherut in Israel is a fast and efficient way of getting around, but can be slightly daunting if you’ve never traveled on one before. A sherut (in Hebrew ‘monit sherut’ – service taxi) is a shared taxi, typically a eight to ten seat minivan, which runs on one of three routes – from city to city, within a city (usually along a bus route), and from the airport to Jerusalem and Haifa. The airport sheruts run either to Central Bus Stations or a destination of your choice, whilst the other sheruts in Israel follow a fixed route but can be stopped anywhere along their route (unlike a bus which only stops at designated stops).

Being vegetarian in Israel is no problem. Kosher food rules mean that for many vegetarians, Israel is an easy country to maintain their diet whilst enjoying their food as there is a high proportion of restaurants which serve no meat whatsoever. In addition, those restaurants which do serve meat will almost always offer vegetarian options, and Israeli street food is especially vegetarian friendly. So vegetarians, read on, and any fears you might have about being a vegetarian in Israel will be allayed.

Taking advantage of the great fast food and street food in Israel is not only great for your wallet, but also a tasty and, in some cases, healthy way to eat whilst visiting Israel. As well as the traditional Western fast foods and fast food chains (McDonalds being the most prevalent of course), Israel’s traditional street foods haven’t faded away, and falafel, shawarma, schnitzel, and bourekas, four of the most common Israeli fast foods are still readily available across the country. Here we’ll introduce you to some of the most common elements of Israeli street and fast food.

Getting to Israel cheaply is obviously important for a lot of tourists who visit Israel, particularly amid rising air fares. Whilst it may seem obvious, there are a number of ways to dramatically decrease the cost of your flights to Israel and after our recent article about the best ways to visit Israel on a budget, we publish this guide of the best ways to get to Israel cheaply with some general tips that you might find helpful in planning your trip. We’ve broken it down depending on where you’re coming from, and then at the end are some general tips.

Israel is probably the safest places to travel in the Middle East – you are statistically far safer in Israel than you would be in most major US or European cities. Israel’s safety depends on the implementation of strict security screening, particularly at international land and air borders. These are more stringent than in most other countries and cause some travelers to Israel slight headaches when they arrive to Israel by bus or plane. But let’s be realistic and realize that 99% of visitors have no problems whatsoever!

The question of what is the best time to visit Israel is one we get asked a lot! Whilst there is no time of the year when visiting Israel is impossible or unpleasant, different seasons bring different weather conditions and Jewish and/or Christian festivals can dramatically change the character of a visit. Of course, the answer to the question of the best time to visit Israel depends on who you are and what you are interested in…

There are literally thousands of tour guides in Israel and many people visiting Israel decide to employ the services of one of these to enhance their trip. Many others prefer to see Israel by themselves, by hiring a car or travelling around by public transport. The role of an Israel tour guide is very varied, however, and can range from complete planning from your front door at home, to your return, through to planning the whole trip within Israel, or just guided tours in Israel for a day or even half a day.

It is becoming more and more popular for tourists to take a cruise to Israel, with the Israeli ports of Haifa and Ashdod featuring as stops on the itineraries of more and more cruise companies. The cruises stopping in Israel tend to stop for one night in Haifa and one night in Ashdod (south of Tel Aviv), although occasionally they’ll stop for two nights in one of these ports.

Taxis are very common and popular forms of transport in Israel. Cheap by European standards, cabs in Israel are widely available and are generally safe and modern cars, with helpful drivers. Within cities, drivers must use the meter (moneh) unless they agree a fixed fare with the passenger, whilst inter-city, taxis have fixed fares.

Whilst, Israeli drivers dont have a great reputation, but renting a car and driving in Israel is a convenient and generally easy way to get around in Israel. Israel has a great, modern road network which spans the width and breadth of the country which are signed in English as well as in Hebrew and Arabic making navigation easier for visitors. Parking in Israel is generally simple, however it can be harder parking in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem – here try to find a car park.