JackClark

I'm going on Tuesday for a few days. Wondered if there was anything I must do, shouldn't do?

Numptie

Jack,

I'll be going sometime in the next couple of months.

I'll post up some pointers later on tonight (I've got to go out shortly).

In the meantime, some more information would be useful ...

• Have you been before ? (so I can skip the basics)
• What airline are you using ?
• What is your route ? (e.g. direct LHR to Tel Aviv)
• What is your ultimate destination ?
• What are you going to do ? (i.e. business or pleasure)

[Edited by Numptie - 5/25/2003 5:28:04 PM]

Numptie

I take it [i]Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice ... here

Numptie

Actually, I've just read the FCO advice and it pretty much says it all.

The tips page is particularly useful.

Registering with the British Embassy is a new one on me but is probably a good idea if they're recommending it.

The only thing I'd add is that it's a good idea to scan your passport and travel documents and park the scans on the web somewhere (easiest way is to set up a hotmail account and send them to yourself).

I can offer more advice on food, the locals and how things are on a Saturday if you want. Let me know.

Hope you have a good trip.

Cheers,

N

boxst

Hello

It's a complete nightmare getting OUT of the country. I have been to Tel-Aviv three times in the past few years and the interrogation is very thorough:

Where have you been? Who did you visit? Contact details? They then wander off to try and contact them. It takes 15 minutes.

The first time I wasn't very helpful and thought it was an invasion of my privacy, after all I would have already blown up the things I wanted etc... BUT they are very serious people and if you don't take it seriously they turn nasty quite quickly.

Have fun!

Steve.

JackClark

Thanks Numptie, very useful link, didn't find that when I looked.

Have you been before?
Nope, first time.

What airline are you using?
BA

What is your route?
Direct to Tel Aviv

What is your ultimate destination?
Tel Aviv

What are you going to do?
Buisness. I have a note in Hebrew from a collegue in our office there. I fly back Friday afternoon, but have a morning off. Hotel on the beach apparently

Edited to add that I have stamps from the UAE in my passport and want to go back, I think I read that I can't, true?

[Edited by JackClark - 5/25/2003 8:34:37 PM]

Gizmo555

It was a few years ago I went for work - flew ElAl and got interogated for about 1.5 hours and until they spoke to the customer I was visiting to confirm I was expected wouldn't let me fly. Also had to stand in the airport in socks whilst they took my shoes away for scanning (think that bit was coming back). Be prepared to answer the same questions over and over again, they do this to try and catch you out. Don't think I'll fly ElAl next time.

Saying that things should be much better with BA. Just remember to stay calm and not get pissy with them and check in very early.

The week I went worked 120hrs so didn't have much time but can recommend the beach near Haifa. Plenty of nice sites

Made the mistake of going in the water when all the locals seems to be avoiding it. It was jelly fish breading season and got stung by loads of bits of jelly fish floating around.

Presumably you'll be with work collegues so they know the score out there.

Enjoy !

Cheers

Mark

Numptie

Jack,

SHALOM !

I agree with Gizmo555, BA is the better choice (El Al is a nightmare). You'll still get a huge amount of scrutiny during the security checks so, as Gizmo555 says, just chill and go with the flow - the worst thing you can do is get wound up and pissy.

On boxst's point about getting out of the country, I've heard of this but never experienced it myself - so can't comment. I've only ever been there for pleasure - never business so that could have something to do with it.

If you're coming back on Friday - it looks like you'll miss the joys of a Saturday in Israel so I won't go into details.

In Tel Aviv, you won't have any difficulties with food and drink.

You'll find the Israelis a bit strange at first. They have a very different attitude to us when it comes to things like queuing.

Imagine this scenario. You're in a lift on your own and it arrives at your floor. The doors open and there ar around ten people waiting to get in. In the UK, for the most part, the folks waiting would let you out first. In Israel, you'll have to fight your way through them.

In a busy bar if you stand there politely waving a NIS50 note, you'll never get served. The locals who are barking orders at the bar staff will always get in front of you.

It's just that they do things differently from us so you've got to just chill and accept it.

I also wanted to say that I hope you weren't concerned by some of the things on the FCO site about troubles - it seemed to me as bordering on hype. Please don't let this worry you - you won't see anything.

One last thing, if you get a chance, please go and say hello to Rufus (explanation here )

Anyway, have a great trip and let us know how you get on.

Cheers,

N


[Edited by Numptie - 5/26/2003 11:11:00 AM]

JackClark

Thanks all, quite looking forward to the trip. 3 hours recommended check in time

Have printed my appointments with contact details and have taken a digi pic of my passport.

Thanks again.

Gizmo555

Boxstr point about getting out of the country reminded me that when I went I got a letter from my customer explaining what I had been there for and who I visited.

Your work should be able to provide this.

Have fun.

Cheers

Mark

JackClark

Good one, cheers.

Bajie

Security is a nightmare but An El-Al plane has never been hijacked.
Letter of intent is totally worthless.

When leaving the country you can do a pre-checkin the day before. You will go through all the security questions etc there. Then when you get to the airport you just go to passport control which can take some time too.
Spent 10mths in Israel and only found this out 2mths before my contract ended.

Amen Corner

Enjoy, it is a wonderful country. If you get the time, try making the short trip down to the old harbour at Jaffa (which is essentially the original, ancient port of what is now Tel-Aviv). Very pretty, a couple of superb fish restaurants and with a fantastic view of Tel-Aviv rising from the sea across the bay.

Numptie has already made the most important points. If you're not a local (and even worse if you're a gentile) then you can expect to wait a long time in any queue. You just have to get used to it and be patient.

I was questioned for about 3 hours before I was allowed to leave. But then I had rather stupidly hired a car in Jerusalem and then driven it up to Lebanon, across to the Golan Heights and then down to Jordan, before taking it back to Hertz with a suspiciously high mileage for such a small country, and a broken headlight from where we had got stones thrown at us in the Palestinian occupied territories. It was a very stupid thing to do, and it's not hugely surprising that the authorities were concerned about where I had been and what I had been doing. If you do hire a car while you are there, stay inside the border.

Have a great time

JackClark

Seems great so far! No trouble getting in, they did question my contacts in the UAE and although I asked them not to stamp my passport they did! Letter from the office here helped a lot.

I have tomorrow and Friday off if I can clear my email tonight, beach looks good from here Thursday night I'm out with Tel Aviv's most elegable batchelor, so that'll be fun

Suresh

Lets get it right: everyone in any city there seems to be a legitimate terrorist target, the airlines treat you like a criminal and the locals are chronically rude. I'll get myself a one way ticket then, sounds like paradise....

Enjoy anyway.

Suresh

JackClark

Oh yeah, and as many Scoobys as Sydney, not seen a WRX yet though.

boxst

Hello

That is what someone hasn't explained to me, something I alluded to in my earlier post:

Why is it so easy to get in, but not out? That doesn't make sense to me .....

Steve.

Luke

security getting out can be a nightmare. They tend to use very young guys who are keen........... Same questions over and over again. i normaly tell them to tell me where i have been etc.... they know most things.....................................

Ive lived near Golders green for years .***Edited to remove racial stereotyping***

But jerusalem is bloody great. Its difficult at times ...but in a way they all enjoy them selves.



MAKE SURE YOU DONT WALK IN ANY ROADS WHERE THE "EXTREME MOB LIVE".... they can get well uptight about it.Saw a rental car one day driving down one road and the car was trashed by the time it got to the end!!!!

[Edited by Josh L - 5/28/2003 10:44:33 AM]

Numptie

In my experience, more girls than guys. I've heard it said that they're Mosad trainees

I suspect it's probably one of these jobs that you can do to avoid national service ... but the truth is, I don't know

Luke

tehy are told they could end up in Mosad if they do a good job..................

Mosad has a special female squad that is famous for some of their "Extra training" on the sex side. These girls are well used and get trained to accept the lot and enjoy it!!!

They get invited to some good army parties.

Amen Corner

I would take issue with that to be honest. I know that the suicide bus bombings, largely carried out by the Palestine Liberation Organisation, get massive worldwide press when they occur, but I would seriously question whether the threat that they impose is really any greater than that we all faced prior to the IRA ceasefire. Particularly those of us working in the city at the time.

The PLO bombings tend to be carried out in areas where there are not that many tourists. I.e. usually in the Israeli new city in Jerusalem, rather than the old city, or in places like Netanya (big Israeli resort, but pretty light on tourists). I'm not for a second trying to say that these are not still dreadful terrorist attacks, but your chances of getting caught up in them as a tourist are relatively slim, IMHO. I've spent a couple of months in Israel, and have travelled it quite widely while I've been there. The nearest I got to danger was being in a village on the Lebanese border (where, to be quite honest, I shouldn't even have been) when it was being shelled.

I was underneath the Baltic Exchange bomb (in a bar called the Underwriter) when it went off, and saw far worse things there in terms of injuries than I have ever seen before or since.

I would certainly not let current political events put me off going to a very, very beautiful and fascinating country.

JackClark

I wish I had more time there, great place, people, food, weather - although 40 degree's was a little too warm. Getting in and out was no trouble, didn't even check my luggage.

Numptie

Great stuff, I'm glad you had a good trip

andrewdelvard

Glad you enjoyed what is a truely wonderful country.

IanW

When I went out there I actually came down Ill with appendicitis, so had to cut my trip short.

However the people that I was over there working with were all really freindly.