Packing help: 10 day trip to Israel

[LarlaB]

Kids, Dh and I are going to Israel with my parents in March.  This trip is a gift from my parents and will be our first lengthy international trip- although my parents have traveled a lot.  They are ridiculous. We are new to a big trip like this and a tour experience. Ah yes- we will be traveling with a tour company on a big bus.  

We will be changing hotels 5x in Israel- plus one night extra each end in US due to flights. Gone 12 nights. 

While in Israel we will have two hotel rooms (double occupancy) so that complicates things a bit but gives us a ton more space. I’m not sure how we will divide up rooms- and am pondering how to pack accordingly. 

I’m looking to pack light and smart.  Ok with doing laundry in sink if needed or sending it out at a hotel (larger items). 

Planning on either 4 small suitcases (one per person) or two medium sized with expandable duffle for extras. 

Packing tips? Must have travel items? Organizational helps? Comfort tips for long flight?  Experiences in this region? Experience with lengthy tour trip?

**DH and I each have day packs- water bottles, hats, sunscreen etc. we know that part pretty well. Snacks, first aid, raincoats etc to stay with us all day. 

**Covered for outlet conversion, scarves and modest dress, DSLR camera, goooood walking shoes (2 pair per person), iPods and headphones to zone out when needed), portable charger, 

**I have Celiac Disease and IBS so I am taking protein bars as my safe meal plan and a lot of stomach calming things. Sigh

 

Thanks. 🙂

 

 

[Chris in VA]

I live in Jerusalem--and would love to see you, but I know how packed these trips can be!! If you get the chance to come to St. George's Cathedral here, hit me up! ❤️

So, in March, it will be on the edge of hot and cool. It is a great time to come. The evenings will be cool, and the days will be bright and sunny--you may encounter rain, but I wouldn't take a raincoat to be kept with you at all times. You won't need a scarf at all if you have a skirt that comes just below the knees and an open shirt you can throw on to cover your elbows. Headscarves are not required anywhere. But scarves are pretty and you can wrap one around your waist if it's long enough and then wear pants or capris if you are more comfortable in those. You only need one pair of shoes, but two is good in case one breaks. I love Teva sandals because they go with skirts and you can wear them anywhere, and they are grippy on the bottom. The stone walkways here (in JTown and on the Mt of Olives, in particular) can get slick. Also if you are visiting Sepphoris (near Nazareth) or other archeological sites (Masada, Herodium, etc) then you will need a shoe or sandal that doesn't slip easily. Trainers are fine. 

There is no way you aren't going to look like a tourist, so embrace it. 

A cross-body bag is easiest. Make it very small, and just take your passport everywhere, and your water bottle. Only one of you needs to carry a day pack, honestly. The tour company will feed you plenty (of course, with your situation, you will want food for yourself). 

The beef here is different--hamburgers don't taste like hamburgers, to me, anyway. Expect lots of hummus, pita, "salads" (pickled veggies, tiny cucumbers, shredded cabbage mixed with...IDK, but it's bland and gross), schwarma meat, falafal, and chicken, and fish when you go to Galilee (St. Peter's fish is just tilapia, but it's pretty good). Don't expect tacos, or any Mexican fast food type stuff. They do Italian pretty well. 

Train for your trip by walking lots of hills. LOTS of hills. 

Ask me anything!! And if you do come see me, I'm happy to take you to the Old City, or you can do laundry in my apartment if you have a couple of hours! lol 

 

[TravelingChris]

As someone who went on a bus tour of Greece last year  and traveled with others who had been on a similar bus tour to Israel two years prior, I can give you a taste of how the food goes on these trips,  Usually, you stay in comfortable hotels with lots of other tour groups. Some of those groups are Asians, while many are multi-national.  They normally have buffets for both breakfast and dinner and you have lunch on your own.  The buffets in Greece were very similar to the ones in Israel, I was told.  Which generally means that breakfast is mostly geared to Europeans and Asians and that means veggies like cucumbers and tomatoes, meats and cheeses, yogurts, fruits both dried and fresh and some cereals and breads.  I am not a celiac but found that I was mostly eating non bread or cereal products for breakfast.  Oh and they often have rice out too for the Asians (and anybody else who wants it).

Dinners were similar but with a lot more hot  foods.  (ABout the only hot foods in breakfast were when they tried to half-heartedly accommodate American tastes and did some kind of strange French toast or pancake or something. Anyway, most dishes were accompanied with potatoes or rice.  But again, there were a lot of choices and I saw a lot that celiac sufferers could eat.  Lots of vegetable dishes, and usually the main dishes were not pasta based.

One thing I can tell you though, is be prepared to be very tired,  You were on the go from early morning like breakfast was at 7 and bus left at 7:30 and didn't come back till almost dinner time at 8pm.

And yes, I concur with Chris about get everyone prepped for walking on hills.

[Beth S]

I haven't BTDT, but a friend needed to bring a "modest" outfit to wear while visiting holy places.  I thot her tour company gave a list of what to bring.

[PeterPan]

Check to see how many bags your airline allows. I fly Southwest when I can, and they allow 2 checked bags, a carry-on, and a personal item. But international flights have tighter restrictions. I would take the larger suitcases to have room to bring back souveniers. I usually fly out with 3 bags and return with 4. The 4th is a canvas laundry bag that starts folded inside a suitcase, gets used, and then gets checked for the trip home. Also Target sells a collapsible rolling duffle bag that would be good for that. So it would be packed on the way out and expanded to hold stuff you bought for the way back. Sounds like your expandable duffle might be that. I was just surprised by how few bags you thought you'd need. We must travel heavy, lol. It's ds and his bedding. 

For so much jostling around you might really like packing cubes. Otherwise, you're going to have really messy suitcases with so many stops. Amazon sells nice packing cubes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018VQGTRM/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1  They're maybe $17 a set and they'll make it easy to get at your stuff and stay organized. You might sort by item or by day or whatever. You could color code by person.

If you will be changing planes, take a change of clothes and swimsuits in your carry-on so you're not frustrated if bags are late.

Amazon sells a thing to weigh your luggage. https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Digital-Luggage-Scale-Temperature/dp/B00NW62PCA/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=luggage+scale&qid=1548163137&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

For the longest flight? Well they'll put everyone to sleep (dim lights, pillows, blankets, whatever) so that kills a lot of time. I wear noise canceling headphones when I fly, and you can plug them into your tech or into the armrest to hear the movie I think. If you have amazon prime, you can download movies or tv or whatever to your tech and then watch that on the flight. Southwest has free broadcast tv that you can stream on your device. You'd have to pay if you wanted full wifi, but for just the broadcast tv you get that for free. 

The sandals are a good suggestion, and wearing them through security will make removing your shoes easy.

Well foo, they don't sell this anymore! Well anyways, this is my Mary Poppins bag, haha, that I use for a carry-on. https://www.ebags.com/product/lily-bloom/tweety-twig-wheeled-weekender/301693?productid=10383535  It's crazy magical because it opens from the top. The thing is, nowadays, once your stuff is in the overheads they don't like you in there. Not like a rule, just it's not convenient. So think through your personal item carefully to have the things you need (headphones, tech, etc.) and have it fit under the seat in front of you. 

If you notify the airline ahead of your food needs, they may be able to accommodate. They'll be serving meals on a long flight, or at least they used to.

[ScoutTN]

@Chris in VA 

Are the hotels still all kosher? It has bern a long time since I ws there! We had fabulous breakfasts,  with lovely cheeses, breads, and fruit, but no meat b/c dairy instead. And of course, no bacon! 😉

[ScoutTN]

I loved to sit in the lobby of the King David in late afternoon ( British tea time) and people-watch. 

Loved to walk on the rampart walls of the old city with my coffee in the early morning and watch the d City wake up for the day.

Such a place of contrasts, Israel! 

[Chris in VA]

49 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

@Chris in VA 

Are the hotels still all kosher? It has bern a long time since I ws there! We had fabulous breakfasts,  with lovely cheeses, breads, and fruit, but no meat b/c dairy instead. And of course, no bacon! 😉

If they are kosher, most bigger hotels will have two kitchens, so they don't mix dairy and meat. But that's on the west side--we are on the east, so we aren't kosher over here. 

[Chris in VA]

47 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

I loved to sit in the lobby of the King David in late afternoon ( British tea time) and people-watch. 

Loved to walk on the rampart walls of the old city with my coffee in the early morning and watch the d City wake up for the day.

Such a place of contrasts, Israel! 

I live 1 minute from the American Colony hotel--the lobby is so pretty, we go there for coffee and pie some afternoons! Just the lobby! lol (expensive, tho)

[LarlaB]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Check to see how many bags your airline allows. I fly Southwest when I can, and they allow 2 checked bags, a carry-on, and a personal item. But international flights have tighter restrictions. I would take the larger suitcases to have room to bring back souveniers. I usually fly out with 3 bags and return with 4. The 4th is a canvas laundry bag that starts folded inside a suitcase, gets used, and then gets checked for the trip home. Also Target sells a collapsible rolling duffle bag that would be good for that. So it would be packed on the way out and expanded to hold stuff you bought for the way back. Sounds like your expandable duffle might be that. I was just surprised by how few bags you thought you'd need. We must travel heavy, lol. It's ds and his bedding. 

For so much jostling around you might really like packing cubes. Otherwise, you're going to have really messy suitcases with so many stops. Amazon sells nice packing cubes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018VQGTRM/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1  They're maybe $17 a set and they'll make it easy to get at your stuff and stay organized. You might sort by item or by day or whatever. You could color code by person.

If you will be changing planes, take a change of clothes and swimsuits in your carry-on so you're not frustrated if bags are late.

Amazon sells a thing to weigh your luggage. https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Digital-Luggage-Scale-Temperature/dp/B00NW62PCA/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=luggage+scale&qid=1548163137&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

For the longest flight? Well they'll put everyone to sleep (dim lights, pillows, blankets, whatever) so that kills a lot of time. I wear noise canceling headphones when I fly, and you can plug them into your tech or into the armrest to hear the movie I think. If you have amazon prime, you can download movies or tv or whatever to your tech and then watch that on the flight. Southwest has free broadcast tv that you can stream on your device. You'd have to pay if you wanted full wifi, but for just the broadcast tv you get that for free. 

The sandals are a good suggestion, and wearing them through security will make removing your shoes easy.

Well foo, they don't sell this anymore! Well anyways, this is my Mary Poppins bag, haha, that I use for a carry-on. https://www.ebags.com/product/lily-bloom/tweety-twig-wheeled-weekender/301693?productid=10383535  It's crazy magical because it opens from the top. The thing is, nowadays, once your stuff is in the overheads they don't like you in there. Not like a rule, just it's not convenient. So think through your personal item carefully to have the things you need (headphones, tech, etc.) and have it fit under the seat in front of you. 

If you notify the airline ahead of your food needs, they may be able to accommodate. They'll be serving meals on a long flight, or at least they used to.

 

Yes....I have been pondering the packing cubes but will probably cheap out with extra large ziploc bags.  Maybe they will be a deal of the day? The color coding part really appeals to me!! 

 

 

[LarlaB]

8 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

I live in Jerusalem--and would love to see you, but I know how packed these trips can be!! If you get the chance to come to St. George's Cathedral here, hit me up! ❤️

So, in March, it will be on the edge of hot and cool. It is a great time to come. The evenings will be cool, and the days will be bright and sunny--you may encounter rain, but I wouldn't take a raincoat to be kept with you at all times. You won't need a scarf at all if you have a skirt that comes just below the knees and an open shirt you can throw on to cover your elbows. Headscarves are not required anywhere. But scarves are pretty and you can wrap one around your waist if it's long enough and then wear pants or capris if you are more comfortable in those. You only need one pair of shoes, but two is good in case one breaks. I love Teva sandals because they go with skirts and you can wear them anywhere, and they are grippy on the bottom. The stone walkways here (in JTown and on the Mt of Olives, in particular) can get slick. Also if you are visiting Sepphoris (near Nazareth) or other archeological sites (Masada, Herodium, etc) then you will need a shoe or sandal that doesn't slip easily. Trainers are fine. 

There is no way you aren't going to look like a tourist, so embrace it. 

A cross-body bag is easiest. Make it very small, and just take your passport everywhere, and your water bottle. Only one of you needs to carry a day pack, honestly. The tour company will feed you plenty (of course, with your situation, you will want food for yourself). 

The beef here is different--hamburgers don't taste like hamburgers, to me, anyway. Expect lots of hummus, pita, "salads" (pickled veggies, tiny cucumbers, shredded cabbage mixed with...IDK, but it's bland and gross), schwarma meat, falafal, and chicken, and fish when you go to Galilee (St. Peter's fish is just tilapia, but it's pretty good). Don't expect tacos, or any Mexican fast food type stuff. They do Italian pretty well. 

Train for your trip by walking lots of hills. LOTS of hills. 

Ask me anything!! And if you do come see me, I'm happy to take you to the Old City, or you can do laundry in my apartment if you have a couple of hours! lol 

 

 

My mom has travelled to Israel at least 12x (once per year the last decade) - she works with Holocaust survivors and leads small tour groups.  I wish she was doing this DIY so we had extra time and more flexible time. Anyway-I followed that you lived there...thanks for the info and warmth! 😜

We are bringing good Teva/Merrell sandals.  We live in Colorado but ironically don’t walk hills a ton other than our neighborhood or ocassonaly mountain hikes (rougher this time of year RE snow). We visited DC last year and walked 6-8 miles each day...was tiring (mostly the crowds) but being down at sea level helped. 

Good advice RE raincoat. I’m annoyed even taking them because of space...would rather get wet and laugh but don’t want to be miserable. 

Ive done a cross body bag before on family trips and it really wore out my shoulders.  I have a small convertible backpack that has shoulder strap and too handle. Might try that??  I hate trying new things in a trip though...

[PeterPan]

34 minutes ago, LarlaB said:

RE raincoat. I’m annoyed even taking them because of space...would rather get wet and laugh but don’t want to be miserable. 

You might get ponchos from dollar tree. If it's not likely to rain, I wouldn't bother. But if it is, the ponchos that fold down are the bomb. I have ponchos from Disney and they're amazing, nice and thick, and fold down very small. 

If you have the money, you might spring for the packing cubes. I don't *think* they'll be cheaper on ebags, but sometimes ebags has coupons. Yes, I got mine on a Black Friday deal. Wow, this is mind-boggling. They're actually LESS expensive now than they were when I bought them on the lightning deal a couple years ago! I paid $21 a set then and now they're $17 on amazon. So really, they're already a buy price, and I wouldn't anticipate them to drop further. 

[gardenmom5]

have a great time.  2ds's childhood friend lived in Jerusalem for two years while doing her MA.  she loved it.  she misses it.

[J-rap]

My dh and I have had the pleasure of traveling a lot over the years, and one thing we've learned is that often you think you need multiples of the same thing, when you really don't.  So for example, instead of "scarves" I'd bring just one light scarf that goes with everything.  We used to live in the Middle East, and I'd always bring along a scarf that folded small, was light-weight, but opened up big.  So I could use it to cover my head or drape over my shoulders, but could fit it in my purse or day pack.

I have a "sling bag" day pack that I've had for years and years and I love it.  It's similar to this, but I like mine more.  🙂

https://edmondandco.com/products/canvas-sling-bag?variant=13342601117738&gclid=Cj0KCQiAm5viBRD4ARIsADGUT267SiYT8uhdhVFAf9OebJM4hSwsNEOKdhKW_DRopBiS-S_2MLF_g4UaAi7aEALw_wcB

Mine is bigger still -- probably 15 inches high and 10 inches across?  Mine is the perfect size for my needs, with a pocket on the outside for a water bottle.  It's more comfortable than a backpack style.  A regular backpack or large purse ends up hurting either my back or shoulders.  A sling bag seems to spread the weight better.

One thing I'd recommend for the celiac diet is to throw a pack of corn tortillas into your suitcase.  (Assuming you can eat those??)  Those should do okay for awhile unrefrigerated.  My dd takes those along with her when she travels and they've saved the day for her several times.

Have a great trip!!  It's been years since we've been to that part of the world.  I'd love to go again someday.

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by J-rap

[YaelAldrich]

GF is really common in Israel since so many Jews are celiac.  You should be able to get GF stuff all over the place and restaurants cater to that segment (at least in the kosher/Jewish restaurants).  The grocery stores also have plenty of stuff.  Everything labeled in a grocery store is labeled if it has gluten and in English as well.  You can ask, "Ain glooten b'zeh?"  and things are labeled ללא גלוטן

[YaelAldrich]

I took ponchos to Israel in December in the middle of the rainy season.  You look like a loon but you are dry!  

[madteaparty]

Layers and modest clothing. I wore a maxi skirt and long sleeve, very thin but not sheer blouse doing the sites in Jerusalem. Birkenstocks were fine, I don’t know why two pair shoes per person I only wore one pair of birks in 6 months of travel.

 I don’t know if you’re spending time in the desert, at least in Jordan—the desert is COLD at night! And the sand very fine so a gauzy scarf would’ve been a good idea. 

Edited January 22, 2019 by madteaparty

[importswim]

My recommendation would be to cut down what you think you need to take with you by half after you've laid it all out. LOL! Go with clothes in one color scheme that mix and match. If an item can pull double duty or can work with multiple outfits that'd go to the top of my list. I really like outfit sudoku (you can see examples on pinterest) but usually only take an extra pair of shoes while traveling (on top of the pair I wear to travel), unlike the 4 in the sudoku. I second ebags. I love mine!

Bring familiar medicine with you if you have favorites. It's the worst if you're sick and you have to go to the store and decipher which medicine to take. This doesn't mean you have to pack *every* medicine, just a couple. 😄

I usually travel with just carry-on but if that's too little for you I'd recommend packing one less checked bag for the family (so if there are 4 of you then 3 checked bags) and packing an expandable duffel in one of those so that on the way home you have the option of checking a 4th. I do find that the number of items I have seems to expand when packing for the return trip (ha! read:souvenirs). One of the good things about only carry-on is it limits how much stuff you bring back (one of the bad things is that it limits the stuff that you bring back...sigh.). 😁

Have fun traveling!

 

ETA: For the plane: thick comfy socks (it can get cold at altitude), ear plugs, eye mask for each person. Sometimes the airline will provide these but I prefer to bring my own just in case (and mine are better quality). They're helpful for wherever you're staying too. I travel wearing a scarf and that's come in handy many times as a blanket or a pillow for behind my back. 

Edited January 22, 2019 by importswim
added plane suggestions.

[Chris in VA]

Just be careful that your skirt isn't too long. There are lots and lots of stone stairs (I'm thinking Jerusalem, but also any archeological sites might have some to go into cisterns and such, and churches do, too) and your shoes can catch the hem of your skirt pretty easily, so you end up having to hold it up with one hand while holding onto a rail (and not everywhere has rails). Honestly, I have found very few places where you need a skirt and scarf for the head--If you go to Wadi Qelt and visit the monastery there, you do need a skirt, but you can wrap a long scarf around you and they will accept that. I have one that packs to nothing, and opens to about 5ft by 4 feet! lol The brothers at the monastery actually gave me one to wear because I forgot and wore capris. 

Places you don't need a skirt: 

Masada, Dead Sea, Qumran

Any museums

Church of the Holy Sepulchar, Ethiopian chapel church on the roof

Any church on Mt. of Olives

St. George's Anglican Cathedral (hahah--I doubt it's on your tour, but if it is, tell me!)

Churches in the Old City, JTown (St. Annes where Pools of Bethsaida are, Church of the Flagellation, etc)

Church of the Nativity, Shepherd's Fields in Bethlehem

Bahai in Haifa, if you are going there

St. Peter's church in Capernaum, church at Magdala, Tabga (Loaves and Fishes church), Church of the Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mt church)

Just an example. However, a light skirt that covers the knees is always welcome. 

[Negin]

I've been to Israel four times and it's one of my favorite countries in the world. I hope that you have a wonderful time! We've been once in April and the weather was lovely. 

I don't like doing laundry in hotel room sinks. That's just me. We have only stayed in Haifa, and there are drop-off laundries all around. They weigh your laundry and you can pick it up sometimes the same day, sometimes a day later. I do this every time we travel, wherever we go. Other places might have laundromats, but I far prefer dropping-off and picking up. 

You've received great tips so far. I started using packing cubes last year for our trip to Italy. Love them!

I have some fun-looking packing videos on YouTube that I plan on watching. I can share those if you or anyone is interested. 

Here are my notes from Rick Steves books and a packing e-book I read last year:

The measure of a good traveler is how light she travels.

Remember, in your travels you'll meet two kinds of tourists — those who pack light and those who wish they had.

If you won't wear it more than three times, don't bring it!

Bring 3-6 outfits per person that will layer comfortably.

If not sure how many outfits to bring – do the rule of 3 - A Lonely Planet travel writer shares the ultra-light packing list he has used on multiple trips to Europe. His top tip is the Rule of Three, where he packs no more than three of any item of clothing. He writes with his iPad and keyboard and uses his iPhone as a camera.

BASIC WOMEN’S PACKING LIST - this includes what you will wear on the flight

A more thorough list is here

5 pairs of underwear (silk, lace, or micro-fiber dries quickest)

1 extra bra

1-2 cardigans or sweaters

1 hat

1 nightgown

5 pairs of socks

Swimsuit – if needed

Toiletries

Theft-Proof Bag – for some destinations

1-3 pairs of shoes – no more!

·         A pair of flats

·         Sensible heels or something a bit more dressy

·         Athletic shoes if needed

Edited January 23, 2019 by Negin

[madteaparty]

3 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

Just be careful that your skirt isn't too long. There are lots and lots of stone stairs (I'm thinking Jerusalem, but also any archeological sites might have some to go into cisterns and such, and churches do, too) and your shoes can catch the hem of your skirt pretty easily, so you end up having to hold it up with one hand while holding onto a rail (and not everywhere has rails). Honestly, I have found very few places where you need a skirt and scarf for the head--If you go to Wadi Qelt and visit the monastery there, you do need a skirt, but you can wrap a long scarf around you and they will accept that. I have one that packs to nothing, and opens to about 5ft by 4 feet! lol The brothers at the monastery actually gave me one to wear because I forgot and wore capris. 

Places you don't need a skirt: 

Masada, Dead Sea, Qumran

Any museums

Church of the Holy Sepulchar, Ethiopian chapel church on the roof

Any church on Mt. of Olives

St. George's Anglican Cathedral (hahah--I doubt it's on your tour, but if it is, tell me!)

Churches in the Old City, JTown (St. Annes where Pools of Bethsaida are, Church of the Flagellation, etc)

Church of the Nativity, Shepherd's Fields in Bethlehem

Bahai in Haifa, if you are going there

St. Peter's church in Capernaum, church at Magdala, Tabga (Loaves and Fishes church), Church of the Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mt church)

Just an example. However, a light skirt that covers the knees is always welcome. 

Eh, I went through those under ground water tunnels in City of David with a skirt. It was fine (and the one thing we all liked in a Jerusalem, FWIW, highly recommend for kids but only if not claustrophobic!)

[Donna]

Dd and I travel often. We are able to pack for both of us for two weeks in one small carry-on suitcase by packing clothes for half the trip (planning to wear each bottom twice and layering other outfit pieces) plus a day and plan to do laundry for the other half (hotel sink and hang dry). We usually carry one extra pair of shoes though we rarely use them. We each take along a backpack with our computer, toiletries, chargers, and a small cross body bag for carrying around while sightseeing. 

For the long plane ride (we just flew back and forth to Bangkok--24 hours on plane), we stay awake through the first meal then go to sleep for most of the flight, waking for another meal prior to landing. We are vegan so order special meals on the plane prior to flying. Bring along an empty water bottle to the airport and fill once you are through security--purchasing bottled water at the airport is expensive and it's important to stay hydrated. Pack at least an outfit or two for each family member in a carry on bag just in case any checked luggage is lost or delayed.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Donna