Practical Preparation
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Jerusalem
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In the following lines we would like to
offer you some practical advice that might help you as
you plan your pilgrimage. We are available to help you
personally and you can contact us any time.
1. The need of a good planning For a good benefit
of your pilgrimage it is indispensable that all practical elements
are well organized and well foreseen, in order to avoid
investing your energy on them as you arrive to the
Holy Land. In this way you can pay you full
attention to enjoying the pilgrimage. There are some facts that should be
clear from the beginning: number of people, precise dates (or as
approximate as possible), duration of the pilgrimage (In order to enjoy
a pilgrimage that will give you the opportunity to get
to know the main sites of the Holy Land without
rushing, we would advice not to plan for the trip
less than 7-8 days)
2. Visas Citizens of most
western nations do not need a visa to enter as
tourists to Israel. At their entrance into the country they
are usually given a tourist visa for 90 days. In
any case it is advisable to check with the Israeli
embassy or consulate nearest to your home, in order to
prevent any problem. It is not possible to travel from
Israel to Lebanon or Syria or vice versa.
3. Language The
official languages in Israel are Hebrew and Arabic, but everyone
involved in tourism speaks English reasonably well. In some cases
they speak Italian and French. In general Spanish and German
are the least spoken languages. If you speak some English
you will be able to get around most places.
4. Weather and Clothing It is advisable to consider carefully the
time of the year in which your pilgrimage will take
place.
The general climate could be described as follows: Springtime
(April-May): pleasant and soft temperatures; Summer (May-September): very hot; Fall:
soft temperatures, Winter: not excessively cold (it doesn't reach below
-2°, -3°C in the coldest days of winter, between December
and February; it snows very rarely )
It is
important also to consider the type of shoes that you
will bring, as there is a lot of walking to
do and they must be very comfortable.
When you are
thinking what clothing to bring, do not forget that the culture
and customs at the Holy Places are rather traditional. It
is a gesture of respect to dress properly and modestly.
One must be respectful of the local mentality and customs.
When you are thinking what clothing to bring, do not
forget that the culture and customs at the Holy Places
are rather traditional. It is a gesture of respect to
dress properly and modestly. One must be respectful of the
local mentality and customs.
5. Guides We would like
to suggest two books: the first one has been translated
into several languages and is called: Jerusalem and the Holy
Land, Eyewitness Travel Guides, Doring Kindersley Limited, London 2000. The
second one is an excellent guide in Italian, produced by
the ‘Opera Romani Pellegrinaggi’.
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