Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
The area covered by this guide is
embarking on a trip that involves any
crossing of borders, you should make
sure that there have been
no significant changes to
the international agree-
ments b etween these
countries. Israel, Jordan
and Egypt all have their own tourist
organizations, which have offices
abroad (see p301 for a directory of con-
tact details for these).
not very large, but because it
includes the territory
of three nations (Israel,
Jordan and Egypt), as
well as the Autonomous
Palestinian Territories,
getting about from one place to another
may not always be straightforward. The
political situation in this part of the
world changes frequently, and before
Israeli tourist board logo
CROSSING BORDERS
Both depart once a day, and
you can get your Sinai Permit
on board. You can also cross
overland using public transport
from Eilat in Israel to Taba.
Allow plenty of time if crossing
any of these borders, as there
are strict security measures in
place and crossing often takes
one or two hours.
and the Palestinian territories.
Here Israeli or Palestinian
police will ask to see your
passport and may carry out
security checks.
Peace agreements of recent
years have made it possible to
travel overland between Israel
and Egypt, and between Israel
and Jordan. There are two
commonly used crossings
between Jordan and Israel
(plus a third, less convenient
crossing near Beth Shean).
The King Hussein Bridge
(also known as the Allenby
Bridge) is 16 km (10 miles)
east of Jericho. From East
Jerusalem (opposite Damascus
Gate) you can take a taxi or
minibus to the border then,
once across, pick up trans-
portation on to Amman.
There are hefty Israeli exit
and Jordanian entry taxes
to pay. The crossing is open
8am-noon Sunday-Thursday
and 8am-3pm Friday and
Saturday. A second border
VISAS FOR ISRAEL
You must have a passport
that is valid for at least six
months to enter Israel. Citizens
of European nations, as well
as those from North America,
Australia and New Zealand,
do not, however, need a visa.
Citizens of most Arab, Asian,
African and South American
countries do need visas, and
must obtain them in advance
from an Israeli consulate in
their home country. The visa
is usually valid for up to a
three-month stay, but can be
extended. You can also obtain
a “volunteer visa” (valid for
6-12 months) that allows
you to work temporarily
in a kibbutz (see pp294-5) .
An Israeli visa in your
passport will bar you from
entering some Arab countries,
notably Syria and Lebanon,
but not Egypt or
Jordan. You can avoid
this by asking at the
airport that the visa be
stamped on a separate
piece of paper. Other
than at the Allenby
Bridge crossing, this
cannot be done at
the land borders.
At present there
are checkpoints for
visitors crossing the
borders between Israel
Entry card for Israel, and visa
required to enter Jordan
A
crossing point exists at Wadi
Arava 4 km (2 miles) from
Eilat and 10 km (6 miles)
from Aqaba. Its opening
hours are the same as the
King Hussein Bridge. Again,
the most convenient way to
cross is to use public transport.
To enter Sinai you can take
the ferry or catamaran from
Aqaba in Jordan to Nuweiba.
VISAS FOR JORDAN
Tourists arriving in Jordan
must have a passport
valid for at least six months,
and also a visa. If you are
arriving at Queen Alia inter-
national airport you can
obtain a one-month tourist
visa upon arrival. The price
of this can vary dramatically
depending on your nationality.
If you are entering Jordan
by land then you must have
already obtained your visa in
advance, as the border posts
do not issue them (the only
exception to this being the
Wadi Arava border crossing).
Visas can otherwise be issued
either by the Jordanian
consulate or embassy in
your home co u ntry, or by
those in Tel Aviv or Cairo.
A
Israeli soldiers checking cars coming from the
Palestinian Autonomous Territories
Bedouin tents in the mountainous wilderness of Wadi Rum
 
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