Below are miscellaneous hints to help you have a great trip. Some of these are repeats from earlier information but it will give you a good check list. Since some in our group have come along after I sent some previous information, I am combining a lot of things below.
1. If you are flying to DFW, you will need to show your passport at your first check-in and should check your luggage all the way to Tel Aviv. If you are driving to DFW, the cheapest place to park close-by for 17 days is in the DFW Remote Parking, where you will pay $7 a day. This is not covered. To get to this parking, come to the DFW airport, take the Service Road Exit just before entering the ticket booth, go down that road following the signs for Remote Parking. Park your own car and go to the building there where you can get a shuttle to the terminal. If you want covered parking, go to Express Parking for $11 a day—enter the ticket booth and follow the signs.
2. Be at the DFW airport to check in at the Lufthansa desk not later than 2:20 p.m. on Friday, May 29. If you have not already checked luggage at a previous flight, check your luggage through all the way to Tel Aviv.
3. Come to the departure lounge for Lufthansa 429 and we will all meet there, get a little final information and be prepared to board about 3:20. Some in our group are going on other flights and will meet us in Tel Aviv.
4. Take enough of your regular medicines for 20 days. Also take some Immodum AD (over the counter) for upset stomach just in case. Put medicines in your carry-on rather than your checked luggage in case your luggage is delayed. (Liquids in carry-on must be 3 oz. or less and in a 1 quart, zip-lock, plastic bag. Larger bottles of medicine, hair spray or lotions must go in your checked luggage.) Put one change of clothing in your carry-on. Take a few band-aids and a tube of Neosporin.
5. Make a copy of your passport information page and carry it separately from your passport. This will make it much easier to replace your passport should it be lost.
6. You will want a Bible but may want a smaller one rather than a larger one because of space and weight. You may want some other reading material for long flights.
7. Be sure to take sunscreen and the higher the number the better. You also need insect repellant, preferably with DEET.
8. Take a small flashlight for Hezekiah’s Tunnel and to have handy for other times.
9. For Hezekiah’s tunnel you will need some shoes you don’t mind getting wet. You will be walking on the rough, rocky floor of the tunnel. You could use the same shoes when we are at beaches.
10. Be certain that you have comfortable walking shoes with thick soles. We will do lots of walking, some of it off the beaten path.
11. You can leave a wake-up call at our hotels, but it is good to have a small, battery powered alarm clock for backup. (Extra batteries.) We must leave on time fairly early each morning. (A good travel store in Oklahoma City is Traveler’s Pack on 10924 N. May. Here you can buy a travel alarm clock, money pouch, etc.)
12. We will have lots of sun so take sunglasses.
13. When you exchange money, keep the receipt since you will need that to convert back any currency you have left when you return to the US. Speaking of currency, the list below tells you how easily to convert into US dollars a price given you in the currency of the other country. A close approximation but not an exact amount.
Israeli Shekel (NIS)—divide by 4. So if the cost is 4 shekels, the price is $1. US.Egyptian Pound – divide by 5. So if the cost is 5 pounds, the price is $1. US.Jordanian Dinar (JD)—multiply by 1.5. So if the cost is 1 JD, the price is $1.5 US.
14. Take a good supply of US $1 bills to buy things that cost about that much (like a bottle of water), and everywhere they will take US dollars. That way you avoid getting a large amount of change in the other currency. You will need money for 5 lunches in Israel, $15 in US cash for an Egyptian visa, and money for bottled water. Take a couple of hundred dollars to cover these things and other incidentals plus money for purchases you want to bring home. If you take travelers checks, get them in $20 denominations so you don’t have to get too much in the local currency at one time. The Sights and Sounds in Karnak is not included and costs $22.50 if you choose to go. The Sights and Sounds of the Pyramids is included. The Pharonic Village, which gives a good insight into life in ancient Egypt, is about $15 per person. Visa and Mastercard (but not Discover) are accepted in most shops and having one of these will reduce the cash you need to take. There will be a small charge for using the credit card so cash is a bit cheaper. Personal checks are accepted some places.
15. Most merchants expect to bargain for prices (not in the hotels). Don’t appear too interested, offer a little more than half of what was asked, and bargain from there. Keep a record of your purchases because you will need to list them when you re-enter the US. The first $800 is free for each person and family members traveling together can combine their totals. Above that amount you will have to pay duty.
16. Be sure to have a way to protect your money and your wallet. I have a little pouch to go under my shirt for carrying money and passport. Available at travel stores. Before you go, remove from your wallet all credit cards and other items you won’t need so they will not be in your way and so if you lose your wallet you would not lose these. As we go around during the day, I usually carry my wallet with enough for that day and put it in my front pocket with my hand on top of it.
17. When we have free time, never go out by yourself and a small group is best.
18. For the day when we cannot wear shorts on the Temple Mt., women could take a light, wrap-around skirt which comes pretty much to the ankles to put over their shorts or they can wear slacks that day. Men can wear slacks or zip on bottoms for their shorts. Shirts for men and women should have longish sleeves. Women will need a scarf but they will provide one if you don’t carry one with you.
19. If you want to lock luggage, you can do so by purchasing special TSA approved locks at a travel store. TSA can open and re-lock these. Other locks cannot be used.
20. Do not take expensive jewelry.
21. You need special electrical plugs for all the countries where we are going. Israel and Egypt use the “C” type—two round prongs. Some places in Jordan use the same but some have the larger 3 pronged plugs. Since we will be in Jordan only one night, that should not be a problem. All these countries use 220-250 watts which means you either need an appliance that operates on both 110 (US) and 220 (abroad) or you need a transformer to convert from 220 to 110. Travel shops can help you with this. You will burn out an appliance if it is designed for 110 and you plug it into 220.
22. Tap water in hotels may be safe, but to exercise the greatest care not to get sick, use only bottled water for anything you consume. Cokes, coffee, and tea are safe to drink but usually will carry an extra charge with evening meals even if the meal is paid for by the trip cost. Bottled water also sometimes costs extra with the meal. Just be aware of this when you are ordering your meal. Most hotel food is safe but to take the greatest care, do not eat unpeeled fruit and uncooked vegetables.
23. If you pack bottled water or other liquids in your suitcase, be sure the bottle has a little free space for expansion and put it in a plastic, zip-lock bag in case of leakage.
24. The typical June daytime high and nighttime low temperature for places we are going are shown below: Sea of Galilee—95/68; Jerusalem—81/63; Dead Sea—99/75; Petra—97/78; Red Sea—99/82; Cairo—95/68; Luxor—107/72.
25. While hotels will provide the usual toiletries, it is wise to take some of your own just in case—a bar of soap, toothpaste and brush, shampoo, etc. Also take Purell Hand Sanitizer to cleanse your hands during the day. Sometimes restrooms along the way may be out of tissue so it is a good idea to have packets of tissue with you.
26. To counteract jet lag, plan to sleep on the overnight flight—even if it means taking a pill to help. Drink some caffeinated coffee for breakfast before we arrive in Frankfurt. Walk around some on the plane to keep your circulation going. When we arrive in Tel Aviv, do not go to bed. Stay active until after supper and our meeting. Adjust your sleep schedule to fit the new time zone as quickly as possible.
27. We will be able to swim in three places—in the Mediterranean on our first night there, at the Dead Sea, and at Eilat. So take a swimsuit if you wish to participate.
28. At Eilat you can dive, snorkel, ride a submarine, or visit the Underwater Observatory. We have a morning set aside for these activities or you can wade or lounge on the beach. You can go diving (rate varies) or rent snorkeling equipment ($8). The Aquarium costs about $20. Submarine cost varies.
29. Each person may take one bag of up to 50 pounds plus a carry-on weighing no more than 16 pounds and no larger than 22 x 16 x 8. In addition you may carry on a purse, camera bag, or other similar item. While the airlines will allow two large bags on an overseas flight, we won’t have room for that many on our bus and you will be better off not to have so many to take care of. If you have special needs, about this, ask me. Leave some room in the suitcase to bring things home. Mark your luggage in a distinctive way so it will be easy to spot. Fowler will send us ID tags along with other documents before we leave. It is good to have luggage with wheels. We will have to carry our own luggage for a distance in moving from Jordan to Israel and from Israel to Egypt—so wheels will help a lot.
30. Check with your health insurance company about their overseas coverage. Aetna, for example, told me that for small emergencies, I should pay the amount and bring information including a receipt for reimbursement. On a major emergency requiring hospitalization, I should contact them for advice as soon as possible.
31. We have a group plan for mobile phone rental in Israel. It is an inexpensive way to call home while we are in Israel. The plan also allows us to contact each other in Isreal. Here are the significant points about it.
a. If you get a phone and never use it, it will not cost you anything (it says $1/day but that is waved for us, as well as the delivery charge).
b. Calling within Israel (like to other members of our group while we are in Israel costs $.19/min. (pay as you go plan)
c. Calling to the US is $.38/min. (pay as you go plan).
d. Local Number Service – For $10 you can get a US number (get the number before we leave) that people in the US can use to call you and you pay $.14/min.
e. These phones are just for our stay in Israel. They will be available at our first hotel and be picked up our last hotel in Israel.
To sign up this plan, go on line to:
https://www.gcellular.com/israelphonesapp/orderform.aspx?fname=holylandstour
You can read other notes about phone communications from oversees here:
http://www.staffordnorth.com/holy-lands-2009/commuications-from-overseas/
I hope you benefit from the ideas and information on this site. If you want to contact me you can email me at 
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