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 transportation 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 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. 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.

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.

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 and the Palestinian territories. Here Israeli or Palestinian police will ask to see your passport and may carry out security checks.

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 international 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 country, or by those in Tel Aviv or Cairo.

If you are entering Sinai from Israel, you can obtain a special Sinai Permit that allows you to stay for up to 14 days; this is obtained at the border and is free. Bear in mind, however, that the Sinai Permit cannot be changed into a full visa. Neither can a full visa for Egypt be obtained at the border. If you plan to visit other parts of Egypt beyond Sinai, you must obtain a visa in advance from an Egyptian consulate or embassy in your home country, or else in Amman, Aqaba, Tel Aviv or Eilat.

The duty-free allowance in all three countries is 200 cigarettes or 200 grams of tobacco, a litre of spirits and two bottles of wine. Valuable electrical objects such as computers and video cameras will be entered in passports by customs officers to prevent their resale in the country.

English is very much a second language in Israel, where many immigrants do not speak Hebrew. All signs are bilingual and it is rare to meet someone who doesn’t understand any English at all. The story is very different in Palestinian areas and in Jordan, however, but Arabs will make every effort to communicate with foreigners, even if it means resorting to sign language. In areas frequented by tourists it is easier to find English speakers, although attempts to speak Arabic will always be welcomed. Away from the main tourist circuit it can be much harder to get your message across without some rudimentary grasp of the language.

Israeli society, on the whole, is not that different from the West. There are exceptions; in ultra-Orthodox areas such as Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim and parts of the Galilee town of Safed, behaviour and dress should definitely err on the side of conservatism. This is also the case in Arab areas, both in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories and in Jordan. Arab women usually cover their arms, legs and sometimes their heads in public, and men do not wear shorts. Visitors are not always expected to cover up in the same way, but you must be suitably clothed when visiting certain public places and any of the holy sites (see ).

Intimate physical contact with a person of the opposite sex in public is also taboo in Arab society; Arabic couples are rarely seen kissing, embracing or even holding hands.