Mail

The post office does it all: handles regular and express letters, sends and receives faxes, accepts bill payments, sells phone cards and parking cards, handles money transfers, and offers quick-delivery service. Nearly every neighborhood has a post office, identified by a white racing deer on a red background. English is almost always spoken. The main branches are usually open from 8 until 6 or 7, and small offices are usually open Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday 8 to 12:30 and 3:30 to 6, Wednesday 8 to 1:30, and Friday 8 to noon. In Muslim cities the post office is closed Friday, in Christian towns it's closed Sunday, and in Jericho it's closed Saturday.

It takes about 7 to 12 days for mail to reach the United States from Israel.

In mailing addresses, the abbreviation M.P. stands for Mobile Post (M.P. Gilboa, for example). You'll see this as part of the address in more rural areas.

Tourists who want to receive mail at a local post office should have it addressed to "Poste Restante" along with the name of the town. Such mail will be held for pickup free of charge for up to three months. Mail delivery from Israel is reliable.

Shipping Packages

Most stores offer shipping to international destinations. If you choose to send your purchases home yourself, you'll find all the supplies you need at any local post office, but be prepared to wait in a long line for service. Be sure to bring picture ID with you. Boxes and labels are available in various sizes, and you may insure your package. Parcels are generally secure when mailed from Israel. To Canada and the United States, it takes approximately two weeks by air and up to three months by surface mail. Quicker, more expensive alternatives are FedEx and UPS.

Express Services

EMS Service (76/887-0007. www.israelpost.co.il.)

FedEx (1700/700-339. www.fedex.com/il.)

UPS (1800/834-834. www.ups.com.)