Haven't used Gate 1, but have met tourists who were using them on my visits to Egypt and Israel and they were most pleased. They are a reputable company.

You might want to also check Isram Tours, located in NYC as comparison.

Thank you. Anyone else?

I took the Gate 1 Affordable Israel tour 2 years ago and I would do it again tomorrow if I could. I chose this tour because I wanted to see both Christian and Jewish sites. The hotels were very nice, guides were knowledgeable and it was a great tour. I hope you will do this, it's a winner.

Thanks for your input. How many people were in your tour group, and was a headset provided so you could hear the guide? Approximately what time did you leave in the am and return to the hotel, and was there enough free time? We've never done an escorted tour before...always went independently, but the Gate 1 tour looks really appealing. Was there any place where you thought more time was needed...did you feel at all rushed?

I know I asked alot of questions and I hope you can help me again.

Thanks.

P_M, wasn't that the trip where you had "extra security" on EL AL? Such a funny story!

Hi JaneB. Yes indeed, El Al had extra security like nothing I've ever seen before!! But the trip to Israel was well worth security hassles (all 2 days of hassles) and I would do it again.

I have since taken another tour w/Gate 1 to Turkey and that was great as well. I think Gate 1 is an excellent company and I will travel with them again.

floridagal, sorry I didn't address your second question.

The group was very large so it was split into 2 buses, but this did not hinder my enjoyment of the trip. The wake up times weren't terribly early and I didn't feel like they were trying to cram too much into each day. Israel is a small country so the bus rides from one place to another were not very long and I don't recall any late arrivals into any hotel. Our time at each location was very reasonable. There were no headsets but I had no difficulty hearing the guide from any part of the bus.

My experience with El Al was interesting but no reflection on Gate 1. Gate 1 actually uses IsrAir but I flew seperately since I had frequent flyer points with American so they booked my free ticket on El Al. If you do end up on El Al that is not a bad thing, just be prepared to answer a lot of questions before boarding the plane. (my experience went way beyond answering questions, so if you want the full story click my name and you'll find my trip report at the bottom of the page) Once you are on board the flight is very nice. El Al had some of the best airplane food and wine I've ever had.

If you have any more questions I will be glad to help if I can.

Has anyone had any experience with the travel group American Israel Travel? Would appreciate any info.

sandy7, since the title of this thread refers to Gate 1 tours, I think you will get more responses by starting a new thread with "American Israel Travel" in the title. Good luck.