April 2008 Israel trip itinerary - first draft questions
Jun 7th, 2007, 12:37 PM
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April 2008 Israel trip itinerary - first draft questions
Our family with 13 year old son plan to visit Israel in second week of April of 2008 (spring break) to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah (we don't plan to have a ceremony as of now), just visit the most interesting sights and see family and friends. My very first draft will include:
1.Jerusalem - 2 days, 2 nights : tour around the town(maybe private) Jad Washem. I was told to avoid weekends
2.Tel Aviv 1 day, 1 night. See Jaffa,evening with friends. is it warm enough to go on beach ? Should we start from Tel Aviv since we will arrive there?
3. Ashkelon/Ashdod area - 1-2 night, 2 evenings to see relatives and friend,
4. Haifa 1 day trip (from where?)
5. Tsfat 1 day trip
6. Dead sea/Massada - 1 daytrip
7. Visit kibbutz - I guess 1/2 day or so
All together nights in Israel 9, plus 2 nights for flights from JFK or Newark.
How this plan looks like? What is the best way to organize this what sites to see first? When is a good time to look for tickets, they are very expensive now $1000+ for 1 stop flight. Should I wait for prices to drop a little? I also was told to use travel agent rather then look online
Thanks for any input,
Mariya
1.Jerusalem - 2 days, 2 nights : tour around the town(maybe private) Jad Washem. I was told to avoid weekends
2.Tel Aviv 1 day, 1 night. See Jaffa,evening with friends. is it warm enough to go on beach ? Should we start from Tel Aviv since we will arrive there?
3. Ashkelon/Ashdod area - 1-2 night, 2 evenings to see relatives and friend,
4. Haifa 1 day trip (from where?)
5. Tsfat 1 day trip
6. Dead sea/Massada - 1 daytrip
7. Visit kibbutz - I guess 1/2 day or so
All together nights in Israel 9, plus 2 nights for flights from JFK or Newark.
How this plan looks like? What is the best way to organize this what sites to see first? When is a good time to look for tickets, they are very expensive now $1000+ for 1 stop flight. Should I wait for prices to drop a little? I also was told to use travel agent rather then look online
Thanks for any input,
Mariya
Jun 8th, 2007, 05:55 AM
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Jerusalem--you'll need two full days. You can spend the full day at Yad vashem if you really want to look at everything, though it IS quite heavy and many people I know cannot take it too long. Since most things close down on shabbat (ie Friday night till Sat night), I would visit on other days.
Ashkelon is south of Tel Aviv, and
Haifa/tzfat are north of Tel Aviv. Will you be renting a car? If not, you can take the train along Ashdod-Tel Aviv-Haifa. It's more convenient to start the Dead Sea/Massada part of the trip out of Jerusalem.
I think the weather would be pleasant/warm-ish but not quite hot enough to go into the water (unless you're in Eilat). It may be quite chilly in Jerusalem at night.
BTW, passover next year is 20-26 April. So you shold be ok avoiding the crowds and expensive airfare.
Jun 8th, 2007, 07:06 AM
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I looked for airfare for around the same time, and I found rates (nonstop) were about 1200. Saw some rates with one stop (maybe Air France) for about 800-900. The problem is that although Passover is later, March 23rd is Easter and there is a spike in tourism (and rates) for that, plus some of the airlines just use a cutoff date of April 1st for higher season fares.
there are some reliable agents and consolidators that regularly deal with this route and often will discount the posted fares by $100 or more per ticket.
See if you can get a copy of one of the Israeli newspapers published in the US or (if in NYC) something called the New York Jewish Week. They have ads for these agents.
there are some reliable agents and consolidators that regularly deal with this route and often will discount the posted fares by $100 or more per ticket.
See if you can get a copy of one of the Israeli newspapers published in the US or (if in NYC) something called the New York Jewish Week. They have ads for these agents.
Jun 8th, 2007, 12:50 PM
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Wow, your're going to need a vacation to recover from the vacation.
You might want to plan your kibbutz trip to a Saturday and arrange to visit the Bahai gardans in Haifa as soon as you get to Israel.
Israel is small, the size of NJ so you can probablly go on day trips from Tel-Aviv to almost anywhere.
You might want to plan your kibbutz trip to a Saturday and arrange to visit the Bahai gardans in Haifa as soon as you get to Israel.
Israel is small, the size of NJ so you can probablly go on day trips from Tel-Aviv to almost anywhere.
Jun 12th, 2007, 09:46 AM
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BTW, you may want to check the fares on Israir. I believe they fly nonstop between JFK-TLV. We've used London-Tel Aviv several times, the service and the equipment were both ok.
We have also used one-stop option, KLM, Austria Air, Swiss Air all worked for us (not too long-ish but not too short connection time).
We have also used one-stop option, KLM, Austria Air, Swiss Air all worked for us (not too long-ish but not too short connection time).
Jun 12th, 2007, 10:50 AM
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Thanks to everybody for the responses so far. When should I start looking for the tickets? My friend said wait for September/October when they may start sales. Should I wait? Another question for the Eilat, if we will go just to relax for 2 days, would we be able to swim in the sea? How far Eilat from Ashkelon/Ashdod and how to get there without renting a car. My other friend said that you will not be impress after Carribean and if you pressed on time skip it. Any info will be very helpfull!
Thanks,
Mariya
Thanks,
Mariya
Jun 20th, 2007, 01:58 PM
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mariya - no matter when Passover comes, all tourism prices go up as of April 1st - it's "tradition" in the tourism industry (here and elsewhere)!
It's too bad you have only 2 days to see Jerusalem - I'm here 26 years and find new things about the old places to discover all the time - for instance, more and more is being uncovered around the area of the Pool of Shiloah down in the Hinnom Valley, a Jewish village of post-70CE (after the Roman destruction of the Temple) is being excavated just north of the main part of Jerusalem, and much more!
That said - don't stay more than a couple of hours at Yad Vashem, though that means you'll have to push yourselves to go on through... and do NOT miss the Children's Memorial! You might also want to include a visit to the Israel Museum, especially for the model of 2nd Temple Period Jerusalem and the Shrine of the Book (to see the Dead Sea Scrolls).
Even if you are not planning the Bar Mitzvah for while you are here, if you are in Jerusalem on a Monday or Thursday morning, take your son down to the Western Wall and he can be called to the Torah there for his reading (if he wants) - it's a very special experience!
Also - while the airport code is TLV, the airport is not "in" Tel Aviv but on the highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem - and to get to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv is very easy (except for the traffic since it seems that everyone in the world is coming to Jerusalem!). So you can start in Jerusalem and finish in Tel Aviv or vice versa - whichever fits best into your plans. I would suggest you get to Ashkelon/Ashdod (or the area, as you say) from Tel Aviv - there are trains which make it very easy. You can get the schedule at http://www.israrail.org.il/english/index.html - just plug in departure and arrival points from the drop down menus, choose the day/date and go from there.
Since you want to see Haifa and Tsfat, I suggest you spend one night in the north. You could go to Haifa from Tel Aviv - up the coast by car - tour around Haifa for part of the day (Bahai Gardens, of course, but also Wadi Nisnas is very interesting, the German Colony, Mukhrakha - where Elijah slew the prophets of Ba'al - with a stop for a meal and shopping in the Druze villages there) and then drive over towards Tsfat - perhaps stay over in a B&B near Karmiel or even at a kibbutz guest house there (and ask for a tour as well...) and see a bit more of the north - your son might enjoy a visit to the Manara Cliffs for instance - and visit Tsfat the next day before heading down to Jerusalem.
You can visit the Dead Sea & Masada from Jerusalem (yes, it's a day trip).
If you decide that you WOULD like to include a special ceremony for your son, I'd be happy to suggest some local rabbis who help out with this sort of thing. Ah - you might even consider doing the Torah reading at Masada - the synagogue there is a fully functioning one and lots of people hold their Bar Mitzvahs there!
Whatever you decide, have a wondeful time!
suzanne pomeranz, jerusalem, israel
It's too bad you have only 2 days to see Jerusalem - I'm here 26 years and find new things about the old places to discover all the time - for instance, more and more is being uncovered around the area of the Pool of Shiloah down in the Hinnom Valley, a Jewish village of post-70CE (after the Roman destruction of the Temple) is being excavated just north of the main part of Jerusalem, and much more!
That said - don't stay more than a couple of hours at Yad Vashem, though that means you'll have to push yourselves to go on through... and do NOT miss the Children's Memorial! You might also want to include a visit to the Israel Museum, especially for the model of 2nd Temple Period Jerusalem and the Shrine of the Book (to see the Dead Sea Scrolls).
Even if you are not planning the Bar Mitzvah for while you are here, if you are in Jerusalem on a Monday or Thursday morning, take your son down to the Western Wall and he can be called to the Torah there for his reading (if he wants) - it's a very special experience!
Also - while the airport code is TLV, the airport is not "in" Tel Aviv but on the highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem - and to get to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv is very easy (except for the traffic since it seems that everyone in the world is coming to Jerusalem!). So you can start in Jerusalem and finish in Tel Aviv or vice versa - whichever fits best into your plans. I would suggest you get to Ashkelon/Ashdod (or the area, as you say) from Tel Aviv - there are trains which make it very easy. You can get the schedule at http://www.israrail.org.il/english/index.html - just plug in departure and arrival points from the drop down menus, choose the day/date and go from there.
Since you want to see Haifa and Tsfat, I suggest you spend one night in the north. You could go to Haifa from Tel Aviv - up the coast by car - tour around Haifa for part of the day (Bahai Gardens, of course, but also Wadi Nisnas is very interesting, the German Colony, Mukhrakha - where Elijah slew the prophets of Ba'al - with a stop for a meal and shopping in the Druze villages there) and then drive over towards Tsfat - perhaps stay over in a B&B near Karmiel or even at a kibbutz guest house there (and ask for a tour as well...) and see a bit more of the north - your son might enjoy a visit to the Manara Cliffs for instance - and visit Tsfat the next day before heading down to Jerusalem.
You can visit the Dead Sea & Masada from Jerusalem (yes, it's a day trip).
If you decide that you WOULD like to include a special ceremony for your son, I'd be happy to suggest some local rabbis who help out with this sort of thing. Ah - you might even consider doing the Torah reading at Masada - the synagogue there is a fully functioning one and lots of people hold their Bar Mitzvahs there!
Whatever you decide, have a wondeful time!
suzanne pomeranz, jerusalem, israel
Jun 20th, 2007, 03:06 PM
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About Eilat--April should be a good time to dip into the water, but could be just a bit on a chilly side. June is already too hot, and we found mid-October OK for a mid-day dip but a tad too cold before noon to take a plunge. To be honest, we just stayed around the swimming pool at the hotel. It's not like the typical white-sand beach you can expect in the Carribbeans. Marine life is really good in the southern area but it's about 10minute taxi ride from the central area where most hotels are.
You can take Eged bus (a looong ride), or catch a flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat (Eilat airport is right in the middle of the city).
You can take Eged bus (a looong ride), or catch a flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat (Eilat airport is right in the middle of the city).
Jun 27th, 2007, 08:54 PM
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My husband travels every couple of months to Tel Aviv for business and he always books via kayak.com vs. going through an agent. It's a fabulous search engine for best fares and you can program it so it emails you the lowest fares every day. I was planning to go in July and have been checking fares via NY and Newark. Now I've bumped my trip to September so I have just modified my fare alert (click on "Buzz" on home page). The lowest fare I've seen in ~$988 (nonstop from NY) but those dates don't fit my schedule.
Regarding Jerusalem, I would say at least 2 days and more if you can. There is so much to see and do there.
We spent 1 day doing Masada, Dead Sea and En Gedi, which for us worked out fine. Start your day, very early, at Masada--if you get there too late the climb is incredibly hot unless you take the tram. From there we went to the Dead Sea and did a little swim and a bit of mud, then showered off. It was interesting but we did not stay too long (mostly because the salt water felt really weird on my body--strange viscosity). From there we went to Ein Gedi, which we liked. If you go to Ein Gedi watch your directions carefully as there are several entrances.
Regarding Jerusalem, I would say at least 2 days and more if you can. There is so much to see and do there.
We spent 1 day doing Masada, Dead Sea and En Gedi, which for us worked out fine. Start your day, very early, at Masada--if you get there too late the climb is incredibly hot unless you take the tram. From there we went to the Dead Sea and did a little swim and a bit of mud, then showered off. It was interesting but we did not stay too long (mostly because the salt water felt really weird on my body--strange viscosity). From there we went to Ein Gedi, which we liked. If you go to Ein Gedi watch your directions carefully as there are several entrances.
Oct 29th, 2007, 03:39 PM
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Thanks so far for all the recommendations! It helps a lot.
As it getting closer I started to think in more details how to plan it. Please give me feedback on my plans so far:
4/2 - Wednesday - fly from NYC area
4/3 - Thursady arive in Tel Aviv, rest maybe see Jaffo in the evening
4/4 - Friday - leave for Keriat Gat using bus (so I guess it should be done
As it getting closer I started to think in more details how to plan it. Please give me feedback on my plans so far:
4/2 - Wednesday - fly from NYC area
4/3 - Thursady arive in Tel Aviv, rest maybe see Jaffo in the evening
4/4 - Friday - leave for Keriat Gat using bus (so I guess it should be done
Oct 29th, 2007, 04:05 PM
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Thanks so far for all the recommendations! It helps a lot.
As it getting closer I started to think in more details how to plan it. Please give me feedback on my plans so far:
4/2 - Wednesday - fly from NYC area
4/3 - Thursady arive in Tel Aviv, rest, maybe see Jaffo in the evening
4/4 - Friday - leave for Keriat Gat using bus (so I guess it should be done not late in the afternoon)
4/5 - Saturday - spend day with relatives, stay overnight in Keryat Gat
4/6 - Sunday - with one of the Russian tour companies go to 1 day tour to Massada, Dead Sea, sleep in Keriat Gat - should I take 2 days tour so we would have time to see Botanical gardens, etc.?
4/7 - Monday - Jerusalem, stay overnight
4/8- Tuesday - Jerusalem, stay overnight
4/9 - Wednesday - Jerusalem, maybe move to Tel Aviv in the evening to catch another Russian tour (I've heard that they collect people from different places and finaly leave from Tel Aviv)
4/10 - Thursday - take a tour to Tsfad, stay overnight in Tel Aviv
4/11 - Friday or Saturday - tour to Haifa, Akko, Cessaria, stay overnight in Tel Aviv or fly at night
4/12 - fly back.
Friends recommended to take Russian tour because it's cheaper than English. They also recommended Travellux company (it has a web site), not sure about tours quality. Is there any other recommendation?
Should I make any adjustments to my plans? Not sure what we will do in Tel Aviv besides Jaffo
Thanks a lot,
Mariya
As it getting closer I started to think in more details how to plan it. Please give me feedback on my plans so far:
4/2 - Wednesday - fly from NYC area
4/3 - Thursady arive in Tel Aviv, rest, maybe see Jaffo in the evening
4/4 - Friday - leave for Keriat Gat using bus (so I guess it should be done not late in the afternoon)
4/5 - Saturday - spend day with relatives, stay overnight in Keryat Gat
4/6 - Sunday - with one of the Russian tour companies go to 1 day tour to Massada, Dead Sea, sleep in Keriat Gat - should I take 2 days tour so we would have time to see Botanical gardens, etc.?
4/7 - Monday - Jerusalem, stay overnight
4/8- Tuesday - Jerusalem, stay overnight
4/9 - Wednesday - Jerusalem, maybe move to Tel Aviv in the evening to catch another Russian tour (I've heard that they collect people from different places and finaly leave from Tel Aviv)
4/10 - Thursday - take a tour to Tsfad, stay overnight in Tel Aviv
4/11 - Friday or Saturday - tour to Haifa, Akko, Cessaria, stay overnight in Tel Aviv or fly at night
4/12 - fly back.
Friends recommended to take Russian tour because it's cheaper than English. They also recommended Travellux company (it has a web site), not sure about tours quality. Is there any other recommendation?
Should I make any adjustments to my plans? Not sure what we will do in Tel Aviv besides Jaffo
Thanks a lot,
Mariya
Oct 29th, 2007, 07:07 PM
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I didn't mentined that I'm not planning to rent a car. Also maybe it's a good idea to stay 1 night nort, but than we have to warry about laggage, not sure if there is 2 days tour to the north. I also was thinking about using Gate 1 organized tour (their 11 days tour same as what I had in mind), but it's probably would be more expensive (Gate 1 is about $2,000 flight+hotels per person) and it would be harder to see relatives. Again any thoughts would be very appreciated.
Thanks,
Mariya
Thanks,
Mariya
Dec 17th, 2007, 03:54 AM
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hi i live in israel for last 40 years. ex brit. if you can be in jerusalem on a thursday morning. go to the western wall and your son can have a 30 minute barmitzvah including being called up to torah. needs no preparation but it will be a life long memory. enjoy your holiday and mazal tov (congratulations)shalom
Dec 19th, 2007, 05:03 PM
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Now it's not a first draft...
Ok, we decided exclude Eilat.
so here is a revised plan:
Tuesday - arrive at 5:30 PM, stay in Jerusalem
Wednesday- Jerusalem town of 3 religions - tour
Thursday - Western Wall - to see Bar Mitzvah ceremony (if it will be one), Old town, Book museum or Yad Vashem
Friday - museum, afternoon by bus to relatives in Kiriat Gat
Saturday - see relatives in Kiriat Gat
Sunday - rent a car in Kiriat Gat if possible and drive to Massada and Dead Sea - I hope it's about 2 hours drive and I hope we will be able to rent a car. How much that would be for 2 days? - Authomatic transmittion
Monday - Dead Sea, MAssada, drive back to Kiriat Gat, stay there overningt or take a train to Haifa
Tuesday - Haifa, stay overnight
Wednesday - Akko - by train or bus, night in Haifa
Thursday - Tsfad, Gollan by tour, night in Haifa
Firday, Saturday - Tel Aviv
Sunday - fly back
Please criticue my plan. We are not planning to rent car, my husband don't want it, only maybe to get to Dead Sea. I'm not sure if it's fun for 13 year old to stay there overningt,but don't want to be rushed and want to see kibbuts, also maybe it will be some down time.
Thanks,
MAriya
Ok, we decided exclude Eilat.
so here is a revised plan:
Tuesday - arrive at 5:30 PM, stay in Jerusalem
Wednesday- Jerusalem town of 3 religions - tour
Thursday - Western Wall - to see Bar Mitzvah ceremony (if it will be one), Old town, Book museum or Yad Vashem
Friday - museum, afternoon by bus to relatives in Kiriat Gat
Saturday - see relatives in Kiriat Gat
Sunday - rent a car in Kiriat Gat if possible and drive to Massada and Dead Sea - I hope it's about 2 hours drive and I hope we will be able to rent a car. How much that would be for 2 days? - Authomatic transmittion
Monday - Dead Sea, MAssada, drive back to Kiriat Gat, stay there overningt or take a train to Haifa
Tuesday - Haifa, stay overnight
Wednesday - Akko - by train or bus, night in Haifa
Thursday - Tsfad, Gollan by tour, night in Haifa
Firday, Saturday - Tel Aviv
Sunday - fly back
Please criticue my plan. We are not planning to rent car, my husband don't want it, only maybe to get to Dead Sea. I'm not sure if it's fun for 13 year old to stay there overningt,but don't want to be rushed and want to see kibbuts, also maybe it will be some down time.
Thanks,
MAriya
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