Bus/train and hostels around Israel
 

I plan in February to travel around Israel by public transportation for a week or so, and ready to give hostels a chance. I'll be staying with my daughter and son-in-law in Tel Aviv, then out on my own. I'm not particularly interested in religious sites as such. More than my previous one day in Jerusalem, and Acre for sure. I'm up for plenty of walking. I'm sure my Tel Avivi son-in-law will have suggestions for destinations.

Anyone done anything similar? I'm seeing nice possibilities on hostelz.com for the quiet sleep, single room, no upper age limit crowd.

Where exactly are you trying to reach by public transportation? Pub transport is not so convenient in the North. Lots of popular places in the north are relatively inaccessible (infrequent buses, having to transfer multiple times, you may have to hitchhike, etc.) and you may find it much easier to have a car. If you say where you're planning on visiting, we could be more helpful.

Israel doesn't have very many (or good) hostel options. Abraham Hostel in Jerusalem is very popular and well recommended. AirBnB is another option to consider.

Thanks, LAX. That's helpful.

"Where exactly" is what I am far from knowing at this point. Wondering mostly about feasibility of general plan, and public transportation. I hope to visit historical, ancient towns mostly. Based on what you say, maybe I'd best wait until the weekends when my daughter and her husband can drive to their favorite spots, and just spend a few days in Jerusalem on my own. I don't suppose they are closer to finishing faster train all the way into Tel Aviv?

Hostels are far from crucial, but I don't like to spend much for lodging when it's just me. Thought it might be fun to try. I see Allenby 2 Hostel in Jerusalem is well rated, and there do seem to be several airbnb options, including a room in the Jewish Quarter.

I suppose you can base yourself in either TLV or Jerusalem and do some day trips to various points in the North (or even the South). For example, you can get from Jerusalem to Maktesh Ramon (the Ramon craters in the Negev) by taking two different buses and a perhaps 3-3.5 hour journey each way. Or you could take the bus from Jerusalem to Tzfat, which is 3.5 hours each way. But it'll be tiring and a lot of wasted time backtracking if you do this sort of thing as a day trip. Depends how much energy you have.

Israel may not have many hostels outside of Jerusalem, but it has some very nice hostels among the few.

The YH at the foot of Massada was almost as good as a 4 star hotel.

Than you have the Fauzi Azar Inn in Nazareth, The Golan Heights Hostel, The Juha guesthouse by the Med Sea in Jisr az-Zarqa,etc.

https://abrahamhostels.com/nazareth/

https://www.thegolanheightshostel.com/

https://www.zarqabay.com/our-guesthouse

Travelling around Israel is very easy by train and bus, but even if it loooks like a tiny country on a map it's not that small that you can do the whole country on daytrips from Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv.

"I don't suppose they are closer to finishing faster train all the way into Tel Aviv?"

No, but it's ready betwen the airport and Jerusalem.

LAX, thank you. I hope to get out to see the country and stay out of my Tel Avivi daughter and son-in-law's hair for days at a time, will be staying with them otherwise. Bus or train to Jerusalem on a Monday morning for a couple of nights, then another town by bus, that sort of thing. I have a guidebook, will narrow down my search with that, though I know Nir will be full of suggestions.

BDKR, wow, that is so helpful. Just what I was hoping to find. Thank you.

Bus to Acre, stay a couple of nights, then Qiryat Shemona, then shuttle to Golan Heights Hostel looks not that bad at all. I suspect my indulgent son-in-law will insist on driving me places or loaning his car, but I'd rather relax on the bus and take in the scenery than drive.

OK, thanks for your indulgence. One more thing: Looks possible to take the high speed train from Jerusalem to TLV airport, then another one to Acre. Then eventually back to Tel Aviv central by train.

The train and the inter-city buses are easy to use for that route. Though, my concern is that you're limited once you get to that particular city. Acre itself is very walkable.* But what are you planning on doing, for example, in the Golan? For example, public transportation is going to be very annoying to get to the major hikes, if you're into hiking.

*Not sure what you're planning to see with two nights in Acre. You can see everything in a day or less.

" Not sure what you're planning to see with two nights in Acre. You can see everything in a day or less"

2 nights is only 1 full day. If the OP finds that half day was enough he can take a train to Haifa in 30 minutes.

"Looks possible to take the high speed train from Jerusalem to TLV airport, then another one to Acre. Then eventually back to Tel Aviv central by train."

Sure it's possible, but if you are the type who enjoys watching the landscape from the train window try do at least once, the original railway route to Jerusalem. It takes much more time, requires a change, the station in Jerusalem is far from the old town and there are only few trains, but unlike on the high-speed train(which is about as exciting as taking the Tube in London) you can actually see something as train winds its way up to Jerusalem through the hills of Judea.

https://www.seat61.com/tel-aviv-to-j...m-by-train.htm

Certainly -- 2 nights could mean 1 full day, or 1 full day + the greater part of the arrival/departure days. I guess it depends when OP is arriving and departing. OP can leave TLV on a 9am train, be in the Acre old city by 10:30/11-ish a.m., drop stuff at a hotel, and see everything comfortably for the remainder of that day, and head out the next morning.

The Abraham hostel in Jerusalem is in a very convenient location. You can take the bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 55 minutes. Clean and efficient. I've done it on my own. And cheap! One day in Jerusalem is IMO, laughable. It's both an old and a new city. The oldest part is not the "Old City" but the "City of David". Almost all places in Israel have some connection to religious & historic events. So many civilizations have come and gone. If you don't want that, why go to Israel?

Thank you, LAX, for your comments. I'll have to see what social and family obligations I have in Tel Aviv, and then figure out timing. One full day between two nights in Akko seems just fine, since I'm just as fine with walking around, sitting on a sea wall or in a café as I am with seeing sights. I like the looks of the Golan Heights hostel, but yes it might be challenging without a car.

BDKR, helpful information! I had looked at the Jerusalem slow train last visit, and will be on my own time this trip, can take the scenic route.

Dianedancer, glad to hear you liked Abraham Hostel. It's been a long while since I spent way too much time on dear Fodors, and now it's coming back to me. The scorched-earth opinion reacting to a chance phrase.

I didn't stay at the Abraham Hostel. Not my style. But it gets good reviews and I enjoyed the Graffiti tour I took with them one morning in Tel Aviv.

You cannot do the Golan and the Galilee solely by public transportation. You may get to a city, such as Tiberias, but then what? There are buses but they are timed for the residents and thus travel at times that those people may need, such as during what we call rush hour. So many sites you may want to see are in rural areas. In the Galilee and Golan we went to Nimrod Castle. You have to have a car to get there. Also went to Agamon Hula, a nature preserve to see migrating cranes, one of the great experiences we've ever had in our travels, but you need a car to get there. I guess you're getting my shrift.

I recommend you put your question on the Israel forum on Trip Advisor. They're very knowledgeable.

Good to know, Dianed. Sounds as if I should save the Golan Heights until another trip, when my birder husband can come and see the cranes. Thank you.