Itinerary for Israel Trip..please comment
 

I am planning to travel to Israel in early 2010 (so it's really not that far away, only a year!)....I will be travelling solo and have been researching a lot..I've pretty much settled on an itinerary for my trip, but of course I would like all of your comments and input.

Day 1- Depart U.S.A
Day 2- Arrive and spend the night in Tel Aviv
Day 3- Nazareth
Day 4- Nazareth
Day 5- Jerusalem
Day 6- (Guided tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem), spend night in Jerusalem
Day 7- Jerusalem
Day 8- (Guided day trip to Massada and the Dead Sea), spend night in Jerusalem
Day 9- Fly back home

Two questions: 1.) What do you think about travelling alone to Israel? I really have no qualms about it and think it'll be fun, but just your thoughts, have any of you ever gone solo there?
and 2.) The flight back home will be early in the morning and I'll need a way to get to the airport from Jerusalem very early in the morning- is spending the money for a taxi the best way?

Thanks again!

I travelled to israel alone many years ago, (1992) and while i stayed with a friend of a friend, i did all my sightseeing alone. As a women, i had no problem being alone.
Not sure what your interests are, but i spent the bulk of my time in jerusalem. I wanted to go to Bethlehem, but it was not advisable then, and i would question the safety of being in any of the occupied territory. My only exception to this was to get to Masada, which is a must see as far as I am concerned. I did that by renting a car and driving myself there and staed overnight in a kibbutz, something i think i would not do at this point, but that is how comfortable i felt on my own. I also took a 3 day tour/trip down to Eilat.
When you say you are going in early 2010, i went in January, and it is fairly cold and damp then.
anyway , enjoy your trip
amy

what would everybody say about the safety and security situation travelling in and around Israel now? I know it has gotten markedly better over the last couple years with the increased security measures, but still your thoughts? Also, I definitely would not venture into Bethlehem on my own but if allowed, I think a guided tour with a tour group would be safe and enjoyable...anybody done this before??

dmd
while i for one would not choose this time to go to Israel, I know many people who are still going, and those that send/allow their children to go for their "gap" year.
Most of the people I know going to israel are observant jews, and hence Nazareth and Bethlehem are not on their itineraries.

whey do you say you would NOT visit israel at this time? from what i know there's nothing turbulent going on over there at this time...correct?

nothing more turbulent then has been going on for the last 8 years. Which is more turbulent then when i went in the early 1990's.
As i have said, i know many people that go there often, and have their children studying there. It just would not be my choice to go there now due to my own personal response to how the security is being handled.

Look for trip report from P_M who recently visited and did the side-trip to Bethlehem (believe she did this with group and/or guide).

As to security, guess in the past 8/yrs (since 9/11/01) can be an issue almost anywhere. Think Madrid, London, Paris, Istanbul, Mumbai, Thailand, etc.

Few visitors venture outside of standard tourist areas, so it's unlikely to get caught up in incidents. As with travel anywhere these days, you have to be aware of your surroundings. With your plans to take guided tours, you should be okay.

Well, staying in the good ol' US of A is not secure either; just look at the following report:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081213/...s/bank_bombing

On the other hand, staying at home and hiding in bed is not a viable solution either - statistically, most people die in bed.

You should have no trouble getting to the airport at any hour with a "sherut" - a large taxi that takes up to 8 people and travels between 2 pre-determined points. They are efficient and much cheaper than a regular taxi just for you. There is a company that runs a sherut between Jerusalem and the airport. You can also get to Tel Aviv the same way when you land. Just make sure you go to the official taxi stand at the airport and not one of the hackers. They may also take you to your specific address...ask the driver or the organizer.

Many people who visit Israel say they have never felt safer. Remember, there is virtually no street crime and the likelihood of a terrorist attack, as mentioned by others, is miniscule.
What I wonder about your itinerary is so much time in Nazareth. I have never been there, but having been to Jerusalem many times I can't imagine that one would want to spend the same amount of time in Nazareth as in Jerusalem.
It's also very far to go for such a short amount of time. If what interests you in Nazareth is Christian sites, you are missing everything around the Sea of Galilee.
no problem getting to airport as most flights leave right after midnight.