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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

542.0. "advice on trip to Israel?" by TALLIS::GOYKHMAN () Thu Sep 08 1988 15:07

    	Hello. I have been reading this conference on and off for a
    while, but can't tell if it's the right place to ask this:
    	I've been planning a trip to Israel for this winter. I've never
    been there, but always wanted to see what it's like. I have old
    friends and relatives there, so the living accomodations are taken
    care of. However, I can't seem to find an "affordable" flight there.
    The cheapest I found is a Rumanian airline charter, with a layover
    in Bucharest. It's $550, about two hundred less than the next lowest
    quote. Anybody tried one of those? How bad is it? I would love to
    avoid any layover in the Iron Curtain coutries, so is there an
    alternative cheap charter? I've heard rumors of travel agencies
    through Borough Park that do safe flights for 400+. Is this true?
    	Also, how would one rent a car in Israel and what is the range
    for a week?
    	Now that the mercantile questions are out of the way, one thing
    really troubles me: I am afraid to go there and lose my illusions.
    I just don't know what to expect, and how to avoid getting a tourist's
    view of the land, given only three weeks. Any advice?
    
    Dmitry Goykhman
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
542.1It's like visiting familyCSCMA::SEIDMANAaron SeidmanThu Sep 08 1988 15:4623
    Dmitry,

    I found renting a car pretty straight-forward (which I can't say
    for other things in Israel that involve paperwork); all I needed
    was my driver's license, passport, and credit card.  As I recall,
    it was fairly expensive, something like $400/wk for a car that was
    large enough to hold two adults and two (then) adolescents comfortably.

    I try to follow what is going on in Israel, and we have Israeli
    family and friends, so I think we had a pretty good idea of social,
    political and economic conditions.  Except for some minor details,
    what we encountered conformed to what we expected in those areas.
    (We visited family for only a short time, but when we left, we had
    a feeling that we had been with family all the time--something that
    has both good and bad points!)

    What surprised and delighted me, was the physical beauty of the
    place!  We especially liked Haifa, Yerushalayim, and the northern
    Negev (there is a magnificent canyon just south of Sde Boker).

    Aaron
542.2Do it hereGRECO::FRYDMANwherever you go...you're thereFri Sep 09 1988 10:526
    If you want to rent a car arrange for it through an agent in the
    US..  The cost doubles when you rent it in Israel.  You should be
    able to get one for $200/wk.  Check the Jerusalem Post International
    Edition for prices.
    
    Av
542.3Check the ads in the Jewish Press (Yucch!)NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Fri Sep 09 1988 14:374
    Check the travel agents' ads in the Jewish Press.  We went through one
    of their advertisers (Tuli Travel in Queens) for a very good price last
    year (I don't remember what it was though).  I don't like to recommend
    the JP because it's such an awful paper, but the ads can be useful.
542.4Fare informationEAGLE1::DANTOWITZR 3 5 b7Mon Nov 07 1988 10:477
    I just purchased my ticket for Boston to Tel Aviv in January on El
    Al for $702 round trip.  It was originally $822, but my agent called
    and said that if I stayed 2 more days I could drop the fair by $120!
    (As you can guess I'm staying the extra two days)

David
542.5ERLANG::ARTSYTue Nov 08 1988 16:138
    re .4
    2 more days ... how many days do you have to stay to get the discount?
    
    re .0, .3 and future replies: more info, pls, especially dates,
    fares, and airline info.
    
    shaike
542.6Thank youTALLIS::GOYKHMANCommunism is not what isTue Nov 22 1988 13:5612
    	On the excellent advice from the previous replies, I bought
    the Jeruslem Press and a few US Publications, and got me a ticket
    for Dec 18-Jan 5 for $560 (New York -Tel Aviv). The travel agency
    is called Vista Travel, and the airline is Tower Air (at least it's
    no Rumanian!)
    	I am so happy I could dance! For many years I've wanted to go
    feel the place for myself, and finally...
    	The car rental is too expensive, so I'll try the bus and taxi
    route. Now I can't decide where to go in Israel. I want to do this
    on the cheap, so any advice?
    
    Dmitry