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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

868.0. "questions re: travel to Israel" by SLOVAX::SUSSWEIN (Ski for real, with a free heel) Mon Jan 15 1990 17:12

    I'm planning a return visit to Israel in June, and have a bunch of
    questions:
    
    1)As a dual U.S./Israeli citizen, I'm supposed to enter Israel on my
    Israeli passport, but it would be a lot easier to ignore my Israeli
    passport, and just use my American passport.  Is there any reason I
    couldn't get away with this?  How big a hassle would it be if I did get
    caught?
    
    2)Where are the cheapest deals these days on rt. tickets to Israel?
    
    3)What does a rt. Lod - Cairo ticket cost if bought in Israel?  Am I
    better off buying it in the states?
    
    4)I'd like to take a hike or two with the "hevra le-haganat hateva"
    while I'm in Israel; when does there schedule for June trips come out?
    
    All replies appreciated,
    
    Steve
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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868.1Some things I knowTALLIS::GOYKHMANNostalgia ain't what it used to beMon Jan 15 1990 17:4414
    	The cheapest deals on rt. tickets can be had in one place:
    VISTA Travel (718)338-4428 or (718)338-0439. She is a discount travel
    agent - will set up just what you need, and will knock off $100 bucks
    off the ticket - really hard to beat. I am being quoted $630
    non-charter round trip NY_TA. If you can do charter, I recommend Tower
    Air - can also do through VISTA. Tell her Dmitry Goykhman recommended -
    she knows me by now...
    
    	The best way to go to Cairo is on a bus - about 4-6 hours one way,
    and ridiculously cheap (a three-day vacation including lodging under
    $100). Get the E. visa in advance though, it'll take 2-3 weeks if you do
    it while in Israel, and costs quite a bit through a travel agent.
    
    DG
868.2If you can - US passport!ACESMK::FRANCUSMets in '90Tue Jan 16 1990 13:1117
    re: Passports
    
    I'm also a dual citizen and had trouble when I was 17 and in Israel for 
    6 months with the army :-(
    
    Since I was born in the US I just enter with my US passport, and get the
    3 month tourist visa automatically. If you were born in Israel they
    will see that in your US passport and ask for an Israeli passport.
    
    A real incentive to enter on your US passport is that you don't have
    to pay the monstrous leaving tax when you come back to the US.
    
    My mom was born in Israel and always has to pay, what I consider, an
    outrageous amount of money, on the way out.
    
    yoseff
    
868.3flying, riding, and hikingERICG::ERICGEric GoldsteinWed Jan 17 1990 01:4940
.0>    4)I'd like to take a hike or two with the "hevra le-haganat hateva"
.0>    while I'm in Israel; when does there schedule for June trips come out?

I got the current schedule for the Hebrew-language trips, which runs through
March, a few weeks ago.  I'd guess that the one that includes June would
be out by the end of March.

There also are English-language trips, but not nearly as many.  If you have
an Israeli passport, your Hebrew almost certainly is good enough that you
should stick with the Hebrew-language ones.


.0>    3)What does a rt. Lod - Cairo ticket cost if bought in Israel?  Am I
.0>    better off buying it in the states?

When I flew there 1� years ago, the price was around $125 each way, with
no reduction for round trips.  Given that there is no competition on the
route, it may not be possible to get discounts on the tickets.


.1>    	The best way to go to Cairo is on a bus - about 4-6 hours one way,
.1>    and ridiculously cheap ...

It took my tour bus around 13 hours to get from Cairo to Jerusalem on the
way back.  Egged probably can do better, but isn't 4-6 a bit optimistic?
You'll save some money, but after taking the bus I wasn't sure that it was
worth it.


.1>           Get the E. visa in advance though, it'll take 2-3 weeks if you do
.1>    it while in Israel, and costs quite a bit through a travel agent.

As of 1� years ago, visitors with U.S. passports needed to get a visa in
advance if they arrived by bus, but *not* if they flew in.  To find out
whether the rules have changed, talk with a reliable travel agent (preferably
one who specializes in tours of Egypt) before you leave the States.


-- Eric, a card-carrying member of Hahevra Lehaganat Hateva (Society for
	 the Protection of Nature in Israel)