Conference taveng::bagels

    Hello,
    
    My advice is to book hotels in advance using a travel agency 
    that knows Israel well. You should be able to find one of these
    from the advertisments in the Jewish press. 
    
    Doing it this way you will:
    
    - save money (they will get prices that can't be matched in Israel)
    
    - get the best hotels for the price (eg: some 3* hotels are not a patch
      on others) 
    
    - gain expert advice from someone who should know the country and have 
      already put together many tours like the one you plan
    
    Malcolm 

re .1

Thanks.  I intended to do that also.  However, on my European 
vacation I found that we were able to do much better for hotels
on our own than through the travel agencies here in the states.
I don't know if that was unique to Europe.

Besides the travel agents (for advice), friends who have gone,
tourbooks etc.  I entered the note to get a diversity of opinion
from outside of my circle of friends and or from profesionals with
a monetary (bias) interest.

Thanks for the input.

/slg

.0>	I have free airline tickets on TWA ...

Have you booked specific flights yet?  TWA only allows a limited number of free
tickets for each flight, and the ones to and from Israel tend to go quickly,
especially around (Israeli) holiday times.  Don't assume that you can get a
free flight when you want just because you have the miles.


.0>	... budget hotel ... has a GOOD double bed ...

Be prepared to compromise on this.  A "double" room in an Israeli hotel usually
has 2 twin beds shoved together.  As for "good", well, that's a matter of
taste, I suppose.  Personally, I rarely find a hotel mattress that I like, but
I can manage on just about anything.


.0>	Is language going to be a problem?

A tourist should have no trouble getting around the country on English alone.
The more Hebrew you know, the better you'll do at capturing the flavor of
day-to-day life here.  But you should have no hesitation about coming, even
with no Hebrew at all.

    You should not have any trouble at all with the language.  Nearly
    everyone I met spoke English very well.   As a first timer, you would
    probably do well on a tour if you have the option.
    
    I would not recommend renting a car.  They are expensive, and
    regrettably, Israeli drivers are not familiar with courtesy and
    blessed with any degree of common road sense.  However if you do
    rent a car, most signs on the highways are in english as well as
    Hebrew.  Local signs are similar to U.S. ones (e.g. one way etc.)
    
    There is so much to see, it is impossible to describe it all.  If you
    enjoy outdoor cafes, street vendors, and interesting shops Jerusalem 
    and Tel Aviv's Ditzengoff, and Ben Yehuda streets will respectively 
    keep you busy all day at each.   Eilat (southern tip of Israel) is
    beautiful, but do not go there in May thru Sept, as the desert wind
    at night (90 degree breeze) is most uncomfortable.
    
    I can recommend a guide I know of in Israel.  I do not know of his
    rates, but if interested, give me a call.
    
    On a negative note, the best reason to travel in a group is security.
    There are some areas (just like in the U.S.) that one is best staying
    away from, especially at night (e.g. East Jerusalem, Jaffa, etc.)
    
    regards,
            Ron
    
    areas that you might not wish to be without some others 

    Hi,
    
    I'm planning on doing a trip to Israel between 9/23 and 10/14. All of
    my nicely laid out plans have gone to the wayside, but I'm still
    planning on going. I'm wondering if there is anyone over in Israel who
    is near Tiberius and would be willing to contact my friends there to
    let them know my plans have been changed and I need to replan my time
    in Israel? If you are please contact me on Mrktng::Weber.
    
    Much Thanks,
    
    nancy

Maybe someone will do it, but...

Tiberias isn't very near any Digital office.  It may cost more to make a
phone call from Tel Aviv to Tiberias than it costs to make one from Nashua
to Tiberias, and it almost certainly costs more than the 50 cents it will
cost you to send an airmail letter.

/john