Trip to Israel
 

Hey friends!

My wife and I are heading to Israel. We have friends there so we have a place to stay and their car...but can I get connected to a tour there?

Most tours include flights and housing, but I have that already!

Any help?

I'm in Israel visiting
 

I wish you much success with your trip to Israel. I highly recommend a good guide book and a GPS if you decide to rent a car. The Rail system is not that bad but does not operate on the Jewish Sabbath same goes for the buses.

I enjoy Tel Aviv Jaffa(Carmel Market) Dizengoff. Be sure to see the Independence Hall/Rabin Square. In Jerusalem the new Jewish Museum andthe Yad Vashem Holocaust museum should not be missed.

If you have time go to Casseria and head to tiberius on Lake Kinneret.

There are tours in Israel that you can take for the day or a couple of days. Its cheaper to book it from Israel and its better to do so in case of any civil unrest you can easily cancel. Remember its 3.5 shekels to the dollar.

I would rent a car if I were you as distances are short. You can go to the Ded Sea from Jerusalem in about 90 minutes. From Tel Aviv to the North is about 2 hours. And from Tel Aviv to Eliat about 5 hours. Parking is hard in the cites and you can take the bus to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. This holds true if you want to travel from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Many shops and restaurants are closed in Jerusalem then so staying in Tel Aviv is a better option as there are non-kosher restaurants and stores open,

Ben Gurion Airport is located 20 minutes from Tel Aviv and about 50 minutes to Jerusalem. Plan to arrive at least 4 hours before your flight more if returning the car.

I love the Schwarma(chopped lamb meat with salads for 1/2 a shekel more you get the Lafa Bread). Cafe Hafooch(Cappuchino) is sooo good here as well as the Saclab(sweetened flower with nuts and cardamon).

Enjoy your stay here in Israel.

PM me with more information about when and where you're looking to tour, and I'll see if I can help

Danielonn; ericjkelly said he is getting housing and a car from friends.

I usually rent a car myself and have never taken a tour but on the last trip a friend took a couple of trips from this company; he was very happy with the service and felt the price was reasonable.
Their reservation system is very good; you can do it over the phone or by e-mail. You tell them where you are staying and they will tell you where is closest hotel pick-up and drop off.
http://www.eggedtours.com/

I would definitely go for a tour - not because you'd be going places you would not go otherwise (using any good guide book), but because of the mass of information a good tour guide will give you - I have been on tours before and am always amazed at how interesting a shabby street corner or a little hill can be...

i would suggest public transport and not using your friends car to start. gas cost me 800 shekels to fill a small renault and 1200 for a gmc just to give you an idea.

as for tours, why get a tour guide when you can use books and the internet to find locations you want, and take public transport to them, youll see a whole different israel that way.

if you insist on a tour guide go to taglit birthrights website and they have a large number of tour operators listed pick what fits you best. no clue on cost though

(Bolding mine)

In one filling?! Where'd you buy gas?!

And a tour guide is better than tour books. Someone who can give over a lot more valuable information than a book can; small stuff that adds up, personal experience, someone who knows the people in the area and can make it more interesting..

If you're going to Jerusalem, you can just take the EGGED bus or a minivan SHERUT from Tel Aviv's Central Bus station for as little as 20 NIS one-way, and it will drop you off in the heart of Jerusalem, within short walk of the Old City. I would not recommend the train to Jerusalem because it currently goes the slow route and drops you off by the Jerusalem Mall, which is not close to anything touristy.

Have a great time!!!

Trip to Israel
 

Hi ! I think that your best shot would be to contact a Tour guide, have him/her take you around the big places (like Jerusalem for example), and give you tips on where you should go and what you should do with the time you have, and what you want to see. Contact me if you like, I know a guide that's happy to help with things like that. Also, if you'd like to rent a cellphone while you're in Israel, I reccomend http://www.Israelphones.com - i liked them. (Oh, and gas is expensive, but not THAT expensive... it's like 350 shekel for a normal size tank...) Enjoy Israel ! :^

Do NOT take the train!! The train, as SoccerJock mentions, goes to Malcha, which is not in the center of the city. The only thing nearby is Teddy Stadium and the Malcha Mall, but even though is a bit of walk or already a bus. The train also takes over an hour and a half, and runs 10 times a day.
The bus, OTOH, takes less than an hour, and runs quite often. The 405 runs every 20 minutes between Jerusalem's Central Bus Station and Tel Aviv's New Central Bus Station (6 times an hour, 3 times in each direction,) and the 480 runs even more often between Jerusalem's CBS and Tel Aviv's Arlozorov Bus Terminal/Tel Aviv Savidor-Center Train Station. Each bus is NIS 20.
The sherut can be picked up from CBS in either place, but will drop you off at other convenient locations, and there's room for 10; they leave as they fill up.

The bus is better if traveling with large bags.

Try contacting the SPNI (society for the protection of nature) - take a look at the website as well. They have tours - not just for nature stuff, city tours as well. Most tours are in Hebrew, but they do a fair few tours in English as well. any in the Jerusalem area.

If you have something specific in mind you could give them a call as well (I would advise calling the jerusalem office)

D.