tai4de2

I was able to score award tickets to TLV in November '17. Trip routes through LHR; legs in/out of TLV are on BA. I have ~10 days to fill, and want to stay in Marriotts as part of requalifying for Platinum.

My plan so far is simply to stay at the Renaissance in Tel Aviv and see everything I can see as day trips, maybe multiple day trips to the same area, e.g. it might take a few to see what I want to see in Jerusalem. I realize this may increase inefficiency and costs but that's ok.

I have read that it's possible to do a (very long) day trip to Petra. Would it be feasible to instead do that as a two-night excursion from Tel Aviv (there's a Marriott at Petra)? Any visa issues re-entering Israel after such an excursion?

How about a similar side-trip to Cairo? I've read on this board that having been to neighboring Arab countries might look suspicious when trying to depart Israel.

If it matters (and it seems it might, from reading other threads here) we are a married couple consisting of a Caucasian Jewish male and SE Asian female, both American citizens.

Any and all input, advice, and tips welcome.

ajGoes

I just got back from a somewhat similar trip last Thursday. I had three days in Jerusalem, then two weeks of work in Petah Tikva, then another week's vacation based in Akko. I think Tel Aviv is too far south for day trips to the North, which given the summer heat is where I focused most of my free-time travel. Akko was a good base for that part of the trip.

I also would not have enjoyed driving day after day for visits to walking-friendly places like the old cities of Jerusalem and Akko. I particularly would not choose to drive in or from Tel Aviv any more than absolutely necessary. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared but still wouldn't feel like a vacation.

I can't address your questions about ethnicity and excursions to Jordan and Egypt. I had hoped to visit Petra with my wife on this trip but couldn't persuade her to join me. It wouldn't have been a great plan anyway at the end of July.

Eastbay1K

I think your plan is terrible.

November - days are short, it can be wet, and cold.

You could be making one of life's great trips into a pit of stress trying to get from/to your hotel each day for "status." Make a mattress run if you need extra stays/nights.

A few years ago, I had a slightly shorter stay, and I enjoyed the plan I set ...
Land TLV, take taxi right to Jerusalem. After visit there, take bus to Haifa. After visit there, down to TLV (we were going to take the train, but then made a deal with the taxi driver on the way to the train station, and he took us to TLV).

I'd skip Cairo - you've got a lot to see in Israel in this short time (and Petra, should you choose to go).

ajGoes

That's what I did, except I took the much cheaper sherut. It was only 62 shekels, less than US$18. You find it by turning right from the arrivals hall. Not only is this cheaper, it also gives you an immediate exposure to Israeli culture for better or worse.

I mistook the sherut drivers who called out to me for illicit taxi touts. If they're sitting in front of the small buses which are sheruts waiting for passengers, you can probably assume they're legitimate.

Note that for this usage, the plural of sherut is not sherutim. That means "toilets".

tai4de2

Thanks all so far.

Does anyone have thoughts about entering Israel twice in a short period of time -- is that doable? For example

- fly into TLV, spend a few days there
- fly TLV-AMM, spend a night in Amman
- drive to Petra, spend two nights there
- re-enter Israel at land border near Eilat, continue Israel activities

It seems that Jordanian visas are granted on arrival to Americans only upon arrival into AMM and no longer available at the land border, which is why I included a TLV-AMM flight above. Sending my passport out for a proper advance visa is a non-starter.

ajGoes

I made friends with a fellow Ohoian I met at my hotel in Akko. He had been using public transportation exclusively. I was rather envious of his time riding the coastal train route, which seems to be an unbeatable way to move around between Tel Aviv and Nahariya. Trains run every hour in both directions.

On the other hand, he probably wouldn't have made it to Rosh HaNikra if he hadn't bumped into me. I happily brought him with me on my excursion there from Akko.

Ditto

It is all doable, however expect long questioning/security at both the border crossing and when flying out of TLV, other than that you should be fine.

craz

Pretty much agree with everything, Ive done plenty of day trips from Jerusalem but thats when theres DST and alot of the roads arent roads I would want to travel on at night unless I know them blindfolded, since its the OPs 1st trip I would pass on it

As for mattress running with Marriott, I think there are 2 hotels Renaissance in TA and a Ritz just north of TA in Herzilia, neither will come cheap and I never would do a MR based at either of them. there was suppose to be a 3rd an Autograph but its not in TA again wont be cheap but cheaper then TA

The bad thing is AFAIK there arent Intl chain hotels any longer up North (Tiberias)

mbgg

Why should he expect "long questioning"? There is nothing unusual about his proposed itinerary. Every month thousand of tourists fly to Israel, visit Petra, then return to Israel.

Ditto

It might not be so unusual, but yet it seems to trigger more questioning, plus OP plan is a bit out of the normal by flying to AMM rather than crossing the border.
Call me pessimistic, but it is based on my experience/experience from friends who did exactly the same.

mbgg

We have no way of knowing how 'unusual' flying to AMM is. Perhaps everyone who enters from Jordan is subject to 'more questioning' than the norm at TLV.

kabukijuul

We have very similar flights on BA to Tel Aviv in November...only 12 days. We have decided to concentrate more on Jordan and Egypt and return to Israel another time to see the things we skipped (ie: most of it!). Our itinerary is roughly this:

3 nights Jerusalem (not going to worry about Starwood or Marriott here)

See Masada on way South to Eilat - cross over to Aqaba to spend the night (I think that the border should be a bit easier here). We will get the Go Jordan pass that includes both visa and entrance to most Jordanian sites). There is supposed to be a new Starwood hotel opening in Aqaba next month.

Do a 4x4 tour in Wadi Rum on way to Petra.

2 nights at Petra Marriott

See Kerak and Madaba on way to Dead Sea Marriott for one night.

Fly from Amman to Cairo - stay at Cairo Marriott for two nights - see pyramids, Memphis, Saqqara and Egyptian Museum.

Fly from Cairo to Aswan. Do Abu Simbel Road trip. Stay two nights in Aswan.

Road transfer to Luxor, seeing Edfu and Kom Ombo on way.

Two nights in Luxor to see Karnak temple and Valley of Kings.

Fly from Luxor to Tel Aviv to catch flight home.

This is hectic and a bit rushed, but hopefully doable

tai4de2

Closing the loop on this...

I ended up reworking the trip to spend a few days in Hungary first, and then spent 5 days in Israel.

I flew on Wizz Air non-stop from Budapest to Tel Aviv. Travel was on a Saturday so no El Al. Wizz had equipment trouble requiring an aircraft swap -- which they managed quickly, and we arrived in Tel Aviv maybe 20 minutes late. I give them props for not simply cancelling the flight.

My days were broken down like so:

* Two days of sightseeing on foot in around Tel Aviv: boardwalk stroll to Jaffa, Tel Aviv port area, beach, etc.
* Private tour to Jerusalem: Yad Vashem and Old City sites (1 day)
* Private tour to Masada, the Dead Sea, and a drive through Jericho including seeing (from a distance) St George monastery (1 day)
* Private tour to Caesarea and Akko (1 day)

I stayed at the Renaissance for all 6 nights. The hotel is disappointing -- besides its location, which was excellent. Most of the hotel consists of facilities that are probably from the 70s. Well-worn carpets, hulking old wooden furniture making the room feel even smaller than it already is, bathroom with moldy grout, etc. However there are at least two floors (5 and 7) with recently renovated rooms that are much better. I stayed on 14 the first night and 7 for the other five nights.

We had perfect weather. In the mid 70's (albeit with sometimes strong sun) during the day, and 50's at night, with low humidity and a bit of wind.

I had booked a Petra day trip but it got canceled. The night before the trip I got an email to the effect that the airline flying from Sde Dov to Eilat has having technical problems and had scrapped the flights. Oddly I wasn't that disappointed, as I found plenty to do in Israel.