Cruise Critic member in Israel, happy to answer questions

Hello Ruth,

Shana Tova from the Caribbean!

Have you been to Zichron Ya'akov recently? Can you tell me aside from taking a wine tour (we are not much into wine) would it be worth stopping there? We will have a car and plan to drive from Jerusalem to Haifa to meet our ship. We will also stop in Caesarea on the way to Haifa. From photos Zichron Ya'akov looks quaint and lovely. Do you know if there might be a good lunch spot or cafe, are there shops or artist galleries? Any advice would be appreciated.

FYI We have driven in Israel on a previous visit. We have also been to Tel Aviv and Haifa before, so we are thinking a coastal drive with a few stops on the way to Haifa would be nice.

Thanks for all of your great advice.

Regards from St. Croix,

Ellen

Can/should I try to get there? If so, how? Will be staying at Dan Panorama. We are doing a tour but that isn't included.

Hi,

The most convenient way to visit Rachel's Tomb is by one of the buses that run there fairly regularly. They are safe (you travel in reinforced buses, which also means it will be fairly difficult to see much scenery along the route because the windows are reinforced), and will not run if there are any security issues.

According to Cruise Critic guidelines, I'm somewhat restricted in what web sites links I'm permitted to post, but if you do a google search for either 'Kever Rachel' or 'visiting Rachel's Tomb' you will be able to easily find specific information on the buses- how often they run, which days of the week, and where you can 'catch' them.

HTH!

Ruth

Hello Ruth,

 

Shana Tova from the Caribbean!

 

Have you been to Zichron Ya'akov recently? Can you tell me aside from taking a wine tour (we are not much into wine) would it be worth stopping there? We will have a car and plan to drive from Jerusalem to Haifa to meet our ship. We will also stop in Caesarea on the way to Haifa. From photos Zichron Ya'akov looks quaint and lovely. Do you know if there might be a good lunch spot or cafe, are there shops or artist galleries? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

FYI We have driven in Israel on a previous visit. We have also been to Tel Aviv and Haifa before, so we are thinking a coastal drive with a few stops on the way to Haifa would be nice.

 

Thanks for all of your great advice.

Regards from St. Croix,

Ellen

Shana Tova, Ellen :)

Zichron is delightful, and a great place to stop while doing a coastal drive.

While I haven't been there recently (we keep meaning to return!), I do know that there is a lovely pedestrian mall that is lined with cafes, restaurants, shops, and galleries and artists' studios, so it sounds like it's exactly what you're looking for. In addition, there are also some interesting small museums, as well as some nice public gardens. And, of course, there's a great view of the Med and the coastline. You could easily spend a very pleasant couple of hours there, but a shorter visit would also be very enjoyable.

HTH!

Ruth

(Loving living near the Med, but dreaming of a return to your beautiful Caribbean!)

Ruth,

As always thank you for your reply and information.

It is amazing that both bodies of water (Med. & Carib.) are so beautiful yet so different.

I also wanted to tell you that I love your trompe l'oeil painting (and that "Life of Brian" is my all time favorite Monty Python!)

Regards from sunny St. Croix,

Ellen

Ruth,

 

As always thank you for your reply and information.

 

It is amazing that both bodies of water (Med. & Carib.) are so beautiful yet so different.

 

I also wanted to tell you that I love your trompe l'oeil painting (and that "Life of Brian" is my all time favorite Monty Python!)

 

Regards from sunny St. Croix,

Ellen

Always a pleasure, Ellen :)

And thanks! (Also- Yikes! I'm way overdue on a blog post!)

Ruth, Thank you for your quick reply. I've never been to Israel before and was discouraged from trying to see Rachael's tomb. Would I have to go through security?

Ruth, Thank you for your quick reply. I've never been to Israel before and was discouraged from trying to see Rachael's tomb. Would I have to go through security?

I'm not sure what kind of security check you are concerned about, but keep in mind that pretty much anywhere you go in Israel, you are likely to have to go thru some sort of security check- at the entrance to supermarkets and restaurants there is often a guard who will ask to look inside your purse or backpack, and at the entrance to shopping malls you will have to pass thru a metal detector. Cars entering parking garages are subject to a search as well, including glove compartments and trunks. All these measures are also in place at places such as museums and popular tourist sites.

So, yes, you will have to go through some sort of security check at Rachel's tomb, and most likely it will be a bit more stringent. But it will go quickly and you will find it won't be very intrusive.

I do recommend, however, that you make sure to always carry some form of ID, whenever you are walking around or traveling, while in Israel (a driver's license will suffice).

After a very short while in Israel, you become accustomed to the security measures (and grateful for them).

HTH, and please don't hesitate to ask any further questions,

Ruth

Thanks, Ruth. Is the tomb in Bethlehem or outside of it?

(We are Jewish and hadn't planned to go to Bethlehem but I have wanted to visit Rachel's tomb.)

Thanks, Ruth. Is the tomb in Bethlehem or outside of it?

(We are Jewish and hadn't planned to go to Bethlehem but I have wanted to visit Rachel's tomb.)

It's located on the outskirts of Bethlehem, but it is within the Israeli side of the security fence (and very heavily fortified). You do not enter Bethlehem to visit the tomb.

thanks again; that's what I was concerned about when I asked about security. Are you familiar with ARZA? We are doing their tour -- decided that two days wouldn't be enought time for my first trip.

thanks again; that's what I was concerned about when I asked about security. Are you familiar with ARZA? We are doing their tour -- decided that two days wouldn't be enough time for my first trip.

Hi,

Sorry, I'm not familiar with ARZA (but I did just take a look at their web site).

I think your decision to do a longer land tour for your first visit to Israel rather than the usual 2 day visit by cruise ship is a great idea :). I'm sure you're going to have a very enjoyable and meaningful visit- that will leave you wanting to come back for more!

Ruth

thanks, Ruth. Just bought a travel guide and orderd some shorts :). Did you see that ARZA has suggested readings? Just read a book The Israelis and In the Land of Israel by Amoz Oz. Made me even more excited!

Ruth or other Jerusalem experts,

We will arrive in Ashdod Nov 8 7am - 10pm and want to see Jerusalem and float in the Dead Sea. We are hopping to do it on our own and have some details worked out but would appreciate your suggestions. That time of year I think I'll get dark around 5pm so we were thinking it might be best to go from Ashdod to Dead Sea to Jerusalem and then back to Ashdod but we aren’t sure if that makes sense with traffic or when sites in Jerusalem close.

I have seen conflicting info on getting from the port to the bus in Ashdod (can you provide some clarity on our cheapest and/or fastest option and which station in Ashdod to use). From Ashdod It looks like we should take bus 438 or 448 to Jerusalem Central Bus station and then take bus 486 to Ein Gedi Parking Lot stopfor the closest Dead Sea beach. At Ein Gedi we really just want to float in the dead sea for a short experience and then spend the rest of the time in Jerusalem.

Returning to Jerusalem we are unsure as to the best bus stop and how to order our itinerary to minimize travel times. Can you help with suggestions? We are adventuresome and prefer on our own if possible. We are in great shape and like to mix walking with local transportation to get a better feel of the city. Because our time is limited we want to plan a full day and while we hope to see a lot we like to try to balance it with time at each site to not feel too hurried. For Jerusalem we’d like to see the Christian sites which also means seeing some of the Jewish sites but also get an overall feel of the city. Some highlights we want to hit are:

Mount Of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane

Via Dolorosa (not sure if the whole thing or just the latter stations)

Western wailing wall

Room of the Last Supper and King David’s Tomb

(please fell free to tell us sites to skip or sites to add to our list and the best order)

Also, not sure if we have time but what do you think about the Israel Museum with the dead sea scrolls?

Ruth or other Jerusalem experts,

We will arrive in Ashdod Nov 8 7am - 10pm and want to see Jerusalem and float in the Dead Sea. We are hopping to do it on our own and have some details worked out but would appreciate your suggestions. That time of year I think I'll get dark around 5pm so we were thinking it might be best to go from Ashdod to Dead Sea to Jerusalem and then back to Ashdod but we aren’t sure if that makes sense with traffic or when sites in Jerusalem close.

 

I have seen conflicting info on getting from the port to the bus in Ashdod (can you provide some clarity on our cheapest and/or fastest option and which station in Ashdod to use). From Ashdod It looks like we should take bus 438 or 448 to Jerusalem Central Bus station and then take bus 486 to Ein Gedi Parking Lot stopfor the closest Dead Sea beach. At Ein Gedi we really just want to float in the dead sea for a short experience and then spend the rest of the time in Jerusalem.

 

Returning to Jerusalem we are unsure as to the best bus stop and how to order our itinerary to minimize travel times. Can you help with suggestions? We are adventuresome and prefer on our own if possible. We are in great shape and like to mix walking with local transportation to get a better feel of the city. Because our time is limited we want to plan a full day and while we hope to see a lot we like to try to balance it with time at each site to not feel too hurried. For Jerusalem we’d like to see the Christian sites which also means seeing some of the Jewish sites but also get an overall feel of the city. Some highlights we want to hit are:

Mount Of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane

Via Dolorosa (not sure if the whole thing or just the latter stations)

Western wailing wall

Room of the Last Supper and King David’s Tomb

(please fell free to tell us sites to skip or sites to add to our list and the best order)

 

Also, not sure if we have time but what do you think about the Israel Museum with the dead sea scrolls?

Whoa- I got out of breath just reading your tentative plans! :p

To be totally honest, (and I'm hoping that Moti will also respond to your post) I'm not sure if trying to fit in even part of what is on your list via public transportation is even really doable.

The bus trip from the Central Bus Station in Ashdod to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem takes about 90 minutes. The bus trip from Jerusalem to Ein Gedi is also approx 90 minutes. Add on to those times travel time from the port to the bus to Jerusalem, and then making the bus connection to Ein Gedi, and I'd say you have to allow at least 4 hours just to get to Ein Gedi- and that's assuming you don't run into any traffic jams.

I'm a huge advocate of taking public transportation where ever one travels, but on a one day visit to Israel it's really not practical, especially if you want to visit multiple places.

I checked online, and there are no bus routes from Ashdod to Ein Gedi that can be done with less than 4 change of buses, so that means you'd be looking at over 5 hours of travel just to get to the Dead Sea- obviously impractical.

I'm going to suggest what Moti often does: consider hiring a private guide for the day. Your guide will plan the day around what you want to see, will provide the fastest transportation possible, and could arrange plenty of opportunities to get a feel for Jerusalem.

If you don't want to hire a guide, then consider hiring a driver who will meet you at the port, take you directly to the Dead Sea, then take you to Jerusalem. You could then arrange a time for him to meet you for a return trip to Ashdod, or you could take a bus or shared taxi back to Ashdod (but I think you'd find that economically, it would make sense to have the driver take you back to the port).

If you are still determined to manage your day strictly on your own by public transportation, then you need to take this into consideration:

Assuming the very best of circumstances (your ship docks on time, and you are the first one off), you won't arrive in Jerusalem until at least 9AM, and probably not until at least 9:30. If you want to continue on to Ein Gedi, you are looking at an arrival close to noon. A quick float in the Dead Sea, and a fast rinse off (you MUST rinse off), and you're at almost 1pm. If you somehow manage to catch a bus to Jerusalem right away, you'll arrive in the city between 2:30 and 3pm. You now have less than 4 hours to 'comfortably' tour Jerusalem before heading to the Central Bus Station to catch a bus back to Ashdod in time for you sailaway.

Remember- that's assuming the very best of circumstances. In reality, you'd be lucky if you have 2 hours to tour Jerusalem. Again- not practical.

If you skip your plans to visit the Dead Sea, then you could travel to Jerusalem by bus and visit several of the sites on your Jerusalem list, but, even if you took taxis within Jerusalem it's not going to be a 'non hurried' day. You'll need to be on a bus leaving Jerusalem by 7pm in order to get back to your ship on time- and even that would be cutting it a bit close, as many people have reported on Cruise Critic that making your way from the entrance to the port in Ashdod to the ship can be a time consuming travail.

[bTW- touring the Old City will not really give you a feel for Jerusalem. Jerusalem is both the Old and the new city; to really get a feeling for modern Israel you need to spend time walking around and people watching in the new city.]

So-

- If you are determined to visit both the Dead Sea and Jerusalem, you need to give serious thought to not doing it via public transportation.

- If you are determined to travel only via public transportation, then you should spend a bit more time researching Jerusalem, make a list of your 'must sees' and then plan your day around them. (For example, it would take at least 20 minutes by taxi to get from the Mt of Olives to the Israel Museum; longer by bus; however, in about that same time, you could walk from the Mt of Olives to the Via Dolorosa.)

[bTW- there is a 'hop on hop off' bus in Jerusalem that you might want to consider. You can easily find information on the bus via a google search.]

One idea would be to join the roll call for your sailing, and see if anyone has a private tour organized that you could join, or setting one up and seeing if anyone wants to join you. Sharing a private tour with one or more couples will make the cost very comparable to touring on your own, and allow you to see all the sites on your list.

Sorry I couldn't give more positive feedback to your plans. Please don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Ruth

Ruth,

Your honest feedback is exactly what I wanted/need. Thank you very much. I thought I had found buses from Ashdod to Ein Gedi with total time 2hr 43min from the egged website (bus numbers provided in previous post), but maybe I had the wrong stations. If it is 4hr I see your point of it being impossible with public transit. We prefer to see Jerusalem and the Dead Sea than use public transit so I will investigate finding a small group on our roll call and getting a driver or guide. I hadn't thought about hiring a driver before. Moti feel free to give your suggestions too.

You are also correct that I had neglected the new city. I am not sure even with a tour guide if this can be fit in but I will investigate.

What about the Israel museum? Does it make the list for our short time? There are not a lot of detailed reviews on the museum.

BTW I would love to have more time to spend as your city has so much to offer, but I know this cruise port stop may be my only chance.

-MSFL

Ruth and other Israel experts,

I am now looking at Haifa and after you expert advice for Jerusalem I thought I'd ask for your feedback sooner this time. I have read Nazareth Transport and Tourism buses runs from Haifia to Sea of Galilee but the website is not in English. We are interested in the Christian site around the Sea of Galilee area and want your advice if this is doable on our own via public transportation or do we need a tour guide. Our ship is in port Sunday Nov 7, 7am - 10pm.

Thanks in advance,

MSFL

Would love to know how to get from Jerusalem Central Bus station to Reading Station in Tela Aviv

Thank you

Would love to know how to get from Jerusalem Central Bus station to Reading Station in Tela Aviv

Thank you

(As per my reply on the thread you started):

We will be in Jerusalem and rather then taking the included tour to Tel Aviv would like to go on our own so we can take a open-air bus tour that leaves from Reading Station. Is there an easy way to go from Central Bus Station in Jerusalem to Reading Station in Tel Aviv? Will a sherut take us directly and how would the price of a sherut compare to the bus----So many questions' date=' so little time.

Thank you[/quote']

 

 

 

There are several buses that run from the Jerusalem CBS to Tel Aviv, but I'm not sure which will go to directly to Reading Station. However, the 480 runs every 15 minutes to the Arlozorov Terminal in Tel Aviv, where you can take a taxi to Reading. The trip takes just over an hour, and costs about 20 NIS each. The taxi to Reading will be around 40 NIS (per cab, not per person), and should be less than 20 minutes.

 

BTW, if you're intention is to take the open-air bus, there is a stop a 5 minute walk from Arlozorov Terminal, right near the Azrieli towers. You can catch the bus there, and finish the circuit at the same stop, then return to Jerusalem from Arlozorov Terminal.

 

(I'm not sure about the sherut to Tel Aviv, as I've only traveled the route by bus or private car, but I know that one place you can catch them is across from Zion Square in downtown Jerusalem, and I'm guessing that you could also find them near the CBS, probably on Jaffa Street. I don't know if they would take you directly to Reading- hopefully someone else on CC will know.)

 

A scenic alternative is to take the train from Jerusalem (the station is near the Malha mall) to the Azrieli towers (HaShalom station), and from there take a cab to Reading (or go directly to the nearest open air bus stop). The trip takes about 90 minutes and costs approx 21 NIS (half price for seniors with ID). You can buy your ticket online, or at the station.

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

I will be staying at Hotel Tal in Tel Aviv, can you tell me which Catholic church is nearby?

Thanks

I will be staying at Hotel Tal in Tel Aviv, can you tell me which Catholic church is nearby?

Thanks

Use this link to find any church and any Mass schedule in Israel:

http://www.cicts.org/CICmainin.htm

Use this link to find any church and any Mass schedule in Israel:

 

http://www.cicts.org/CICmainin.htm

Found what I needed.

Thanks

Try info@guidedtoursisrael.com. We booked the Christian tour to Northern Israel to visit Nazareth, Capernaum, Tabgha, Sea of Galilee, Kibbutz Ginosar, Mt. of Beatitudes, Jordan River and Haifa. We dock in Haifa on Dec. 14 from MSC Magnifica and would be the first time for 4 of us in Israel. We dock at 7:00 am and depart at 6:00 pm. We plan to be back to the ship at least 2 hrs before sailing.

I sure hope we can see everything that we are promised! We are also looking for additional people to bring the price down but so far nothing. We depart on Dec. 8 from Venice.

Thanks for all your good information, Ruth!

Ruth, Just returned from our tour last night. Loved your city -- thanks for your help. Was this past week unusually hot? Didn't make it to Rachel's tomb -- our itinerary was pretty intensive. Maybe next time..

We had a great tour guide/educator if anyone would like her contact info -- how may Welsh/Jewish/ Israeli guides can there be? She has a master's in Jewish history and we learned a whole lot. (jolanetours@gmail.com).

Would be happy to answer any questions -- we travelled throughout the north, Tel aviv, and Jerusalem.

Ruth, Just returned from our tour last night. Loved your city -- thanks for your help. Was this past week unusually hot?

Glad I could be of help :-)

I love Jerusalem, too! :) (We actually live right outside the city, in the Jerusalem hills (we have a great view of Jerusalem from our terrace), but we can be downtown in less than 20 minutes, so we're there several times a week.)

We've been having on and off heat waves since May. What made this week unusual was that it didn't really cool off at night in the Jerusalem area- usually, this time of year, you'd need at least a light jacket in the evening. But it's been alternating between chilly nights, and ones where we've been walking about in shorts and sandals.

Hope you return soon! BTW- what did you do while in Tel Aviv? I'm planning a cousin's visit, and always looking for ideas- I've personally barely scratched the surface of Tel Aviv; we keep promising ourselves to do some exploring, but have trouble pulling away from the beach!

We went to the beach also :). Hard to resist. Once the tour started, we went to Independence Hall ( a must) and Carmel market.

Wanted to go to the Museum of the Diaspora at the Univ but too tired from eating the huge Israeli breakfast so rested and then hit the beach.

Tel Aviv is a beautiful, cosmopolitan city but I didn't really feel like we were in Israel until we hit Jerusalem.