17 days to spend in Egypt, Jordan and Israel
Replies: 44 - Last Post: Apr 2, 2013 5:16 PM Last Post By: sheba123
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It is around 12 kilometers from the border to Eilat.Buses run hourly from Taba (the border crossing) to the Eilat bus station at xx:40, starting at 8:40 and ending at 21:40. On Fridays the last one is at 15:40, and on Saturdays they run hourly at xx:30, starting at 9:30 and ending at 19:30.
Thursday April 12 will be the same as the Friday timetable.
And if you would rather take a taxi, it's very likely you'll find people to share with.
It is an excellent idea to go to Bethlehem on the days when public transport doesn't run in Israel. Palestinian buses from the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem run as normal on those days. There are no Passover restrictions of any kind in Palestinian areas - the holiday is completely irrelevant there.
Edited by: Shuffaluff
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Thank you for that information shuffaluff! 12 kilometers is not walkable for me with luggage.My concern is also the buses from Eliat to Jerusalem on Sunday, April 8th. I emailed egged to make sure the departures wouldn't be affected.
Great tip on saving Bethlehem for then! I wish I could visit after passover but I just have to work with what I have.
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As I told you, Sunday April 8 is a normal working day as far as public transport is concerned. If anything, Egged will put on extra buses on that route to cope with increased demand. And if you find you've just missed a bus and don't feel like waiting for the next one, you won't be the only person wanting to take a taxi. Team up with a few others and take a taxi together to save money.Don't expect Egged to reply, since the information you asked for is right there on the website. I've saved you the trouble of looking.
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I looked for this information yesterday on their site but since I was unable to locate it, I emailed them.They actually just responded with an emailing saying that they will be operating with a special schedule 4/8-4/12 and that i must wait around 1 week for the website to have those timetables.
But, nonetheless, if any problems arise I will hope there's people there wanting to split a cab like you mentioned.
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You'll find it if you go to "Plan a Trip", then in the box "Departure city" type TABA. "Destination city" is EILAT.As they said, wait a few days and then try it.
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Yes, so glad you decided to skip staying at the "Grande Palace!" :) haha But in all honesty, I wouldn't change that experience now that I'm home and can laugh about it :) Have fun on your trip! Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't let touting bother you. I thought it was worse in Jerusalem then at the pyramids. I just remained firm, respected customs, didn't bring attention to myself, dressed modestly while in Egypt, and trusted my gut instincts. As for budgeting on food, I'm not sure what your preferences are, but since I'm planning a solo return trip, I'm budgeting a maximum of $50 a day to pay for dorm/food/bus, then adding $200 for misc admissions/tours,unforseens. For example, if I'm staying a week, I'm figuring I would need $50 x 7 days = $350 + $200. I will try to spend less than that though to carry me over. In preparation for shabbat, I would shop in advance for bread and meat, cheese, fruit, etc. Of course, $50 a day can go much further in while in Egypt. According to the estimate you had shared, I think this puts you at the same budget that I would attempt. Keep in touch!38
Thanks once again for the tips!I have growing concerns for safety in Israel. I understand that there are and will always be problems there but I just ran across this travel warning issued 7 days ago on the US .gov website http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html and Israel is the 3rd one there. I don´t plan on visiting the gaza strip of course. I just planned on Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Galilee area but if you click on Israel after the link, and scroll down to Jerusalem it mentions an attack at the main bus station in Jerusalem 1 yr ago....Im a little worried being that I´ll be travelling by bus. I notice that many of the attacks are during religious holidays and my dates there are April 8-15. Then in August on route 12 North of Eliat another incident.
I am really looking forward to this leg of the trip but putting safety first should I cancel Israel? I´m a young lady travelling alone and just concerned.
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Reading those State Dept. warnings does make you consider adding a helmet, bullet proof vest and assault rifle to your packing list...:-)
As far as crime (woman traveling alone), Israel is probably safer than any large city in the States.
As far as political unrest, everything is very calm at the moment but you should always use common sense and if you don't feel safe somewhere, then leave.
Jerusalem (western and old city), Dead Sea and Galilee are all teeming with tourists from all around the world (Americans, Germans, Russians, French, British, etc.) and considered very safe.
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I live in Israel and like thousands of others I travel by bus every day to and from work without giving the matter any thought.Terrorist attacks can occur anywhere and they are unpredictable. Since you live in "not specified" I can't tell you whether there have been any attacks in your country in the past 10 years or so. If you never go to places that have been targeted by terrorists in the past, you'll likely never go anywhere. Government warnings are always somewhat "over the top". What do other governments have to say about travelling to your country? Does it reflect the reality that you see around you?
Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Galilee every year without any problems.
Oh, and while I'm not such a "young lady" these days, I'm female and feel absolutely safe everywhere travelling alone in Israel. You will see a lot of soldiers, but they are there to protect us, and you.
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Once again, thanks to all! I will be flying out on Thursday and plan on visiting Israel as well. All of your words have been very helpful and thanks again so much <3 God Bless and Shalom43
Hi, itsasmallworld07I'm looking to do a similar trip that you posted about last year. I don't know if you'll see this or not but i'd thought i'd try.
I'm also a young female budget traveller.
can you give me some advice?
what did you end up doing with you time?
how much did it cost?
Please as much info as you can would be great...
I hope you get this :)
