Fareaway,
With the greatest of respect, we all have different ways of doing things, including different travel styles. On vacation, I run round seeing as much as possible at a rate that would leave most people pleading for a time out! To me, it's a complete waste of valuable vacation time - esp once I don't have continuous phone or Internet access - to be dealing with logistics that could have been sorted before I left home (e.g. hotel bookings - assuming you can even get them in high season without booking in advance). Sure, some things are better done once there, but there's a lot that can be done beforehand.
I've asked lots of questions in this forum and the feedback has been invaluable in helping me make decisions about parts of my trip. I've looked into some options and then gone in a different direction in light of the responses, and I now understand the alternatives and have acted accordingly. (Many thanks to all those who have patiently answered my questions and provided helpful info.) If I had waited until I had got to Israel, I might not have understood all my options and made the best decision. I see this as the point of the TT forums - if you want to wing it, no need to be reading the TT forums at all!
The one time I had to do things on the fly - completely not my fault, as Indian Air cancelled a flight and didn't bother to notify me - I got screwed over by the hotel and tour company it put me in contact with. I ended up having a very stressful time as a result of the last minute major itinerary changes and the lies I was told about travel times between places by car instead of flying. So that's my experience of last minute planning. That said, I recognize some people prefer to make it up as they go along. Fine by me if other people want to do that, but please reciprocate and recognize that the way you do things is not the way that everyone likes to do things!
Probably (more than) enough said...
Elizabeth
