Traveling to Israel can be a real eye-opening experience. Many people who visit the country for the first time are surprised by how modern it is and how much it has to offer the globe trotter.
The country is not big, but it is packed with historical and religious sites as well as great places for quality R&R. Israel has a rich history that dates back over 3000 years. Throughout the country there are remnants of past empires such as the Greek, Roman and Ottoman. The Crusaders also left their mark and there are beautiful crusader castles and fortresses to explore.
Many travel to Israel to see places mentioned the Bible. For example, the two most important places in Jewish history are the First and Second Temples. Thanks to years of archeological excavations, relics of both have been unearthed and the sites offer an extraordinary glimpse into what life was like back then. There are also many tours that trace the life of Jesus. You can go to Bethlehem where he was born and to Nazareth where he lived most of his life. Furthermore, all over the Galilee there are churches and milestones that commemorate his miracles. An especially emotional tour is the famous “Via Dolorosa” path in Jerusalem which traces Jesus’ final days.
Jerusalem is the third holiest city for the Muslims and houses the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque where the prophet Muhammad is alleged to have ascended to the sky. There are many additional religious sites to see throughout the country including the famous El-Jazzar mosque in Acre.
Israel has many attractions for those wanting to just relax and enjoy fun in the sun. It has dozens of fabulous Mediterranean beaches and the famous Sea of Galilee is an alternative with its sweet waters. Another major attraction is the Dead Sea since it is the lowest point on earth and visitors can float on the water because it is so salty. For those who love diving and water adventures, the city of Eilat on the Red Sea is a real holiday resort town.
Getting around in is Israel is simple. All streets are marked in English and most people speak some level of English. One way of getting around is to book an organized tour. They usually have a tight schedule and pack a lot in. If you prefer to go solo, Israel has fairly good bus and train transportation systems. The problem with the public transportation is that it may not fit your schedule.
By far, the easiest and most convenient way to travel is to hire a car. The prices are reasonable and there are always great deals to be found. If you are traveling as a family you might even find that it is cheaper than using public transportation. It is best to travel with a GPS and there is a great application called WAZE which is a dependable and easy to operate GPS program. When renting a car, you should opt for a larger and more established company such as Shlomo Sixt one of the largest car rental companies in Israel, which gives you 24/7 service and has branches across the country and attractive prices for car rental in Israel.
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