I am thinking about taking a trip to Israel near the end of Oct. and am looking for any advice.  Who has the best flight prices?  Best hotel prices?  What is the best city to stay in?  How safe is Israel right now?  Sights to see while I am there (the trip is mostly religious orientated)?

Thanks

You should go with Michael Medved on his trip.

You would be safer and learn more, I am sure.

Pretty much you're going to want to fly El-Al

Why El-Al?  That is an airline company right?

If you have a visa from any arab country in your passport, you should get a new passport before you go.  I had a visa from UAE and almost did not get into Israel.

I was in Tel Aviv, much to do there and relatively safe if you used some common sense.  Hired a guide for a tour of Jeruselem and Bethlehem (1999).  Things were a more tense in Bethlehem.

In Tel Aviv there was a string of major hotels right on the beach overlooking the Med.  Prices were all about the same starting around $120.00 and up depending on what floor and what extras the room had.  I didn't stay anywhere else, so I don't now about hotels in other cities.

Expect a lengthy search of your carry-on and person if you fly El Al and be ready for several questions by customs (read security/police) once you get to Irsael about the purpose and length of your trip.  Security there is extremely different than what Americans are used to.  

Overall I had a great trip and would recommend it.

Esto

Is it possible to get into Egypt and back or is that a huge hassle?

I would check the visa requirement for Eygpt and would try to arrange travel with an Irsaeli service to there and back - will make customs and re-entering Isreal easier.

Esto

You should first learn how to spell Israel.

OOps,  thank you for pointing that out.

Hey, keep us posted.  This is one of my "dream" vacations...

That is, I "dream" that one day I will stop buying guns long enough to do something usefull with my hard earned dollars.  

Safe trip!

Quoted: Why El-Al?  That is an airline company right?

Considered (and probably rightly so) the most secure airline in the world.

I spent 6 weeks in Israel in 1993.  And a good friend is living over there for 8 months right now.  There is so much to see there that I don't know where to start.  Jerusalem is an obvious one though.  An amazing city.  So much history.  You will probably want to avoid the arab quarter at night.  Tel-Aviv is a completely modern city, and is the place to go for night life.  Eilat, in the south on the Red Sea, would be a good place to go for a little R&R.  Great scuba diving/snorkeling. Personally, I would skip anything in the West Bank, including Bethlehem.  But how much risk you want to take is up to you.

Is a cab pretty much the only way to get around out there or do they have some sort of pub tran that isn't a bus?