30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frommer's Israel 2006 -- the best current source for Israel, May 1, 2007
I could not disagree more with the two previous reviews. I travelled to Israel in October-November 2006 for my eighth visit, just before this book came out (unfortunately). The Fodor's guide was woefully inadequate when it comes to restaurant and hotel recommendations. I want more than "two per city" -- I want a range of choices, and Frommer's gives me that. "Let's Go" isn't bad, but it is decidedly aimed at the backpacking and very-low-budget set. That is an important group, and I'm glad there is a good guide for them, but a range of guides exists to serve different groups with different budgets, needs, and interests.
Things change rapidly in Israel, and it may be that some of the information is not current. But I know the country well, and I find most of Robert Ullian's information dead-on and accurate. In my view, the Frommer's guide is hands-down the best and most comprehensive one available today.
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
If you're not on a budget, this MIGHT be the book for you., December 5, 2006
Unfortunately, the only guidebooks that have been published for Israel in the past three years are Frommer's and Fodor's. I went with Frommer's, and soon after my arrival in Israel, traded it for the three-year-old Let's Go. The first problem is the lack of quality maps -- outside of the most major sights, this book's maps are amazingly not at all useful. Next is the priorities chosen by the author: with so many pages devoted to where to dine, it is no wonder that there are no maps. Get a falafel on the street and really experience Israel. If you want a nice restaurant, one or two per town will suffice.
Finally, although Frommer's advertises this as a guide for all budgets, the book contains almost no real budget accommodations.
The Let's Go, on the other hand, despite being three years old, has broad coverage, very useful and relevant maps, good suggestions for dining where Israelis go, and (of course) budget accomodations. I have been here two weeks and have yet to find information that is out of date.
It's a tough call because obviously Frommer's is more current, and if you are not a budget traveler, has more useful accomodation information for you. But I would check out Fodor's and if that doesn't look good, go with Let's Go and write them an email encouraging them to update their edition.
By the way, it is totally safe and comfortable to travel in Israel right now. Everyone should experience this amazing country.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Helpful Book, September 19, 2007
Frommer's Israel was useful to have in hand. Background history and
archeological sites were well-explained, and there are lots of human
interest boxes that added to our understanding of ancient sites as
wells as major cities. In practical terms, we liked a handy 2 page
spread filled with excellent street food and cheap meal suggestions
for Jerusalem's busy downtown district, where wall to wall eateries
can be a confusing maze ( In some cases choices were no-name holes in
the wall). The book also clued us in to terrific "business lunch"
deals (til 5 or 6pm) at wonderful restaurants. The Frommer's people
clearly love the place and packed the book with a wide range of
suggestions for all kinds of travelers and their interests, including
young kids.
Another Amazon reviewer thought Israel's great Aroma coffee
shops weren't mentioned. But actually, we found Aroma among the tons
of cafes and eateries in the center of Jerusalem because Frommer's
praised it in a special box on Best Coffee Places (two downtown
branches for Aroma in Jerusalem, as well as a number of other great
local coffee cafes are on page 139). Initially, we wondered why
Frommer's listed no Starbucks -- it's almost un-American to omit
them, but apparently, they don't exist in Israel. One minus: Map
bullets showing some restaurant locations were not clear for the tiny
maze of downtown Jerusalem streets, but in the end, we found what we
were looking for.
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