Summertime, spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
In July-August 2017, the number of departures of Israelis abroad is expected to pass the 2 million threshold for the first time; prepare your vacation for the summer.
Many have already learned that in the era of low-cost airlines and during the summer, when vacation packages to popular destinations are in huge demand, the price rises as the departure time approaches. And there's nothing more aggravating than going on vacation, and finding out that the passenger sitting next to you paid exactly half the price you have.
Is this rule always true? No. It is mainly true for flights. When it comes to vacation packages, sometimes wholesalers bite more than they can chew, committing themselves to more packages than they can actually sell and then drop prices at the last minute, a day or two before the flight.
According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the upcoming summer will break the record of Israeli departures when in fact, nearly a quarter of the state will be on vacation overseas during July-August. The reason: there are more and more low-cost flights, new destinations, the shekel is one of the strongest currencies in the market, which makes us rich tourists abroad, and we simply have to take a vacation to recharge.
The list of popular vacation destinations from Israel remains almost unchanged. The United States is a central destination, followed by Greece (including its islands, mainly Rhodes and Crete), and Italy, which sees many Israelis touring the entire country, including Sicily, the Amalfi region, Rome, Tuscany, Venice and the lakes. Other popular destinations include Berlin and the Black Forest, France (mainly Paris and including EuroDisney) and England (mainly London).
So before booking, remember to check the list of terms, since the cheaper the tickets are, the more terms you usually get. Also, extras cost extra money. When you fly, especially low-cost, remember that you pay for every action you need to take at the airline’s counter. Don’t settle for the search engines or applications to find the cheapest flights, it’s a good idea to also give a quick once over to the airlines’ websites. And if you find all of this too cumbersome, there are always the travel agents, who would be happy to offer their services.
(Translated and edited by N. Elias)
