There is still a war going on and many Israelis are still hesitant to close a vacation deal for April, but the holidays in Israel for Passover 2024 will be cheaper than in previous years, and there are certain dates in the range of available vacation days that are even cheaper. The holiday break for schools and nurseries is long (between April 14 and 29) and the prices change from day to day. The peak is on Seder night (April 22), but the children are already on vacation a week earlier and on these days the prices are lower. Even in packages abroad - which are more expensive this year - there are significant price differences in favor of those "golden dates" in the days before Seder night.
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We dived into the booking sites to check the differences. A night at the VERT Eilat hotel between April 14 and 18 costs 1,455 shekels for a couple with two children. A night in the same place on April 22 to 25 costs 2,500 shekels - a difference of 42%.
At the VERT Jerusalem hotel, a night for a couple and two children between April 14 and 18 costs 1,279 shekels, compared to 2,265 shekels on April 22 to 25.
At the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv, the nights before Seder (April 14 to 18) costs 1,725 shekels for a couple with two children, and on the holidays the price jumps to 2,800 shekels per night.
In Haifa, a night at the Bay View Hotel on the golden dates pre-Seder costs from 1,095 shekels for a couple with two children. For the week of the holiday, the price jumps to 1,665 shekels per night.
At the Brown Mahane Yehuda near the market in Jerusale, a night for a couple with two children before Seder starts at 800 shekels, and on the holidays the price goes up and starts at 1,445 shekels.
Ofir Tours sells packages to the Dan Panorama Eilat, including a vacation for a couple with two children between April 14 and 16 at a cost from 3,901 shekels The same vacation on April 22 to 24 costs from 6,330 shekels.
At the Dan Neptune in Eilat, two nights for a couple with two children on the Golden Dates cost from 4,195 shekels, on a half-board basis. The same deal on April 22 to 24 costs 6,394 shekels.
At the Isrotel Nevo Hotel, Dead Sea, accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis for a couple + 2 in a studio room costs from 3,146 shekels between April 14 and 16. A similar deal on April 24 to 27 (3 nights) starts at 12,521 shekels.
At the Sport Club Hotel, Eilat, accommodation on an all-inclusive basis for a couple + 2 in a room costs from 3,226 shekels between April 14 and 16. A similar deal of 4 nights on April 24 to 28 costs 12,784 shekels.
A 3-night vacation at the Fattal chain's U Coral Beach Eilat hotel for a couple with two children, on an all-inclusive basis, costs 6,672 shekels in a tower room on April 15 to 18. The same vacation on April 22 to 25 costs 13,908 shekels.
This model also applies to vacations abroad. In Vacation Lines, for example, we found a deal for the Aquila Rithymna Beach hotel in Crete between April 14 and 18 at a price of 8,539 shekels for a couple with two children, on a half-board basis. The same deal for April 21 to 25 costs 11,299 shekels, a significant difference.
In terms of flying, in the days leading up to Seder we found a deal to Athens that includes flights and four nights in a double room with breakfast at a price of $621 per person. The same deal on April 21 to 25 costs $968 per person.
Another deal we found for Montenegro between April 15 and 19 costs $656 per person, compared to an identical deal on April 21 to 25 under the same conditions that costs $967 per person.
Israir is marketing deals to Athens for the dates April 14 to 17 at a price starting at $569 per person. The same package on April 23 to 26 costs from $973 per person.
The company is also marketing deals to Prague on April 14 to 17 at a price starting at $680 per person, including flights and accommodation in a 4-star hotel with breakfast. The same deal between April 26 and 29 costs from $1,022 per person.
On Ista we found a deal to Batumi, Georgia between April 19 and 22 that includes flights and accommodation in a 5-star hotel with breakfast at a price starting at $589 per person. The same package on April 26 to 29 costs from $969 per person.
Ista is also marketing packages to Rhodes , between April 14 and 18, at a price starting at $509 per person, in a 5-star hotel on a half-board basis. The same package on April 24 to 28 costs from $719 per person.
Ofir Tours markets packages to Batumi with a departure on April 15 for three nights in a 5-star hotel. The price is from $332 per person in a double room. The same deal with a departure on April 21 costs from $906 per person. We also found a significant difference in deals for Varna, Bulgaria. A package that includes flights and 4 nights beginning April 14 starts at $427 per person, but jumps to $905 per person if the outbound flight leaves on April 21.
For Bucharest, Arkia is selling a deal between April 14 and 18 - 4 nights in a 4-star hotel at a price of $555 per person in a room for a couple + child. The same deal on April 21 to 25 costs $869 per person.
Another example of Arkia's deals is a vacation package in Ayia Napa, between April 13 and 16, with flights and accommodation in a 5-star hotel, at a cost of $469 per person in a room for a couple + 2 children. The same deal on April 23 to 26 costs $799 per person.
Vacationing the week before Passover means big savings
Oren Cohen Meguri, vice president of Marketing and Sales at the Flying Carpet Company, said in a conversation with Ynet: "This year there is indeed a golden opportunity to save thousands of shekels for a family vacation. A family that precedes the Passover holiday by a week, that is, flies in the week of April 14th, will benefit. This is a savings of $700 per family."
Asaf Ben-Dov, vice president of Marketing and Sales at the Africa Israel Hotels chain, told Ynet: "In recent days we have seen an increase in inquiries at the booking centers for Passover and pre-Passover vacations, with an emphasis on hotels in Eilat, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The price differences that exist on the days when they are fixed, between before the holiday and on the holiday, take effect this year and reach about 40%-50%."
Nir Mazor, VP of Aviation Links, said that "the 'Golden Week', known as the week before Passover, is a week where you can enjoy significantly lower prices than during the holiday itself and the difference can reach 15% to 35% less. When it comes to a couple or a family, the difference can reach hundreds and even thousands of shekels."
"The children are no longer in educational settings and many families are taking advantage of this. This year's Passover is also at the end of April and the weather in Israel and abroad is perfect for a vacation," he said.
Shirley Cohen Orkaby, vice president of Eshet Tours, added that "the week before the holiday is indeed an excellent opportunity to go on a family vacation and enjoy attractive prices that are dozens of percent lower compared to on the holiday.”
Hila Hermolin Ronen, Israir's vice president of Marketing and Sales says that "those who book a holiday on Passover at the beginning of their vacation from school, about a week before the Seder night, will save dozens of percent on the price of the vacation and will enjoy less congestion in the airport. After the eve of the holiday, the surge in demand produces an increase in prices."
Einat Junger Carmeli, Arkia's vice president of Marketing and Digital, adds that "this year we are witnessing a trend in which families decide to take a breather and advance their family vacation abroad even before Passover.
"The prices are much more affordable, the children are already on vacation, the attractions abroad are not yet crowded, and this leaves families with the option of both spending time abroad and returning to Israel and spending time with the family on Seder night. The difference between the prices of vacations reaches dozens of percent in favor of those leaving before the Seder night compared to those leaving after the Seder night," she says.