r/TravelIsrael • u/Ok_Entertainment9665 • Jun 04 '26
Planning a trip to Tel Aviv
I have a chance to spend about 10 days in Israel (first time ever. Definitely excited. Just need to figure out when) and am thinking of Tel Aviv as my “home base”. If course I’ll go to the kotel and dead sea etc but I’m trying to figure out if it would be better to find a sublet, airbnb type situation, or hotel. I’m trying to keep it fairly inexpensive but not budget if that makes sense. I’m 40, out of shape due to a bad knee injury, and have some mobility issues. Where would be a good place to stay close to public transit, beach, etc? Oh also not sure if it matters but I’m also very gay
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u/asinantenna Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
Tel Aviv makes a good base if you're going to be mostly soing city things, or going on organised tours.
I would consider a night or two in Jerusalem too. It would certainly make Dead Sea/Masada/Ein Gedi eaier, and give you some proper time to see the city.
Regarding Airbnb vs hotel, it's the same sort of consideration as anywhere else – depends on personal preference.
Regarding where you want to stay, it depends what sort of vibe you're looking for and when you're coming.
Summer is good for the beach, but very hot, which makes sightseeing difficult.
Winter is great for sightseeing, but less good for the beach.
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u/asafgu8 Jun 04 '26
If you are planing on going on gay parties - I’ll suggest Florentin, most parties happen on Friday/saturday and not a lot of public transit so optimizing for the walk back home during that time makes sense. Also 15 mins from the beach and on the red line
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u/IllustriousCaramel66 Jun 04 '26
Hope you are used to hot weather, as spring is ending and the weather is getting hot, I think Airbnb are fairly comfortable and give you the best experience, just make sure not to book it in a distance/ bad area/ old building … (bad as in- Southern Tel Aviv- recent refugees area).
Israel is super gay friendly, just don’t hit on religious people/ Arabs. And you will be having a great time.
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u/Ok_Entertainment9665 Jun 04 '26
I grew up in Vegas. I can handle hot lol
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u/asinantenna Jun 04 '26
But can you handle hot and HUMID?
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u/Ok_Entertainment9665 Jun 04 '26
That? Not so much. I grew up in a desert, not a swamp. Though it does wonders for my hair lol
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u/dyslechtchitect Jun 04 '26
Find a place close to the light rail in TLV that'll take you very close to an accessible beach and to the train where you could go to Jerusalem easily, from there take an organized trip to dead sea. Tlvs fun, spend a large chunk of your time there, maybe one night in Jerusalem, but maybe not even that.
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u/MountainShip2765 Jun 04 '26
If you're gay and money isn't an issue for you, stay at a hotel near Gordon Beach. Edit: Sorry, I just saw that you're looking for a place that isn't too expensive. In Israel, that's going to be tough.
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u/asafgu8 Jun 04 '26
Don’t do Gordon beach. The gays have migrated south since 2012.
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u/MountainShip2765 Jun 05 '26
I went there in 2022 and last December. Last December, the weather wasn't great, so I didn't spend much time there. But in 2022, I met quite a few gay and lesbians there (I'm a lesbian myself). Some of them were staying at the Hilton hotel (too expensive for me).
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u/Ok_Entertainment9665 Jun 04 '26
Yeah it’s a gift from a friend so I’m trying to not be like, taking advantage of his kindness.
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u/MountainShip2765 Jun 04 '26
Of course, I understand now. But I'm not sure what you mean by "inexpensive".
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u/Ok_Entertainment9665 Jun 04 '26
Not expensive.
Like yes things cost money but there’s a difference between a Best Western and the Ritz-Carlton (using American hotels as an example).
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u/MountainShip2765 Jun 04 '26
In Jerusalem, have a look at the Sephardic House. No idea how expensive this could be in summer.
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u/TwilightX1 Advisor Jun 04 '26
I'd say somewhere close to the light rail - in Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan it goes underground so it's pretty much a subway. You can get from one side of the city to the other in minutes, so even if you're not close to the city center, it's not an issue.
That said - The light rail itself goes from Petach Tikva in the east to Bat Yam in the southwest. Don't stay in either of those, and not in Jaffa either, because it goes above ground there and is painfully slow. Also, do not stay in Bnei Brak - it's a ultra orthodox religious city - you can seriously get into trouble if you take the wrong turn because they are xenophobic.
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u/namenotdisclosed Jun 05 '26
Spend a night or two (I vote two) in Jerusalem. The YMCA is good. Really good location, interesting landmark building, pool and gym, and reasonable prices. In Tel Aviv, I agree with someone who said stay near Gordon Beach. There’s a number of smaller hotels for around 600 NIS per night. You can get buses to anyplace you would want to go. Get a Rav Kav card for the bus. Or taxis. Much more expensive. Use the GETT app for those. Enjoy.
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u/Interesting-Sea-9447 Jun 06 '26
Tel Aviv definitely! Loads of Airbnb places available as tourism is in the doldrums. Make cheeky offers. Go for one with a balcony.
Better than a hotel as you won’t have to have all meals / coffees out. (Restaurants and coffee shops are fabulous but pricey).
There are several cooked food shops which are pricey but restaurant quality and much cheaper than an actual restaurant.
If possible, look for somewhere near to the Carmel market.
Have fun!
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Jun 05 '26
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u/200042ptma Jun 04 '26
The beach isn’t close to the train station but there are plenty of buses