Travel to Israel:
Check
with your airline regarding limitations on the number and weight of
baggage. We recommend traveling light by bringing one carry-on, one
suitcase, and to plan on using the kibbutz laundry service. A rule of
thumb: pack everything you think you will need and reduce it by one-half.
Arrival
in Israel:
It is
recommended not to arrive in Israel on Friday afternoon when
everything begins to shut down for the Sabbath, or on Saturday when
everything is closed. If you land during these times, for $10 you can take
a “Nesher” service taxi whose station is right outside the arrival
terminal. They go to Jerusalem, where you can stay until the end of the
Sabbath. Or you can take a fixed priced taxi to Tel Aviv. Plan to arrive
in Israel at least one day before you are scheduled to begin the dig. We
suggest that you change some money into shekels after arriving at the
airport. You may want to bring half the amount of money in traveler's
checks for safety reasons. You can cash traveler's checks at any post
office without paying a commission. An alternative to traveler’s checks is
ATM machines throughout Israel that will give you Israeli shekels. (Be sure
to get a PIN number to use with your card if you do not already have one.
You must have a number code or know its equivalent numerical
sequence, since ATMs in Israel do not have letters on the number pads).
How to get to the
kibbutz:
From Ben Gurion
Airport: Private
taxi: The quickest and easiest way to get from the airport to the
kibbutz is by a private taxi, but it is also the most expensive, costing you
up to $100. Such a means of transportation is recommended for a group of up
to 4 people.
From Ben Gurion
airport direct to Afula by special taxi:
You can take a
“special taxi” to key cities in Israel. These are called “sherut” (sheh-root).
The station is located outside the airport arrivals hall. The cities and
rates are listed. The closest town to the kibbutz serviced by “special
taxis/sherut” is Afula (ah-FOO-lah). Taking a special taxi is less
expensive than a private one, but more expensive than taking a bus by way of
Tel Aviv.
From Ben
Gurion airport to Afula by way of Tel Aviv by bus:
Take bus 475
from the airport to the Tel Aviv central bus station (a 20 minute ride), or
you may take the new train from the airport to Tel Aviv and Haifa. Tel Aviv
or Haifa, take the bus to Afula - (from Tel Aviv: about a 1.5 hour ride;
from Haifa - 0.5 hour ride). The Tel Aviv Central Bus Station is very busy,
with three to four stories with buses leaving from various platforms. It is
best to make your way directly to the Information desk to ask which bus goes
to Afula and from which platform. The latest bus information received
reported that bus numbers 830, 832, and 835 went to Aflua. Nevertheless
it is always best to ask.
Attention that there is no public transportation from Friday afternoon to
Saturday night.
We will provide bus schedule information two
months before the beginning of the dig since schedules may change.
From Afula to
Kibbutz Nir David by bus:
Once you are
in Afula, buses 412, 415, 417, 829 from Platform 6 leave every 30-90 minutes
for Beth-Shean by way of Kibbutz Nir David - about a 20-minute ride. Ask the
bus driver to let you off at Kibbutz Nir David (Kee-BOOTS NEER dah-VEED).
From Ben
Gurion Airport to Beth-Shean by way of Jerusalem:
If going straight to
the kibbutz then it is best to travel via Tel Aviv. Follow above
directions.
If staying in a hotel
in Jerusalem before proceeding to the kibbutz take a “Nesher” taxi
service to the hotel where you are staying – a 40 minute ride (about $10).
These taxis are located just outside of the arrivals terminal.
Once ready to make your
way to the kibbutz, go to the Jerusalem central bus station. It is located
on the upper end of Jaffa road. Numerous public buses pass there (be sure
to ask the bus driver) or you can get a taxi for a reasonable fee of about
20-30 shekels. From the central bus station take bus 953, 961, 963 or 964
(one leaves approximately every 30 minutes) to Tiberias or Kiryat Shemona by
way of Beth-Shean. Get off at the Beth-Shean central bus station, located
next to the “Rasko” commercial center/strip mall. This is about a 2-hour
ride. Ask the driver to let you know when you have arrived at Beth-Shean
since it’s not a major terminal. From Beth-Shean take the bus to Afula by
way of Kibbutz Nir David (409, 412, 415, 417, 829 - Platform 1).
Jerusalem to
Tel Aviv Central Bus Station: From the Jerusalem central bus station
take bus 405. This is a direct bus to the Tel Aviv central bus station. It
should take about 50 minutes. From the Tel Aviv bus station follow the
above directions to Afula and then on to the kibbutz. This bus runs every
20 minutes.
**Please Note:
-If you end up missing
last buses you will have to resort to taking taxis.
-When traveling on the
Afula-Beth-Shean/Beth-Shean Afula 412 bus for the first time sit near the
driver to make sure he does not forget to let you off at Kibbutz Nir David.
They do not always make the stop.
Once you have arrived at the main gate, tell the guard
(if there is one) that you are with the archaeological dig.
Please proceed
to the Bed and Breakfast (“On the River”) camp, at the southeastern edge of
the kibbutz (about a 15 minute walk). Go directly to the B&B office at the
back of the camp. The liaison in charge of the B&B is Racheli (Ra-kheli).
Someone will be in the office to assign you to your room. At this time, you
will be asked to go to the expedition office to register and finalize
payment. You must also present proof of your health insurance at this
point. If you arrive during the evening try to phone from the gate to our
office or to the B&B office (numbers below). If you have a heavy bag, you
can leave it at the gate with the guard and we will come to pick it up by
car later on.
Mailing address:
(Your name)
Tel Rehov Excavations
Kibbutz Nir David
Mobile Post Beth-Shean
19150 Israel
Keep in mind that first
class mail to and from Israel takes from 10-14 days.
In case of an emergency you can be reached at one of
the following numbers. Remember that Israel is 7 hours ahead of New
York. The numbers below must be prefixed by an international access code
(012 or 013 from the USA) followed by the country code for Israel (972). For
example, to reach Ami Mazar’s cellular phone on the tel from the USA you
would dial: 012 or 013 + 972 + 544-709448.
*All the following numbers (except mobile phones)
require an 04 area code if dialed from outside the local area
within Israel:
Kibbutz Tourism Office
– dialing from abroad: 012 or 013 972-4 6488525
Fax: 012 or 013 972-4-6488772
Expedition cellular
phones (when dialed locally)–
Taxis (near Beth-Shean)
– 04/6585166, 6584789
Rent a Car -
-
Arad (Afula) –
04/652-2599
-
Horn & Leibowitz (Afula)
– 04/652-3056
-
Avis (Haifa)-
04/851-3050
-
Eldan (Haifa) –
04/841-0910
Phone service:
Telephone cards are available for purchase in the kibbutz office, as well as
in various shops and the post office in Beth-Shean. There is also the
possibility to rent a cell-phone during your stay; for those who wish to do
so, please contact the Tel Rehov staff and details will be provided.
Computer and Internet
Access: We have two wireless
stations (“hot spots”) for laptops for daily use and one desktop computer
with internet connection for use during the weekends. There is also an
internet café in Beth-Shean and in Afula. |