Frommer's Israel

My wife and I spent three nights at the Notre Dame Guest House in Jerusalem last fall. Notre Dame was especially recommended by the author of Frommer's Israel, who was very generous with his time and suggestions when we contacted him for advice. Contrary to the reviewer from Washington State we enjoyed our stay. The personnel was courteous and helpful, the food was good (including the espresso coffee), the surroundings and our room were nice, the price was reasonable, and we saw or heard nothing to make us feel unsafe at any time. As to another reviewer's complaint that "no mention is given for coffee lovers of the great Israeli chain CAFÉ AROMA", this café is nicely described in page 139 of the book. Not having read most of the book (away from Jerusalem we stayed with and were shown around by Israeli relatives) I hesitate to give it a five star rating. But what I read was helpful,

I really enjoyed using this Frommer's guide. It is broken down very well and does have a good "insider" view on what things to look for and do in Israel. The information is very useful and most importantly you can trust it. Enjoy Israel!

I thought that the Frommer's Guide to Israel is terrific. It gave wonderful details of sights to see, hotels to stay in, and restaurants to eat in. I highly recommend it for both the first time tourist and for those who have visited Israel for a number of times. Personally, I have visited Israel for four times, and I found the book extremely up-to-date, accurate, and honest. My wife and I visited Israel during December 2006. Richard Klein

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.