A little on the logistics...

For those who are curious, here's some facts about how I'm planning the trip, and what it should cost.

I'll be gone for just over 6 weeks, from March 14 to May 3. I will be traveling to the UK, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Latvia (in the Baltics, near Russia, I'll explain later). The map below shows where I plan to visit.


Travel to the eastern Mediterranean is not that expensive, as hostels can be as low as $5 a night in Egypt and the USD is stronger now against foreign currencies than the last few years. Flights are also extremely reasonable. As I think people will be curious, my flights came out to be:

• Round-trip from SFO to London, $650
• One-way London to Cairo, $310
• One-way Tel Aviv to London, $260
• Total: $1,220

Since I'm flying off-season, tickets are cheaper (summer, SFO to London can be $1,200 alone). I didn't use a travel agent, instead I just searched for low fares on expedia and travelocity (I did this before in Europe and got great deals).

You can travel freely between Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. As an American, all you need is a valid passport and USD cash to buy visas for Egypt and Jordan at your port of entry. Entry into Israel is visa-free. There are several complications if you plan to leave and re-enter Egypt (the standard visa is single entry), or if you plan to enter Egypt via the Sinai (you can only get a free Sinai pass, so no going to Cairo), but barring that it's pretty straightforward.

The geographic size of this area is surprisingly small, similar to as if you planned to visit all of California (from San Diego to Shasta, with everything in between). Israel barely reaches from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The region is well-connected with buses and ferries, and has been well worn by other travelers. I met several Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans on their way to or from Egypt, Jordan, and Israel (and Syria, Lebanon, the UAE, eastern Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, even Iran) when I backpacked through Europe. Nothing I am doing is new or original.