How do you find the right Passover program for your family? What do you need to consider and look into before booking your Pesach vacation this year?
- Destinations
- Passover program Pricing
- Peace of mind
- Planning right
Passover programs at tropical resorts (Photo: Envato)
Passover 2024 begins on Monday night, April 22, 2024 and ends on Tuesday night, April 30, 2024 (Monday night, April 29, 2024 in Israel). Some families go away for Pesach every year and for some it’s a “once in a lifetime” vacation or every few years. Joining a Passover program is similar to an investment. It’s an expensive vacation with returns, such as the experience and maybe even more importantly, avoiding the cleaning, cooking and food shopping associated with the holiday which are also costly. It’s important to gather as much information as possible before you book a program. In addition to the issues that come up every year, there are also issues specific to Passover 2023 that you should consider before booking your program.
1. So many destinations for Passover 2024
As in recent year, there are many destination options for Passover programs. There is something for everyone: those who need to be close to work, those who don’t want to travel too far, those who want to lounge on the beach and those looking for adventure. Whatever you are searching for, TJT’s ultimate guide to Pesach programs, has a program for you.
With almost 150 programs around the world, you are sure to find the perfect vacation for your family. Pesach 2024 is at the end of April so the weather will be warmer than last year, when Pesach fell at the beginning of the month. We can’t control the weather but it’s worth checking the expected weather patterns for the area for the beginning of April. The U.S. and Mexico continue to be very popular for Americans who do not want to travel overseas. There are some great Passover programs in Israel that have not been affected by the war. However, some programs planned in Morocco and Dubai have moved to Israel or Europe. We are seeing a lot of Pesach programs to choose from in Europe, especially in Greece and Italy. When choosing your Pesach program for 2024, we recommend to follow these steps to avoid surprises.
2. Pricing for Pesach Programs 2024
So, how much do Passover programs cost? While prices for just about everything have gone up recently, prices for food, gas and travel have increased exponentially. This will obviously affect the Passover travel industry and affect pricing of Passover programs for 2024. Remember to calculate the costs of flights when relevant.
Passover program pricing for 2024 (Photo: Envato)
There is a wide range of pricing when it comes to Passover programs depending on the location, quality of hotel and program amenities. There are programs to suit a range of budgets. There are programs in Europe starting at €1,290 per person and going as high as €10,000. Most programs in Europe are between €2,000 and €3,500 per person based on double occupancy. Pesach programs in the U.S. tend to be more expensive, ranging between $5,000 and $10,000 per person. You can find Chabad programs for around $2,000 per person. Pesach programs in Mexico tend to be at high end resorts and average around $5,000 per person. Programs in Israel range from ₪8,000 up to ₪15,000 per person.
3. Travel insurance, references & reviews
Travel insurance has become common place since COVID. It is recommended by program operators and industry experts. Anything unexpected, such as an illness or death in the family can affect your travel plans. It is worthwhile to consider purchasing travel insurance for your Pesach vacation in 2024. Travel insurance, especially CFAR (Cancel for any Reason) insurance is recommended when dealing with such a costly investment. If nothing else, COVID reminded us that we never know what the future holds.
Try to get references from previous guests of the Passover program that you are considering. This is the best way to get an accurate picture of the program. Stay away from Pesach program review platforms. This has become a problem over the past year or two, with people relying on the reviews posted on websites and groups but the reviews are oftentimes false and inaccurate. The best way to check out a hotel or resort amenities is by looking at unbiased review platforms, as these are more accurate and up to date.
Pesach vacation (Photo: Shutterstock)
4. Pesach vacation 2024 on the calendar
Passover falls out on different days of the week and secular dates each year. As we mentioned earlier, Pesach 2024 falls out later in the secular year, coming at the end of April. It is also important to note that Passover 2024 falls in the middle of the week, with the first seder on Monday night. If you are celebrating outside of Israel then the first days of Pesach are Tuesday and Wednesday and the last days are Monday and Tuesday. There are not very many chol hamoed days in the middle because you have erev Shabbat, Shabbat and Erev Chag. That leaves Thursday as the only full day of chol hamoed. This is something to keep in mind when choosing where to go and what kind of Pesach vacation you want. Luckily, there are programs that will keep you busy and entertained no matter how the chag falls out.
Conclusion
The clock is ticking and Passover programs are quickly filling up. TJT has more than 100 programs listed on our website. There are certain things to be on the lookout for every year and there are specific issues that need to be considered for Passover 2024.
Looking ahead to Passover 2024. Next year on the Jewish calendar (5784) is a leap year so there will be two months of Adar. Any time there is a Jewish leap year, Pesach falls later in the spring season. Passover 2024 will begin on Monday night, April 22, 2024 and end on Tuesday night, April 30, 2024. This means that many destinations will have warmer weather than for Pesach 2023 but more on that next year.
Originally Published: December 28, 2022
Originally Published: December 28, 2022