I am in the throes of trying to plan a family vacation. The current plan (it has changed a few times, but we like this one) is to travel from San Francisco to Istanbul to Israel and then back home, all within a 2-week period in July.

The problem is the Istanbul to Israel leg of the trip, which seems to be monopolized by Turkish Airlines. After reading a lot about this airline, I can't say it sounds like a great option either in terms of safety or comfort. But the backpacking alternatives (boats and trains etc) also may not be practical for a family--youngest child is 9 years old-- with time constraints.

I was hoping that one of you would have some suggestions for a workaround or alternate plans. Also, though I have many friends who have traveled to Turkey, none has gone with a child as young as mine, so if anyone has ideas for must-see stops with kids, please pass them along.

JoAnne, on the sunny San Francisco peninsula