Getting to Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv can be reached by just about any means of transport, but it is certainly most practical to arrive here by air. Tel Aviv Yafo Ben Gurion International Airport is 20kms southeast of the city and 50kms west of Jerusalem. Israel has an excellent road network and because the country is relatively small with varied scenery, getting to Tel Aviv by road can be a great pleasure. The city can also be reached by international passenger port, and there is also a well developed rail system in the country that makes Tel Aviv easily accessible by train.

By car

Both Jordan and Egypt have open borders with Israel, but crossing these borders in a hire car is prohibited; however, you can feasibly reach the border crossing by car and then continue your onward journey to Tel Aviv in a different vehicle after having crossed the border. The border crossings with Jordan are at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, the Jordan River and the Yitzhak Rabin crossing, near Eilat.

By rail

Rail services connect Tel Aviv with Nahariya, near the Lebanese border; however, services do not cross into Lebanon. Israel Railways (phone: +972 3 577 4000; website: www.israrail.org.il) is the national rail provider, and trains run every hour between 06:00 and 20:00. There is also a daily or twice daily service to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem, making it possible for visitors to arrive by air and then continue their journey by rail.

By bus

There are no direct bus services between Egypt and Tel Aviv, but it is possible to travel by bus from Eilat to Tel Aviv, once having crossed the border. There are three border crossings that are open with Jordan, but direct bus services are unavailable, though visitors can feasibly disembark at the border before continuing their journey after transferring to an Israeli bus service.

Buses from across the country terminate at Tel Aviv Central Bus Station (phone: +972 3 638 4040). The journey from the Egyptian border to Tel Aviv takes approximately 10 hours. Coach services come to a complete halt at Shabbat, generally from around 15:00 on Friday to about 19:00 on Saturday.

By air

Ben Gurion International Airport, also known as Tel Aviv Airport, is located near Lod on Highway 1, about 25kms southeast of Tel Aviv. It is Israel’s principal hub for international and domestic air traffic. The approximate flight time to Tel Aviv from London is 4 hours, 30 minutes; from New York, 11 hours; from Los Angeles, 17 hours; from Toronto, 10 hours, 30 minutes; and from Sydney, 14 hours.

By ferry

Although Tel Aviv is on the coast, its nearest international passenger ports are Haifa (website: www.haifaport.org.il), about 1 hour north, and Ashdod (website: www.ashdodport.org.il), about half 30 minutes south. Both ports are run by the Ports and Railways Authority of Israel (phone: +972 3 565 7000; website: www.israports.org.il).

Most passenger shipping uses the port at Haifa, which has facilities for up to five ships to dock simultaneously. Ashdod is one of the few ports in the world built on the open sea and it has a passenger terminal with other facilities. Regular passenger services are scheduled between Israel and mainland Greece, Rhodes and Cyprus, with services operated by shipping lines Poseidon (website: www.ferries.gr/poseidon) and Salamis (website: www.ferries.gr/salamis).

Tel Aviv Airport

In contrast to many airports around Europe, the US and other countries, Tel Aviv International Airport (phone: +972 3 971 0000; website: www.ben-gurion-airport.com) is open 24 hours. It is Israel’s principal hub for international and domestic air traffic, served by over 47 airlines and with three terminals designed to handle up to 12 million passengers each year. Immigration at Tel Aviv can take a very long time, with lengthy security measures including interrogation of all non-Israelis. Check-in lines can be avoided by using a night-before check in.

Tel Aviv airport transportation

The best method of transport, value-wise, for getting into Tel Aviv from the airport is a sherut. Available 24  hours from outside the Arrivals Hall, these shared taxis wait until they have about seven passengers before leaving for the journey into Tel Aviv. The journey takes about 20 minutes.

Bus number 475 departs for the city from Stop 2, outside the Arrivals Hall. Buses take 30 to 40 minutes to reach the city and they terminate at the Central Bus Station. Taxis, available 24 hours, are located on the right, outside the airport Arrivals Hall. A train service operates from Terminal 3 to Tel Aviv, operating from 03:00 to midnight. The train journey takes about 15 minutes.