Travel to Tel Aviv
Flying to Tel Aviv
Ben Gurion Airport and Sde Dov Airport serve Tel Aviv. British Airways, easyJet, Wizz Air, and El Al operate direct flights from the UK to Tel Aviv. Airlines running direct flights from the USA include Delta, El Al and United. El Al does not fly during Shabbat.
Flight times
From London - 5 hours; New York - 10 hours 30 minutes; Los Angeles - 14 hours 15 minutes; Toronto - 10 hours 15 minutes; Sydney - 23 hours (including stopover).
Travel by road
Limited road and ferry access from abroad make it unlikely that you will drive your own car to Israel. It is also illegal to buy a car in Israel unless you have an Israeli driver’s licence. However, affordable car hire is widely available.
Israel has an excellent road network and, because the country is relatively small with varied scenery, travelling by car can be a great pleasure. Main roads can be busy, so allow plenty of time for every journey.
Traffic drives on the right and road rules are similar to those in Western Europe and North America. The minimum legal driving age in Israel is 16 years. All passengers must wear seat belts at all times and children under 14 should not travel in the front seat. Headlights must be on all the time while driving.
Road signs are international, distances given are in kilometres and all signposting on major roads is in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The speed limit is 90-120kph (60-75mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on intercity roads and 50kph (31mph) within towns.
Drivers must carry their ordinary driving licence. Insurance documents must be kept in the car at all times.
Emergency breakdown services
Car rental operators or your own insurer can provide cover and details of who to contact.
Routes
Highway 1 links Tel Aviv from Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem. Highway 2 (Ayalon Highway) connects Haifa to Tel Aviv, with exits into different districts.
Coaches
The Egged Cooperative (tel: *2800, in Israel only or +972 3 694 8888; www.egged.co.il/Eng) is Israel's national bus and coach service operator. Comfortable air-conditioned coaches run between all Israeli cities as part of the regular public transport network, terminating at Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. Coach services to Tel Aviv from abroad are limited, and depend on the security situation en route.
Time to city
From Jerusalem - 1 hour 50 minutes; Haifa - 1 hour 5 minutes; Eilat - 3 to 4 hours, depending on traffic.
Travel by Rail
Services
There are four railway stations within the city of Tel Aviv. The main station, Tel Aviv Savidor Centre, is on Al Parashat Drachim Street. The other stations are Tel Aviv Hahagana, not far from the Central Bus Station; Tel Aviv Hashalom, near the Azrieli Center; and Tel Aviv University, close to the university campus in north Tel Aviv.
Regular rail services run down the coast from Nahariya to Tel Aviv, with stops en route at Akko (Acre), Haifa, Binyamina, Caesarea, Netanya and Herzliya. From Tel Aviv, coastal services continue south to Ashkelon and Ashdod. Other lines head inland to Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem. The route to Jerusalem is particularly scenic, but much slower than road travel. Other rail services run from Tel Aviv to the towns of Kfar Saba; Beersheva and Rishon le Zion.
You can buy tickets at the station upon departure, or book in advance for most trains. There is no railway service on Shabbat and public holidays.
Operators
Israel Railways (tel: +972 77 232 4000; www.rail.co.il) is the national rail transport provider, running modern air-conditioned trains.
Journey times
From Haifa - 1 hour 15 minutes; Jerusalem - 1 hour 25 minutes; Beer Sheva - 1 hour 30 minutes.
