Travel to Tel Aviv will mean passing through Ben Gurion International Airport, TLV, is locates some nine miles from Tel Aviv city center with two terminals serving international passengers. The time zone here is two hours ahead of UTC and the currency, the New Israeli Shekel or NIS trades at runs at around 29 cents of a US dollar.
The airport has free Wi-Fi and 24-hour duty free shopping. It also has two synagogues, a medical clinic and VIP lounges.
For travel by taxi into Tel Aviv, the trip to the city will take about 30 minutes and cost $26 to $50. A train to Tel Aviv can be accessed from Terminal 3, every 20 minutes (except on Shabbat, when it does not run at all.) Note, the train goes to a station at the edge of the city so a taxi will be needed from there to the hotel.
A high-speed train called the King David Line takes passengers from the airport to Yitzhak Navon Station in central Jerusalem in just over 20 minutes. The trains are schedule to run every half hour.
A free shuttle runs between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 approximately every 15 minutes.
Tel Aviv’s airport is well known for its tight security, so it is recommended to arrive 3 hours early for a flight to navigate the vagaries of that process.
Travel to Tel Aviv: Top Things to do
Tel Aviv Beaches
Visitors to Tel Aviv usually end up at the beach at some point and there are more than 124 miles of Mediterranean coastline in Israel. More than 50 public beaches are available for taking in the sun and beauty. Bring your own chair or expect to pay $14 or so for a lounger. Glass bottles are officially banned on beaches but rarely enforced. There is a beach for everyone: dog lovers, gays, deeply religious sunbathers. But no matter what the beach, do not expect it to be pristine. The beaches near Tel Aviv are crowd, loud and dirty and often the water is warm and dirty as well. Watch out for the jellyfish in July. The busiest beach days are Friday and Saturday and public holidays.
Beaches closest to Tel Aviv city center: Frishman Beach, Gordon Beach and Banana Beach. There are fresh water showers, sunshades, and loungers to rent. You can also enjoy the Taylet – the boardwalk along the beach lined with cafes.
Travel to Tel Aviv: Visiting Jaffa
Jaffa is the oldest part of Tel Aviv and full of the surroundings that make Israel so compelling. The city dates back as far as 7500 BC, with a natural harbor that has been in use since the Bronze Age. Walk along the coastal side of Jaffa and find open museums of relics from the many centuries.
There is lots to see and do here and it is a very popular tourist attraction. The neighborhood remains a colorful melting pot of Jewish and Arab populations. The Flea Market is a key attraction, with narrow alleyways and streets filled with artists galleries and studios, as well as boutique and craft shops.
Yemenite Quarter
This is another old and quaint neighborhood in Tel Aviv. It is fill with 19th century structures that have been preserve despite relentless threats of modernization. It was settle by Yemenite Jews in 1904 in what was then Palestine, and today, its population numbers around 80,000 people, mostly of Yemenite descent. Find a plethora of home cooking cafes that serve a variety of Yemenite traditional dishes.
Dizengoff Circle & Surrounds
Travel to Tel Aviv should not neglect this central hub of Tel Aviv that is alive with fashionable shopping, casual and fancy dining venues, top hotels showing plenty of iconic architecture and design. The Norman Hotel offers galleries of artworks by new and emerging Israeli artists in a building characteristic of Bauhaus design. The neighborhood offers much to this style, construct between 1920 and 1940 by German-Jewish architects who immigrate to the region after the rise of the Nazis.
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is the epicenter of art and culture in Israel. It opened in 1932, with the latest wing inaugurated in 2011. The museum shows the works of both Israeli and international artists with permanent displays of Cezanne, Chagall, Dali, Monet, Henri Moore, Auguste Rodin, Archipenko, Picasso, Klimt, Kandinsky. The new wing — the Herta and Paul Amir Building — is itself a visual feat and has been describes as “an elongate Rubik’s Cube douse with bleach.”
A ticket to the museum also includes entry to the Helena Rubenstein Pavilion, a space showcasing the latest in Israeli art movements, many works expressing political and social messages. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art also shows alternative foreign films in its cinema and schedules concerts in the auditorium.
Expert Tips for Travel to Tel Aviv
Bargaining
Feel free to bargain in Israel, it is the way of business here.
Moovit
Get the Moovit app for your smartphone. It can track down the bus routes, stations and schedules to help you move freely and smoothly around Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel.
Modest Clothing
Israel is a religious state and modest clothing should be worn in most circumstances.
Time
Israelis are never on time so if you are meeting with a local expect to wait a bit and prepare for it.
Smoking
Smokers are everywhere in Tel Aviv and throughout Israel. The people here love their cigarettes and love to smoke whether it is allows or not. There is a “me first” attitude expresses in most situations so do not expect normal social politeness in interactions. Simply stay calm, firm and patient and walk away, if the situation calls for it. Arguing is a way of life in Israel.
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