How do I get to Tel Aviv?

Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) sits 19 km southeast of central Tel Aviv, near the city of Lod. It is the only commercial airport serving the metro area since Sde Dov, the old downtown airfield near the Reading neighborhood, closed in July 2019. From the US East Coast, El Al and United fly nonstop from JFK and Newark in about 11 hours, with round-trip fares running $750-1,300. Delta operates a seasonal JFK route as well. From the West Coast, expect one stop through a European hub or Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, at $900-1,500 and 16-18 hours total. London to TLV is 4.5 hours nonstop on BA, El Al, or Wizz Air for £200-500 round-trip. Ryanair and easyJet connect from multiple European bases. Berlin, Athens, Rome, and Paris all have nonstop options under 4 hours.

Fare cycles to Tel Aviv track Israeli holidays more than Northern Hemisphere seasons. The priciest windows fall around Rosh Hashana and Sukkot in September-October, Passover in April, and the summer school break from mid-June through August. You might find the best deals from January through early March, when Tel Aviv hotel rates also drop 30-40%. That said, February weather hovers around 13-18°C with occasional rain and a damp Mediterranean wind that cuts right through a light jacket. Even in the quieter months, transatlantic fares rarely drop below $650 round-trip. Booking 6-8 weeks ahead tends to hit the pricing sweet spot for economy on the competitive JFK-TLV corridor, where El Al, United, and Delta keep each other honest on inventory. Low-cost carriers like Wizz Air from London Luton and Ryanair from European bases can bring round-trips under £200.

Ben Gurion's security screening is thorough. Arrive 3 hours before any international departure. The questioning process at check-in runs 5-15 minutes, and luggage screening can add another 20. On arrival, most visitors clear passport control in 30-45 minutes through Terminal 3, the main international building since its 2004 expansion. The terminal has the warm, slightly stale recycled air of a building that never shuts down, cut by the smell of coffee from Aroma branches on every level. Announcements cycle through Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Russian in rapid succession. Israel Railways runs from the airport basement every 20-30 minutes to three Tel Aviv stations. HaHagana is closest to Neve Tzedek and Florentin. HaShalom drops you next to the Azrieli towers. A single ride is 13.50 ILS, about $4.50.

If you are connecting overland from Jordan, the Yitzhak Rabin crossing near Eilat and the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge east of Jericho both handle passenger traffic. Mind you, the Allenby crossing involves separate Jordanian and Israeli processing with fees on each side, and wait times of 2-4 hours are normal. From Egypt, the Taba crossing near Eilat connects to the Sinai Peninsula. Neither land route gets you to Tel Aviv quickly. From Eilat, it is a 4-hour drive north or a 45-minute domestic flight on Arkia or Israir. Cruise ships call at Ashdod port (35 km south of Tel Aviv) and Haifa (95 km north). Ashdod is the closer option, with a 40-minute taxi ride into the city. No scheduled passenger ferries currently connect Tel Aviv to European ports.