GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
Israel’s airline is called El Al Israel Airlines (LY) (Internet: www.elal.co.il). It offers non-stop connections from Frankfurt, Berlin-Schönefeld, Munich, Zurich and Vienna from many German, Austrian and Swiss airports to Tel Aviv and Eilat.
The national airlines also fly non-stop to Tel Aviv from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Lufthansa (LH) offers direct connections from Frankfurt and Munich to Tel Aviv, Air Berlin (AB) from Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Munich to Tel Aviv.
Sun D’Or (2U), a subsidiary of El Al, flies to Tel Aviv from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich.
Germanwings (4U) flies from Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Cologne / Bonn, Vienna and Zurich to Tel Aviv, among others.
Arkia Israeli Airlines (IZ) (Internet: www.arkia.co.il) flies from Munich to Tel Aviv with a connection to Eilat.
Flight times
Frankfurt – Tel Aviv: 3 hours 45; Düsseldorf – Tel Aviv: 4 hours; Vienna – Tel Aviv: 3 hours 25; Zurich – Tel Aviv: 3 hours 45.
Arrival by car
There is usually a daily bus connection from Tel Aviv, Taba, Santa Katarina (Sinai) to Cairo. In general, land entry into Israel is severely restricted. There are three border crossings to Jordan (Allenby Bridge, Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan River) and two border crossings to Egypt (Rafiah, southwest of Ashkelon, and Taba). Entry into other neighboring Arab states is not possible.
Note: At the border crossings Allenby Bridge, Yitzhak Rabin, Sheikh Hussein (Jordan River), Taba and Rafiah, there may be short-term closings or shortened opening times. It is therefore recommended to inquire about the opening on site as soon as possible.
Arrival by ship
The largest passenger ports are Haifa and Ashdod, where cruise ships from Venice and other Mediterranean ports and where cruise lines such as Costa Cruise (Internet: www.costacruise.com), Crystal Cruises (Internet: www.crystalcruises.com) and Norwegian Cruise Line (Internet: www.ncl.de).
Eilat, Herzliya, Tel Aviv and Ashkelon are also available as ports of entry for foreign yachts.
There are regular car and passenger ferry services from Cyprus and Greece (Piraeus) to Haifa. Information from the Tourist Office (see addresses).
ON THE GO
warning
Extreme caution is advised in Jerusalem due to the tense situation caused by severe attacks. Public transport, as well as public places with high numbers of visitors including restaurants, should be avoided. General caution is advised when visiting the old town, especially on Islamic and Jewish holidays. Local accompaniment is recommended.
Traveling by plane
A good domestic flight network connects Tel Aviv with Eilat and all major cities, providers are Arkia Israeli Airlines (IZ) (Internet: www.arkia.com) and Israir (ISR) (Internet: www.israir.co.il).
On the way by car / bus
The road network is excellent. Distances from Jerusalem: Tel Aviv 62 km, Eilat 312 km, Haifa 159 km, Tiberias 157 km, Dead Sea 104 km, Zefat 193 km and Netanya 93 km. Long-
distance bus: EGGED (Internet: www.egged.co.il) and DAN (Internet: www.dan.co.il) are the two major long-distance bus companies. There are various bus passes and monthly passes on all routes of the EGGED and DAN companies. Fast, inexpensive and unlimited trips to all parts of the country. With a few exceptions, there are no bus connections between Friday evening and Saturday evening and on religious holidays.
Rental car:International companies have offices at the airport and in large cities. Minimum age: 21 years.
Documents: International driver’s license, international green insurance card.
Taxis: There are ordinary taxis and shared taxis (sheruts). In sheruts you pay the fixed fare; Taxis are obliged to turn on taximeters.
Note on traveling by road
Hitchhiking is permitted, but Israeli drivers are required to preferably bring soldiers.
Traveling in the city
Reliable buses from the DAN and EGGED companies operate in the cities.
On the go by train
Israel Railways (Internet: www.israrail.org.il) offers regular train connections between many cities. There is also a daily train connection between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which follows a particularly scenic route. There is no rail traffic between Friday evening and Saturday evening (Sabbath) and on religious holidays.
On the way by ship
A ferry runs from Tiberias on the west bank of the Sea of Galilee (Yam Kinneret) to Kibbutz En Gev on the east bank. Ferries call at all ports on the Mediterranean coast. Local port authorities can provide precise information.
