Ben Gurion Airport is very well connected by train, bus, and other private means with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Whether you are going to stay in Tel Aviv or the capital of Israel, I advise you to airport transfers in Israel. It will take around 20 minutes to get to downtown Tel Aviv; there are several stops in the city, the first one about 12 minutes from Tel Aviv Ha’Hagana airport, then Tel Aviv-Hashalom and Tel Aviv Savidor Center, which were the ones we used. If you go towards Jerusalem, you will arrive at Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon, and from there, it is very easy to take the tram to the Jaffa gate or New Gate, which will give you direct access to the old part of the city.
If you travel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, curiously, you will have to change trains at the airport; I did not understand why but it is like that… There is no direct line. To use the transport in Jerusalem, we had to buy a valid card for Tel Aviv as well, although, on the buses, you can pay for a single ticket.
The prices of transport did not seem expensive at all:
- Journey Airport – Tel Aviv: 13.50 NIS (About €3.20)
- Tel Aviv – Jerusalem journey: 22 NIS (€5.20) only one way because the return was free on Thursday.
- Bus in Tel Aviv: 5.90 NIS trip (Less than €1.50)
- Tram in Jerusalem: they gave us a rate for the whole day that was about €5 (with transport card included)
The transports do not work during the Sabbath, that is to say, from Friday at sunset until Saturday at the same time. It’s incredible, we didn’t think it was like that, but yes, it stops. If you want to visit more places, it is best to rent a rental car. If you travel to Israel on your own, I advise you to look at my friend Pablo’s blog; there, you will find routes to go by car and many other tips on a longer stay than ours.
Signage at stations, streets, transport, etc., is usually in English, Hebrew, and Arabic, although in some places, there are only signs in Hebrew. So normally you will not have problems in big cities, but inside you can find some more difficulties.
Gastronomy in Israel
During our GUIDED TOURS IN ISRAEL, we ate very well. We cannot complain about Israeli gastronomy and, probably, its neighbors. It has many Arab elements and also from the Mediterranean areas. We liked preparing various dishes with meat and vegetables, always very present, and the hummus and falafel that we tried. Without a doubt, for us, it became one of the best experiences on the trip. The restaurants in Tel Aviv where we ate and ate were very pleasant, and we all had good experiences.
Eating and drinking in Israel are not cheap; the prices are the same as in any European capital or more. We found it a bit expensive compared to many other places, on par with countries like the United States or the United Kingdom. But if eating is expensive, more is drinking alcoholic beverages. Tel Aviv, for example, is famous for being a place of entertainment and nightlife, that’s right, but you have to take into account that a beer can cost you from 8 euros and up, and a drink can easily cost 12 or 13 without going to special places or terraces. Spectacular.
Plugs in Israel, adapters, and electrical appliances
If you search the internet for something about the type of plug-in in Israel, you can get scared as I did. The plug in the photos is really strange, I didn’t have the adapter for it, and I thought: I’ll buy it when it arrives. But there was no need, in most hotels and accommodations you will find plugs similar to European ones, you will not have problems.
Curiously, the Spanish cables are also valid for the plugs in the means of transport. For example, on the train, you will find sockets at the top, so running out of battery will be difficult. The same thing happens in Tel Aviv buses; they have USB hooks so you can connect to the electrical network and don’t run out of battery.
Markets and shopping
One of the things I liked most about Jerusalem is the Arab air of its markets and streets lined with stalls as if it were a large souk. For example, we stroll among the shops of Via Dolorosa and other central streets and visit a nice market near the station, Mahane Yehuda Market. In this market, you can find all kinds of products, from food to crafts, clothing, jewelry, etc…
We found Tel Aviv less original, although we were in several of its markets, such as Carmel or Jaffa. There are also numerous large shopping centers in Tel Aviv. We had one very close to our hotel, and we visited two others near the train stations. In these shopping centers you will find the same as in any European city, the same brands and some national brands, it is not difficult to find Zara, Mango, Desigual…
The Sabbath and the hours
They had already warned me that the country is paralyzed during the Sabbath (from Friday at sunset until Saturday around the same time); however, the Israel Tourism Office had told us that in Tel Aviv, it was not so noticeable. It is not true; it is very noticeable. Everything closes in winter from half past three in the afternoon on Friday; I imagine that in the season with more daylight hours, it will be a little later. Public transport does not work, and we do not see private transport, such as taxis around the city either. Shopping centers close, clothing stores close, museums, cultural visits, etc. Only restaurants and bars and some supermarkets remain open.
On Saturday mornings, there are not many things open either; for example, in Tel Aviv, we visited the City Museum of Art, which has good collections of modern art, impressionism, and contemporary art. It was full of people. Life returns to the cities after sunset, in this case, around six or half past six in the evening. For us, the Sabbath was a pain, honestly, since the weather was very bad and you couldn’t enjoy a walk in the city, but I suppose that in good weather, in the beach season, one of the best options is to go to take a bath in the sea and enjoy a good book.
Do you need help with your trip to Israel, or have our tips helped you? If you have not found what you are looking for in this post, leave a comment, and so we will all learn together, and surely, we will help other travelers with the same doubts.