Tel Aviv Airport Mini Guide
Why Should I go to Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv is one of the most exciting cities in the Middle East with a blend of history, culture, entertainment, great food and a great beach. You could say it has it all. Perfect for a short break, you can spend some of your time wandering through the informative museums, look at the art collections brought together by wealthy Jewish benefactors or visit historic biblical Jaffa. For the fun loving, Tel Aviv has a fabulous beach scene with day and nightlong entertainment on a golden stretch of sand. After dark, some of the Middle East’s finest restaurants prepare to serve you delicious meals from a fusion of cuisines after which you can enjoy the vibrant nightlife of the city’s bars and nightclubs.
How do I Get to the City?
From the
UK, several airlines have direct flights into Ben Gurion International Airport which is located nine miles from the city. Access to
Tel Aviv centre is quick and easy by the mainline railway station at the airport whilst many younger travellers prefer the shared taxi vans that offer the cheapest way of getting to the city. If you want to explore a little whilst there, you may want to consider a hire car. From the airport, the journey to the city follows Highway 1.
What is the Airport Like?
It’s big, modern and with great facilities. It has been internationally recognised as the best Middle Eastern airport of its size and continues to uphold the high standards that earned it the accolade. The airport has four terminals with Terminal 3 being the main international one. It is set out as a main terminal building with three concourses branching off it.
What Should I Expect When I Land at Ben Gurion?
If arriving on an international flight, you’ll come off the plane on a jet bridge into one of the three concourses and then travel the long distance from your arrival gate to the arrivals hall by moving walkways and escalators. Baggage reclaim is on the lower level after passport, immigration and security checks. Don’t forget that the airport is constantly aware of potential terrorist attacks and so security might seem a little excessive but is deemed necessary.
Once baggage has been collected you’ll find the information desk close by should you need advice and the car rental counters are also found there. If you need to change money into shekels, there’s a currency exchange facility and a bank or for just cash withdrawals, use the ATMs.
What can I Expect When I Leave to go Home?
There are plenty of check-in desks at the airport so that part of your homeward journey shouldn’t take too long. The shops are arranged conveniently in a mall style, interspersed with the smaller restaurants and cafes. Some are before security whilst there is a good range of duty free outlets after the checks. The shops offer a good variety of products from clothing and accessories to books, jewellery and electrical items together with the standard gift shop. Dining options include fast food and pizza but the range doesn’t extend to any better restaurants than that.
Tel Aviv has so much to see and by hiring a car from the airport you’ll have the perfect way to get around the sights. A great place to see the charm of the old city is in Rothschild Boulevard, widely acknowledged as the city’s prettiest street.
It’s part of the so called ‘White City’, a collection of over 4,000 Bauhaus designed buildings – which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts the title of the largest in the world. For simpler entertainment and huge fun there’s the frenetic city beach backed by a number of water parks and theme parks.