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Getting There by Air
The privatised national airline is El Al Israel Airlines (LY) (website: www.elal.co.il).
Approximate Flight Times
From London to Tel Aviv is 4 hours 30 minutes and to Eilat is 5 hours. From New York to Tel Aviv 11 hours.
Main Airports
Tel Aviv (TLV) (Ben Gurion International) is 20km (12 miles) southeast of the city. To/from the airport: There are bus services from the airport to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva and other smaller towns. The airport has a train station located on level five with services into Tel Aviv. There is also a taxi service (journey time - 20 minutes). A shared sherut (taxi service) is available, charging a fixed rate per passenger. The El Al airline bus goes to the airport terminal in Tel Aviv. Departure depends on El Al flights. The best way to travel to Jerusalem, which is 50km (31 miles) away, is by sherut. Facilities: Banks, restaurants, duty-free shops, general shops, tourist information, car hire desks and VIP lounge.
Eilat Central Airport (ETH) is 20 minutes from the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis and limousines are available to the city (journey time - 15 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shop, light refreshments, a souvenir shop and car hire.
Departure Tax
Eilat Central Airport (ETH) is 20 minutes from the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis and limousines are available to the city (journey time - 15 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shop, light refreshments, a souvenir shop and car hire.
None.
Getting There by Water
Main ports: Ashdod and Haifa. Foreign craft sailing to Israel may use these ports of entry as well as Eilat and the marinas of Ashkelon, Herzliya and Tel Aviv.
There are regular sailings of car/passenger ferries from Greece (Piraeus) and Cyprus to Haifa.
Many cruise ships also dock at Israel for excursions to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
There are regular sailings of car/passenger ferries from Greece (Piraeus) and Cyprus to Haifa.
Many cruise ships also dock at Israel for excursions to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Getting There by Road
Road access to Israel is limited. There are only two crossing points from Egypt: at Rafiah (a narrow strip of Israeli-controlled land between Gaza and Egypt, closed at night) and the much busier border crossing at Taba (close to the southern resort of Eilat, open 24 hours).
Four bus companies maintain services between Cairo and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem via Rafiah. EGGED bus 362 leaves Tel Aviv for the Rafiah terminal daily (tel: (03) 914 2000; website: www.egged.co.il/eng). A regular bus service also passes through Taba, to Santa Katerina (Sinai) and Cairo.
To the east, there are many crossing points to and from the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, which it is also possible to enter from Jordan via the Allenby Bridge near Jericho, about 40km (25 miles) from Jerusalem. The Allenby Bridge border is closed at night. EGGED buses and taxi services are also available to the bridge from Jerusalem.
It is also possible to travel in and out of Jordan without entering the West Bank. The Arava Checkpoint crossing to and from Jordan is situated 4km (3 miles) north of Eilat; closed at night. The Jordan River Crossing (Sheikh Hussein Bridge) to and from Jordan is near Beit She'an, in the north of Israel; closed at night. Transfer of bus or taxi passengers between the Israeli and Jordanian checkpoints are carried out by shuttle service. Transfers on foot are not permitted.
There is no road access between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic or Lebanon.
Note that Jordanian visas cannot be obtained at the border - they must be arranged in advance, which can usually be done by tour operators. Officially, mobile telephones are not allowed on buses crossing any border.
Four bus companies maintain services between Cairo and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem via Rafiah. EGGED bus 362 leaves Tel Aviv for the Rafiah terminal daily (tel: (03) 914 2000; website: www.egged.co.il/eng). A regular bus service also passes through Taba, to Santa Katerina (Sinai) and Cairo.
To the east, there are many crossing points to and from the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, which it is also possible to enter from Jordan via the Allenby Bridge near Jericho, about 40km (25 miles) from Jerusalem. The Allenby Bridge border is closed at night. EGGED buses and taxi services are also available to the bridge from Jerusalem.
It is also possible to travel in and out of Jordan without entering the West Bank. The Arava Checkpoint crossing to and from Jordan is situated 4km (3 miles) north of Eilat; closed at night. The Jordan River Crossing (Sheikh Hussein Bridge) to and from Jordan is near Beit She'an, in the north of Israel; closed at night. Transfer of bus or taxi passengers between the Israeli and Jordanian checkpoints are carried out by shuttle service. Transfers on foot are not permitted.
There is no road access between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic or Lebanon.
Note that Jordanian visas cannot be obtained at the border - they must be arranged in advance, which can usually be done by tour operators. Officially, mobile telephones are not allowed on buses crossing any border.