Israel Getting There

The privatised national airline is El Al Israel Airlines (LY) (www.elal.co.il).

From London to Tel Aviv is 4 hours 30 minutes and to Eilat is 5 hours. From New York to Tel Aviv 11 hours.

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 in the centre of the city. To/from the airport: Buses, taxis and limousines are available to the hotel strip and elsewhere in town (journey time - 5 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shop, light refreshments, a souvenir shop and car hire.

None.

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 Haifa to Limassol in Cyprus. The ferry is operated by Rosenfeld Shipping (www.rosenfeld.net).

Many cruise ships also dock at Israel for excursions to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Road access to Israel is limited. From Egypt the main crossing is at Taba (close to the southern resort of Eilat, open 24 hours). A ₪68 departure tax is charged at the border. Tour agencies run trips down to Egypt, including the reliable Mazada Tours (www.mazada.co.il).

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 Yitzhak Rabin (formerly called 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 is carried out by shuttle service. Transfers on foot are not permitted. 

There is no road access between Israel and Syria or Lebanon. Travellers should note that both Syria and Lebanon refuse entry to travellers who have evidence of a visit to Israel in their passport. Evidence can include an Israeli visa, Israeli border stamps or any visa purchased in Israel. It can also include Jordanian or Egyptian border stamps that indicate the traveller crossed to/from Israel. Border authorities will stamp separate slips of paper upon request. 

Jordanian visas can be obtained at the Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan River border crossings, but not at the Allenby Bridge border crossing. Travellers crossing Allenby Bridge must arrange their visas in advance, either through a tour operator or in person at a Jordanian embassy or consulate. Officially, mobile telephones are not allowed on buses crossing any border.