Everything you need to know about Flights to Tel Aviv

These are approximate times for nonstop flights.

Flight Times to Tel Aviv

You can find cheaper flights if you’re willing to add connections, but direct flights are much more convenient.

Israel’s national airline is El Al and it offers direct and indirect flights from around 50 destinations worldwide to Israel. El Al is considered one of the world’s most secure airlines as it has extremely rigorous security procedures, both prior to boarding and onboard its aircrafts.

Other Israeli airlines are Arkia, Sun d’Or and Israir, which have fleets of smaller aircraft and usually fly to international destinations, primarily in Europe and Asia

Today most major carriers fly to Tel Aviv, offering business and economy flights.  Now that so many airlines are flying to Israel it’s easy to find cheap flights to Israel online or through an agent.

Tip: when booking your flight make sure you know what the price includes (how much luggage you are allowed, tax, fees, etc.) you don’t want any surprises once you get to the airport.

What is the cheapest time to fly to Israel?

Israel’s high season is from June to August, so those will obviously be the most expensive months to fly to Tel Aviv. Now, the cheapest month may fluctuate, and the reason for that is that Jewish holidays do not always fall in the same month, for example, one year Passover may fall in March and the next it will be in April.  So, check when the Jewish holidays are this year and look for tickets just after they end. This happens again with the high holidays usually in September or October. Flight prices will decrease in November.

When is the best time to book my flight to Israel?

We know that the usual answer to this this question is – “Tuesday” (or any other day of the week) but that is seldom correct. There are many different factors that effect each route and so the bad news is – no one rule fits all. But, the good news is that Hopper, a Boston-based start up that analyses flight data and predicts the best time to book a specific flight is doing a great job (they are right 95% of the time), so we suggest checking out their predictions for your flight.

Tips for finding cheap flights to Tel Aviv

1. Book your flights with stopovers. Taking an indirect flight will significantly decrease the price of your ticket (of course it’s less convenient, but well worth it if you have a budget that you need to keep).
2. Timing counts. The day and time of the day of your flight can make a huge difference to the price. Mid week flights are cheaper and so are long daytime flights (most people prefer to spend their night time flying).
3. Fly offseason. Airfare can be as much as 50% lower during the offseason so if possible don’t travel during the summer or around Jewish holiday times for big savings.
4. Ask for a student discount. Find out if the airline offers college or university students discounts.
5. Fly with a discount (or lesser known) airline. The flight will be barebones (no food or drinks or inflight entertainment and you’ll be paying extra for luggage).
6. You can always find good discounts on flights to Israel, so shop around online and look for a great deal before purchasing your ticket.

Do I need a visa for Israel?

US and UK citizens do not need a visa to enter Israel, in fact there is a list of almost 100 countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter Israel. Visitors from these countries can enter Israel for three months on a B-2 Israeli tourist visa.

So, all you will need is a passport that’s valid at least six months longer than your date of arrival in Israel

I hear that security before boarding flights to Israel is very strict. Can you tell me about it?

Yes, Israeli security is strict. But, you will notice that it makes more sense than the security process that is in place in most other countries that you’ve visited.

You will be asked questions – don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that anyone thinks you are suspicious, everybody gets asked these questions. They might also repeat the questions, but listen, keep calm, answer truthfully and it should only take a few minutes.

Ben Gurion Airport

Ben Gurion is Israel’s main international airport. It is situated 20km southeast of Tel Aviv, which is about a half an hours drive at low traffic times.

There are two terminals at Ben Gurion Airport – Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 and a free airport shuttle runs between the two every 15 minutes.

Ben Gurion Airport is a medium sized airport. Most flights that land at Ben Gurion International land at the main Terminal 3 and travelers are ushered directly into the terminal upon landing, without having to take an airport bus.

Once you enter the airport turn your phone on and hook up to the airport’s free Wi-Fi while you go through passport control (at the Population, Immigration and Border Authority counter) and customs.

Your passport won’t be stamped when you enter, you’ll be given a paper ticket instead so that you can travel on the same passport to Muslim countries without encountering any problems. Don’t loose your ticket, you’ll need it for your flight home.

You will find the following facilities at Ben Gurion Airport:

• Currency exchange
• Bank & ATM machines
• Business centers
• VIP Lounges
• First aid clinic
• Lost and Found
• Tourist services
• Mother and child room
• Children’s play area
• VAT refund desk
• Duty-Free Shops
• Food courts

Transportation from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv

There are several ways to get to Tel Aviv from the airport.

Car rental – all of Israel’s leading car rental companies (Avis, Budget, Hertz, Sixt, Eldan) have branches which are open 24 hours a day at the airport.

Train – the most inexpensive way to get to Tel Aviv is by train. The trains run between 5:30 am and midnight every hour from Sunday to Thursday, on Fridays trains run from 06:00- 16:30 and Saturdays they start running at 21:00.  It is about a 15 minute ride from Ben Gurion to one of Tel Aviv’s 4 stations and it costs ILS 13.50.

Bus – There are buses to Tel Aviv but it is not a convenient way to travel, if you are going to use public transportation it is much easier to take a train.

Taxi – this is the most expensive way to get to and from the airport, but definitely the easiest, unless you are renting a car. Make sure to use an official airport taxi that has set rates and ask the driver to quote you the rate before you leave.

You can download the GETT TAXI APP and pre-order a taxi via the app. Don’t forget to leave an Israeli number so the driver can reach you and leave your flight number for the driver to check final landing times. Ask your driver when the GETT TAXI pick up area is.

Enjoy your stay in the coolest city in the Middle East!