Ben-Gurion International Airport (TLV)

Overview

Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) is situated 16 miles (26km) from the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv. It is Israel's busiest airport and the perfect gateway to exploring the region's ancient history, or relaxing on Tel Aviv's fantastic beaches.

The airport has a heavy security presence, and passengers should expect to go through as many as five different checkpoints before reaching the check-in counter. If travellers stay calm and maintain eye contact with the officials, these should all go smoothly.

It's worth noting that frequent travellers may pay a high price for having an Israeli stamp in their passports, as most countries in the Gulf Region will not allow them to enter. Fortunately, Israeli immigration officials are friendly and will generally stamp a piece of paper affixed to passports rather than actual passports.

Location

The airport is situated 16 miles (26km) southeast of Tel Aviv, and 37 miles (59km) northwest of Jerusalem.

Getting to the city

Trains are the best option for getting into Tel Aviv; they're clean, fast and cheap. Trains run from Level S of Terminal 3 to Tel Aviv Savidor Station and a trip into town takes around 20 minutes. Passengers arriving after midnight will have to wait until 3am for the first train of the day. Buses run from the nearby Airport City rather than the airport itself. Passengers can take the free Egged 5 Shuttle from the second floor of arrivals to Airport City.

Time

GMT +2 (GMT +3 from the end of March to the end of October)

Contacts

Tel: +972 3 975 5555.

see full airport guide

Ben-Gurion Airport Taxis: the taxi fares above are intended as a guideline only.