The Tel Aviv guide
Most Tel Aviv guides tell you where to eat. This one covers the part that actually decides how your trip goes: how you get in from the airport, how you move around the city, what stops working on Shabbat, and how far the day trips really are.
-
Arriving, moving around, day trips
Written by a transport company, not a magazine
Every section links to the practical detail
Get a fixed fare
Get your fixed fare for this route
Choose a pickup and a drop-off, add your date and time, and the widget shows an indicative fare from our published rates — confirmed by message before you travel.
Start with the two things that catch people out
Tel Aviv is compact and easy once you are in it. The two things that surprise visitors are both about transport, and both avoidable.
The first is the airport: Ben Gurion sits about 20 km southeast of the city, and the train that connects it is fast and cheap — but it stops entirely for Shabbat. Land on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday and the train is not an option. The second is that public transport inside the city also stops: no buses, no light rail, from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening. See what runs on Shabbat.
Work through it in order
If you are arriving, start with getting in from Ben Gurion — it compares the train, the bus, the shared taxi and a private car honestly, including which ones fail on Shabbat.
Once you are here, getting around the city covers the light rail, buses, bikes and taxis, and the apps question explains what Gett and Yango are, and why you may not need either.
Then pick your base and your days
Where to stay looks at the city by area and by how easily you can leave it. The neighbourhoods covers what each part of town is actually for, and the beaches maps the seafront from north to south.
For days out, day trips from Tel Aviv gives real distances and drive times to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Haifa and Caesarea. If you would rather follow a plan, one-day and three-day itineraries are laid out for you.
Practical details
- Getting in from the airport, in both directions
- Trains, buses, light rail, bikes and taxis in the city
- What stops for Shabbat, and what does not
- Areas to stay, judged partly on how easily you leave
- Day trips with honest distances and drive times
Related services
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a car in Tel Aviv?
Not in the city — it is compact and the light rail and buses cover it. You may want one for day trips, which is where a private transfer is usually simpler than renting.
Is English enough in Tel Aviv?
Yes. English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and among drivers, and most signage has English.
What is the single most useful thing to know?
That public transport stops for Shabbat. Planning around that one fact prevents most of the travel problems visitors run into.
Call or WhatsApp with your addresses and preferred time.