Planning a Trip

Arriving

By Plane -- Flights arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport at Lod, on the outskirts of the city. There is a fixed daytime taxi fare of approximately NIS 135 ($34/£17) from Ben-Gurion to central Tel Aviv. This fare includes one suitcase per passenger; additional suitcases are NIS 4 ($1/50p) each. After 9pm and on Shabbat, the fixed fare will be higher. Trains leave Ben-Gurion Airport for the Arlosoroff Train Station in Tel Aviv two times an hour from 3:30am to 11pm. Fare is NIS 16 ($4/£2). From there you'll need to take a local taxi. You're not too far to most Tel Aviv hotels, but with baggage, jet lag, and brutal summer heat, it's not walkable.

By Train -- The Central Railway Station (sometimes called North Railway Station because it's in the northern reaches of the city) stands at the intersection of several major arteries -- Petach Tikva Road, Haifa Road, and Arlosoroff Street. From here, municipal buses will take you throughout the city. For Israel Railways information call tel. 03/611-7000.

By Bus -- From the Central Bus Station into town, take bus no. 4, which runs along Allenby Road and then up Ben-Yehuda Street. As you ride along Ben-Yehuda, you'll be parallel to and a block away from Ha-Yarkon Street, where many hotels are located. Ask the driver for the stop closest to your hotel. Take the no. 5 bus to Dizengoff Square. For Dan Bus Lines information call tel. 03/639-4444.

By Sherut -- Ten-passenger vans from Jerusalem and Haifa drop you off just outside the main door of the vast Tel Aviv Bus Station and leave for the return trip as soon as they're full. Much more convenient than wending your way through the six-story bus station, sheruts cost a shekel or so more than bus fares.

By Car -- Major highways connect Jerusalem, Haifa, and Ashkelon with Tel Aviv.

Visitor Information

The Israel Tourist Information Office is located at 7 Mendele St. (tel. 03/520-7600), near Ben-Yehuda Street, right in the heart of Tel Aviv's main hotel district. It's open Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm. This office will give you free information about sites in Tel Aviv and throughout Israel, as well as maps, useful brochures, and discount coupon books. You must come in person. A much less comprehensive Municipal Tourist Office is at 46 Herbert Samuel Promenade (tel. 03/561-6188). This one is open Sunday through Thursday 8am to 4:30pm.

On the Web, Tel Aviv Guide (www.telavivguide.net) offers lots of good information and visitor forums; Tel Aviv 4 Fun (www.telaviv4fun.com) has information about guided and independent tours, travel tips, and reviews of attractions, hotels, and dining. Tel Aviv in Focus (www.telavivinf.com) is a fabulous site, loaded with up-to-date information; its list of links is a treasure chest.

Staying Connected

Tel Aviv is one of the most Web-connected places on earth. You will never want for places to get online. Convenient to the hotel district, Web Stop Internet Lounge, 28 Bogroshov St. (tel. 03/620-2682), is a home away from home for anyone who needs to feel connected. There's a coffee bar and a real bar (though limited) on the premises, as well as classy computer desks that seat two, log-on sites for laptop users, red velvet sofas, a computer with a minicam, and snacks that don't exactly say "tech-head" (such as sun-dried tomato and brie sandwiches). It's the kind of place with lots of regulars, where everybody knows your name. Private Link, 78 Ben-Yehuda St. (tel. 03/529-9889), is convenient to the hotel district.