If you’re planning to travel from TLV airport to Tel Aviv,
then this video is going to provide you with some very important insights.
I will start with a misconception that many people have. Just because you land at Tel Aviv airport,
it doesn’t mean that you need to start your trip in Tel Aviv. Israel is tiny and the airport is
located outside of the city, so you can easily take the train to Jerusalem as well. It won’t
take you any longer. You could also rent a car and drive to the desert or the Galilee. Two hours and
you are there. But this video is about getting to Tel Aviv, so let me show you how to do it.
There are two ways: trains and taxis. If you decide to take a taxi, you need to be aware
of scammers. They are the ones who will approach you in the arrivals hall or once
you’ve exited the airport and ask you if you need a taxi. They won’t use a meter and
they’ll definitely rip you off. Which isn’t the ideal way to start your trip to Israel.
You need to go to the official taxi rank. Let
me show you how to get there. You head out of the airport,
turn left and walk all the way to here. Why is it to the side
and not right in front of you when you come out? Good question, I don’t know.
The other option is to take the train. The train is fast, cheap and convenient
but it doesn’t run on Shabbat, so from Friday afternoon to Saturday night.
It’s the same with Jewish holidays and the trains don’t usually run at night either. How can you be
sure if the train is running when you land? Click the link below for all the information.
Paying for your train ticket is really easy. You can pay by cash, credit card,
Rav Kav or via different apps. I have already made videos about the apps and the Rav Kav,
so be sure to check them out. I’ll just remind you that inside the welcome hall
there’s a public transportation booth where you can purchase a Rav Kav.
The ride to Tel Aviv takes 15 minutes and costs 9 shekels, so around 3 dollars.
Now this is very important, so listen carefully. In Tel Aviv there are four stations. The first
one is called Tel Aviv HaHagana. Now if you look at the map, you’ll see that the main bus station
in Tel Aviv is right next to it and you might think, great, I will take the train and then
the bus from the main bus station. Well, I have news for you. Think again. The area around the
central bus station in Tel Aviv is not somewhere you want to be walking around. Tel Aviv is rich,
Tel Aviv is the capital of high tech in Israel, but you will see none of that in the HaTachana
HaMercazit (central bus station) area. You can walk around there during the day but I would
advise solo female travelers to stay away from that area. Men shouldn’t go there at night either.
The next two stations are HaShalom and Savidor. I assume that HaShalom will be
closer to your hotel but Savidor is also in the center. The last
station is Tel Aviv University, so I doubt you’ll be needing to go there.
So let’s see how long it takes me to get from the airport to drinking at
a cool yet overpriced café close to the beach. By taxi it should take 50 minutes and cost about 150 shekels so about $45
Now I’m going to take the train and you’re coming along with me for the ride.
Now it is … I had to wait for … minutes until the train arrived.
Now I know I just said to try to avoid HaHagana station but I need to be in
south Tel Aviv today because I’m doing a welding course so I need to get out there.
As you can see, south Tel Aviv isn't the nicest side of the city
So it’s now 12:50 and it took me exactly one hour to get here. I’m drinking an overpriced Tel Avivan iced coffee and just
being very cool.
Now a few important words about Tel Aviv. If you’ve watched this video up until now,
you are probably planning a trip to Tel Aviv. As a guide, I like to say that there are no two
cities in the world like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv – they are so close geographically and yet so
different. Tel Aviv is on the shore, Jerusalem is high up in the mountains. Jerusalem is old,
Tel Aviv is young. Tel Aviv is rich and secular, and Jerusalem is poor and of great religious
significance. In Jerusalem, there are sites that you just have to see, in Tel Aviv you don’t have
to do anything – you can just lie on the beach and drink your martini. On Instagram and Tiktok
you can find loads of good tips if you’re looking for cool cafes or neighborhoods, like Neve Tzedel
or Florentin, and everyone will tell you to visit Levinski Market or HaCarmel Market.
That being said, if you want to go to the beach and soak up a pleasant atmosphere, you can do
that in any number of other destinations that aren’t as pricey: Greece, Italy, Wisconsin, Spain…
I do think it’s worth your while to take tours in Jaffa and Tel Aviv. On my Tel Aviv and Jaffa video
tours and in my booklet, I talk about the history of Jaffa, which is actually an ancient port city,
and the history of Tel Aviv but I also like to talk about Israel. After all,
the state of Israel was established in Tel Aviv. In Jerusalem, it’s all about the heavy history
and religious sites: Abraham, King David, Jesus, the Temple… it doesn’t get any heavier than that.
As I see it, Jerusalem is more about the Jews, and Tel Aviv is more about the Israelis.
Anyway, you will find all the information you need about the train, Rav Kav,
and my tours on my website. See you there! Yalla bye!