FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN TEL AVIV
Some of Tel Aviv’s hotels are built right on the beach.
By plane to Tel Aviv
Finnair and Norwegian operate direct flights from Helsinki to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Finnair flies to Tel Aviv twice a week and Norwegian once. At best, direct flights can be obtained for less than 150 euros.
From Ben Gurion Airport, you can reach Tel Aviv by train or taxi. The train station is located under Terminal 3. When traveling, it is worth considering the effect of the Sabbath on public transport, because on the Sabbath trains do not run. In this case, you should consider a taxi.
When flying to Israel, you must also prepare for stricter security checks than usual, in which case you should arrive at the airport three hours in advance on the return trip.
Tel Aviv hotel offer
Tel Aviv’s accommodation offerings consist mainly of upper-middle-class and luxury large hotels of international hotel chains located close to the beach. Hotels offer an excellent setting for accommodation and quality service, but in return, accommodation in Tel Aviv is expensive.
In addition to large hotels, there are some smaller boutique hotels in Tel Aviv, but there is a shortage of reasonably priced mid-range hotels and hostels. There are very few accommodation options in Tel Aviv for less than € 40.
If you prefer a budget trip to Tel Aviv, reservations should be made well in advance.
Getting around in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv’s downtown area is easily accessible from one attraction to another and also between different parts of the city. Getting around on bikes and motorized kickboards is also convenient, as there are plenty of bike paths in Tel Aviv. City bikes can be rented from the streets and can be paid by credit card.
Tel Aviv’s public transportation operates reasonably on the bus network. Taking a taxi is a cost-effective option in Tel Aviv. Indeed, most tourists are likely to find a good solution for getting around Tel Aviv from a combination of walking and occasional taxi rides.
TEL AVIV ATTRACTIONS
The view from Jaffa Hill to Tel Aviv is more descriptive of the city.
Historic Jaffa
In addition to a relaxing beach holiday, the waves of Tel Aviv offer the opportunity to surf. Due to the height of the waves, a port was built in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, as it was one of the few sheltered anchorages on the beach.
The small port district of Jaffa has been known for over 4,000 years. According to the Old Testament, Jonah drifted into the belly of a fish in the port of Jaffa.
The city of Jaffa, conquered and rebuilt several times during its history, is the historic center of the Tel Aviv region. The official name of Tel Aviv is also Tel Aviv-Jaffa, according to the dual city.
The most important individual attractions are the Ottoman Clock Tower, St. Peter’s Church and the versatile home museum of the artist Ilana Goor.
Every tourist must also see the actual port area of Jaffa as well as climb the Jaffa Hill, which offers a great view of Tel Aviv’s beaches and skyscrapers. The 20th-century warehouse buildings at the Port of Jaffa have been restored as a new leisure center, and one of Tel Aviv’s most expensive homes is located in Jaffa.
A good attraction is also the Jaffa Visitor Center underground, which presents the history of the area. Jaffa’s flea market and markets are also tempting to shop and make discoveries.
Neve Tzedek – Tel Aviv’s trendiest
The oldest part of Tel Aviv itself is Neve Tzedek, founded outside Jaffa by a small group of Jews tired of cramped living conditions in the late 19th century. The district is thus older than the city of Tel Aviv, founded in 1909.
As Tel Aviv developed and population growth shifted north, the Neve Tzedek region came to decline in the second half of the 20th century. In the 21st century, however, the area has risen to new heights as a trendy residential and shopping area.
Neve Tzedek has a remarkable number of upscale cafes, restaurants and fashion boutiques. The buildings are being restored at a rapid pace, and Neve Tzedek attracts tourists to wander around and enjoy the unhurried atmosphere and quality restaurants.
The Florentin area, which has a largely similar atmosphere, can also be counted in Neve Tzedek. Florentin has an excellent destination for buying souvenirs: Levinsky Spice Market Street.
Unique Bauhaus architecture
The Neve Tzedek area is followed by the old center of Tel Aviv, located between the southern and northern cities, known especially for its Bauhaus architecture, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A lot of immigrants from Germany moved to the area, now known as Israel, especially in the 1930s. Among the immigrants were many Architects familiar with modern architecture who have to leave Germany before and during World War II. These architects built unprecedented modernist architecture in Tel Aviv in the Middle East. A total of thousands of Bauhaus buildings were created in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus style is actually a mix of different schools of modernist architecture. The Bauhaus houses are on the UNESCO list, especially because of their cultural value – the Bauhaus houses in Tel Aviv brought modern architecture to a whole new corner of the world.
Good streets for both shopping and eating include Dizengoff and Sheinken, as well as the Rothschild Boulevard, home to the best examples of Bauhaus architecture.
Skyscrapers and nightlife
Moving north from downtown, Tel Aviv becomes a modern metropolitan-dominated metropolis. To the north are most of the city’s tower blocks. The area includes the tallest buildings in all of Israel, the Azrieli Towers.
In northern Tel Aviv, there is also the so-called New Port area, which is the center of Tel Aviv’s vibrant nightlife with its numerous clubs and restaurants.
Other good attractions in the area include the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Museum of Performing Arts, the Jewish Museum, and the New Harbor area, where the former port area has been transformed into the city’s nightlife hub.
