How to get to Palestine
How to get to Palestine, always depends on where you are arriving; Tel Aviv or Amman.
- Tel Aviv: Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV)
- Amman: Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
If you arrive in Tel Aviv, you will take a sherut (shared taxi) to Jerusalem, then take a bus to the cities in West Bank.
If you arrive in Amman, you’ll take a bus to the border, then pass passport control. After it, you’ll take a shared taxi to the cities.
*Please check this page about crossing the border between West Bank and Jordan.
Which is better, Tel Aviv or Amman?
A popular route among foreign workers is fly-in to Tel Aviv & fly-out from Amman.
Because Allenby Bridge ( = King Hussein Bridge) is not an official border, you might need to prepare a Jordan visa in advance, depending on your nationality.
Visa can be obtained at the Embassy of Jordan in your country or also in Tel Aviv or Ramallah. Please check the latest information at the Embassy.
*You can also read about visas here.
The following photo is of a single visitor visa for Jordan taken at the Embassy of Jordan in Rome.
flying-in to/flying-out from Tel Aviv
1. flying-in to Tel Aviv
The questions of immigration are the same, but in our opinion, waiting time in the queue at Ben Gurion immigration takes less than crossing a border from Jordan.
*Crossing the border from Jordan, you might have to wait inside the bus (no bathroom!) or at passport control for hours without notice.
After arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, take a sherut (shared taxi) to Jerusalem. There, you can catch the buses to the cities on West Bank.
Also see this entry: How to get there to Jerusalem
2. fling-out from Tel Aviv
When flying out from Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport), you have to pass the super strict examination.
Not only questions but also a strict check of the baggage, the officer opens all your bags and test gunpowder.
If you are a young woman, you’ll be forced to a body check in a separate room by a woman officer.
Because of those reasons, it’d be highly recommended that you’d arrive at the airport 4 hours (at least) before your flight.
Crossing the border in/out at Allenby Bridge
Crossing the border out from Israel is much easier. No baggage check, no body check, only some easy questions.
The officers (mostly young ladies) don’t seem very serious; they often go out for a smoke, or just chat between themselves and force the travelers to wait.
But in other words, if you can wait, it’s not so complicated as the examination at Ben Gurion Airport.
About coming in from Jordan, please see this entry: crossing border, Jordan to Israel.
Pros & Cons: flying-in to Tel Aviv, Israel
Pros
- No need for currency exchange between Palestine and Israel.
Cons
- Super strict questions at immigration. When flying out, you have to pass even baggage check and also a special body check if you are a young woman.
Pros & Cons: flying-in to Amman, Jordan
Pros
- Even a bit easier when going out from Israel at Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge).
Cons
- You have to exchange the currencies because of going to Jordan.
- It takes some hours when coming into Israel at Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge).
- The facility usage fee for emigration is expensive.
The exchange counter is just next to passport control between Israel and Jordan, at Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge). The officers often go out for cigarettes, and travelers are forced to wait.