What is the best inexpensive public transportation to take from Jerusalem to Alexandria? I noticed Turkish Airlines have flights this route, mostly with layovers in Istanbul. Do I need to apply a head of time for a VISA in Turkey just to change planes?
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
No, you only need a Turkish Visa if you exit IST airport. If the layover is so long that it it's the only option (or you actually wan to exit the airport and spend some time in Istanbul), then the answer would be "yes". It's fairly inexpensive though (around 25 EUR or so).
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15784 posts
The only direct flights from TLV (a 40 minute drive from Jerusalem) to Egypt are to Cairo on Air Sinai, a subsidiary of EgyptAir. They don't sell tickets online. You'd need a travel agent, maybe with a connecting flight to Alexandria. Did you try Jordanian Air with a change in Amman?
I'm curious what your whole itinerary is. How are you getting to Israel and where are you going from Egypt?
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I'm only in the grass roots phase of planning a trip to Israel and Egypt. I'll do some tours but, prefer independent travel. I do not speak Arabic. How do English speaking tourists handle the language barrier in Alexandria?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
Just a question -- does Egypt allow you to enter if you have an Israeli stamp on your passport? I seem to recall it used to be a problem. (Never tried it, though.)
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15784 posts
There are open borders between Israel and Egypt since the peace treaty signed by Sadat and Begin in the 1970's. The land border between Eilat and Taba (across the tip of an arm of the Red Sea from Aqaba) is used frequently by Israelis, Egyptians and foreign tourists.
Kim - It's probably best for you to plan an open-jaw itinerary into Israel and out of Egypt. Or if you have the time, consider adding Jordan and seeing something of all three countries. There are short tours (2-4 days) that you could take from the south (Aqaba/Eilat/Taba) through the Sinai to Egypt.