Tel Aviv with a Toddler or Baby: Know Before You Go

Confession time: I had no desire to go to Tel Aviv. At all.

Not that I had anything against TA, I just didn’t know anything about it. It wasn’t on my radar as a travel destination.

But it should have been!

My husband was asked to travel to Tel Aviv for work, and for the first time ever, we decided to bring the family along on a work trip. Here is everything that I think you should know if you’re planning a trip to Tel Aviv with a baby or a toddler!

If you’re looking for specific things to do, check out the top ten things to do in Tel Aviv with a toddler or baby!

Tel Aviv is super baby-friendly.

Some cities seem to be built for families, and Tel Aviv is one of those cities. It’s easy to navigate with a stroller. Every restaurant we went to had high chairs and kids menus. Everyone we talked to was very sweet with our girls, although maybe not in the same way that we encountered in Southeast Asia (where you literally cannot walk down the street without someone wanting to hold/play with/sing to your baby!).

Since coming back, everyone keeps asking if I felt safe. I felt just as safe as in any major city. I’m not leaving my purse unattended or anything, but I never felt insecure or concerned.

It is very interesting to sit on the beach and watch the military choppers go by constantly! But there is no reason to believe that just being in a certain part of the world – no matter how tourist-friendly – makes you inherently in danger.

Taxi drivers don’t mind your car seat.

I’ve been to lots of places where car seats can’t install in taxis because there is no seat belt (lookin’ at you, Thailand), and lots of places where taxis will refuse to pick you up if you’re holding a car seat (lookin’ at you, Rome).

The Tel Aviv taxi drivers that we had were completely understanding, patient, and equipped to have car seats. We only used the car seat a few times, so it’s a small sample size, but every taxi we were in had back seat belts at least.

We also found the taxi drivers to be polite and safe – not something I can say of every place I’ve been!

In Tel Aviv, it’s exceptionally easy to get a taxi wherever you are. They all use the Gett app, an Israeli app that works like Uber, but for the public taxis. It’s quick, convenient, easy to use, and ensures a regulated fare. I highly recommend you download it before you go! You will need it.

The bus system is pretty good, but traffic is bad.

You can get anywhere you need to go on a public bus in Tel Aviv, and you will do it in comfort! Every bus we took was a large, charter-style bus with cushy seats.

Unfortunately, it will just take you a long time to get there. Tel Aviv traffic is really awful, but a taxi won’t really get you where you’re going much faster than the bus.

If you’re taking the bus, be sure to have exact change, or as close to it as possible. Better yet, get the pre-loaded Rav Kav bus card. We encountered one bus that would not take cash, and apparently more and more of the routes are going this direction. You can buy Rav Kav cards are a number of different places, including train and bus stations. But it’s easiest to just buy one from the arrivals area of Ben Gurion airport on your way into town.

Because the buses have steps and small aisles, you can’t bring a stroller on board with you. If you have an umbrella stroller or a pocket stroller, you can fold it up and stick it in the storage underneath the bus. Simply indicate your stroller to the driver, and he will pop open the compartment.

Keep in mind that the buses do not run during Shabbat. Speaking of which…

Be aware of Shabbat, but don’t stress about it.

If you’ve been researching visiting Israel much at all, you’ve probably encountered warnings about Shabbat. You’ll be completely stranded! There will be nothing to eat! There’s nothing to do!

This is so far from the truth.

In Orthodox Judaism, Saturday is a day of rest, or Shabbat. Shabbat is a time of celebration, family, and feasting. There are also a lot of activities that are forbidden for Orthodox Jews during this time, including writing, working, operating machinery, and much more.

But it’s not just Saturday. Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday. For this reason, there is no set time that Shabbat starts each week – it varies throughout the year.

Shabbat is heavily observed in Israel, meaning that you will find that many of the services that you are used to might not be available during this time. Many restaurants, museums, and tours are closed, the buses and trains shut down, the elevators in your hotel might run on Shabbat mode – meaning they stop at every floor so that an observant Jew does not have to operate it.

The level of observance of Shabbat varies greatly from place to place. In Tel Aviv, it’s not going to impact you that much.

But we stayed in Jerusalem on a Friday night, where Shabbat is a major part of life for everyone. And you know what? It was totally fine. We made sure to stock up on snacks before the shops closed Friday afternoon (they close early to allow shop-owners time to prepare for Shabbat), and we planned to eat in the Muslim quarter, where Shabbat is not observed. But even in the Jewish quarter, we were able to find good restaurants that were open. In Tel Aviv, you’ll have no trouble finding a place to eat, drink, and be merry.

Transportation is a little tricky with the buses and trains being down, but the taxis and sheruts (shared taxis – a great way to travel!) are plentiful.

Something keep in mind: Orthodox Jews do not use technology during Shabbat, and it is in fact quite rude to use it around them during this time. Please do not take photos or videos of Orthodox Jews during the Shabbat (even in the background or from a distance), and refrain from using your phone at all if you’re walking through an observant Orthodox area.

Watch out for jellyfish.

Tel Aviv has amazing beaches. Absolutely beautiful, well-maintained, soft sand, perfect in every way…

…except the jellyfish.

The jellyfish don’t hang out at the Tel Aviv beaches year-round – they really only show up when the water temperatures reach 30 degrees C or higher in the middle of the summer. So basically, right when you want to go in the water.

They also move up and down the coast in a giant swarm, so they may or may not be at the beach that you are planning to visit. It’s like jellyfish roulette.

These particular jellyfish do not mess around, and you do not want to mess around with them. The Medusa jellyfish are MASSIVE and their sting can be serious. During the height of “jellyfish season”, just being in the water can sting slightly, even if you don’t accidentally touch one.

So how can you know if the water is safe? When you arrive at the beach, look out for a purple flag. Purple means the swarm is there – stay out of the water.

You can also look at the other people at the beach. Are there a bunch of people swimming? You’re probably safe.

If you want to know before you head out for the day, check out this up-to-date map of where the swarm is hanging out. Technology for the win! This website is all in Hebrew, but I’m pretty sure you can figure out what the pictures mean. 3 red jellyfish = BAD.

Don’t assume that a jellyfish that looks dead washed up on the beach is safe to touch. It isn’t. Keep curious babies away from them, and don’t mistake them yourself for a harmless plastic bag – a common confusion. When we visited, there were a bunch of washed up jellyfish. So be careful, but remember, jellyfish aren’t going to jump out and grab you. If you keep your distance, you’ll be fine.

I enjoyed reading this list of interesting facts about the Israel jellyfish. They’re actually super fascinating!

Plan ahead for the trip from the airport.

It will generally take about a half hour to get from Ben Gurion airport to Tel Aviv, depending on your mode of transportation and traffic. There are lots of options, making the whole airport transfer situation pretty low-stress compared to many places we’ve traveled.

The shuttle buses and shared taxis (sheruts) are great, low-cost options. I always prefer to be in a bus (or train) if I don’t have a car seat. We did take a car seat in a sherut, and the driver was fine with it.

You can also take a taxi, rent a car, or take the train. Be aware that the train will drop off on the outskirts of town, so you’ll still need a taxi. Also keep in mind that the shuttle bus, city buses, and train will all not run during shabbat.

Breastfeed without fear.

If you’re a breastfeeding mother, Israel is a great place to visit. It is very normal to breastfeed in public, including in restaurants and cafes, on the bus… wherever. It is much more widely accepted than it is in the US.

The State of Israel Ministry of Health strongly supports a woman’s right to breastfeed whenever and wherever she wants, and actively promotes the normalization of public breastfeeding.

All of the women that I saw nursing in public did so somewhat discreetly – either with a light shawl or under a loose shirt. I don’t do shawls, but I did wear nursing tops so that I could breastfeed comfortably without exposing much.

I think in Tel Aviv you’d be fine to breastfeed uncovered if you prefer. In some of the more conservative areas, like Jerusalem, you will probably be more comfortable if you are a bit more discreet, at least with a loose shirt to cover you. I did not encounter any negativity at all in either place.

This is a multilingual city, where English is common.

Hebrew is the official language of Israel, with Arabic as an official secondary language. But every student in Israel learns English, as it is a core requirement of public schooling. So it’s more than fair to say that you will have no trouble whatsoever getting by with English.

Road signs, logos, menus… everything is either bilingual (Hebrew and English) or trilingual (Hebrew, Arabic, and English). We rarely encountered anyone who did not speak very clear English. If you are a traveler who worries about language barriers, you won’t find one here!

Don’t forget to take some day trips!

While you could easily spend a few weeks in Tel Aviv without growing bored, you’d be remiss if you didn’t make it to some of the incredible sites that are a short trip from the city.

If you have any interest in history, art history, or architecture, you can’t miss Jerusalem. The holy city is a 2 hour bus ride (or 1 hour taxi) away from Tel Aviv. We loved being in Jerusalem to experience the start of Shabbat at the Western Wall.

Also consider taking in the scenery of Akko, reveling in the history of Masada, or going for a float in the Dead Sea. Herzliya, just 20 minutes north, has amazing beaches and a super relaxed vibe. If you’re interested in the most important religious sites, you won’t want to miss Galilee or Bethlehem (although I would personally be cautious about going to the West Bank with young ones right now).

Though it is in a different country, tours to Petra (in Jordan) are readily available. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra is truly not to be missed if you are in the region. I saw lots of advertisements for 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day tours. I would advise doing a tour to ease any potential difficulty with the border.

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So there you have it! But let me know – what did I miss? Do you have questions? Have you been to Tel Aviv, and have any other insights? Let me know in the comments!