Traveling to Israel soon and flying to Tel Aviv Airport? This is your guide for buying a prepaid sim card at Ben Gurion International Airport. Don't get stuck with high roaming costs, a local prepaid sim card is the cheapest way to stay connected on your trip to Israel. I will tell you where to buy a sim card, the best sim card deal as per August 2023, the best 4G/5G network and everything else you need to know about buying a sim card for Israel at Tel Aviv Airport.
Buying a sim card on arrival in a new country is the first thing I do myself and that is how I already wrote more than 200 guides for buying local sim cards in many places around the world: USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, Jordan, London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam and many more.
RELATED: 33 Things To Do in Israel in 2023! With hot air ballooning in the Negev Desert, boat ride on the Dead Sea, ATV riding in Makhtesh Ramon and much more.
Why buying a sim card for Israel
For many reasons I would encourage you to get a local sim card for your trip to Israel:
1. Stay connected
Life with a working data connection is so much more convenient. Think about ordering an Uber on the streets, getting directions from Google Maps or finding a nearby restaurant with good reviews.
2. Don't rely on WiFi
Yes most places in Tel Aviv have free Wifi, but what if the signal in your hotel room is weak, or the WiFi is too slow it hardly works? When you get a local sim card you always can rely on 4G and even 5G these days.
3. Public WiFi is UNSECURED
Be aware that a public WiFi connection is through an UNSECURED network so it is recommend to use a VPN.
4. Fast, cheap and Easy
Getting a local sim card in Israel is a matter a minutes. Buy a sim card, put it in your phone, wait till it is activated and you are online within 2 minutes. And great thing is that prepaid sim cards with data are cheap in Israel. The easiest, fastest and most convenient place to buy your Israel sim card on arrival is of course at the airport. Keep in mind though that for this convenience you pay a couple extra dollars. The sim card deals at Tel Aviv Airport are not the best ones.
In Tel Aviv city center you can find much better sim card deals, check out my article with the best Israel prepaid sim cards in 2023.
If you are not a fan of swapping sim cards and changing phone number then have a look into a pocket WiFi. Personally, I am not the biggest fan but these portable WiFi devices do work. Check out my HONEST review in my article about how to get WiFi when traveling.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends buying a sim card for Israel ONLINE! It is the easiest and cheapest option: 150 GB starts from $25 onwards. More info below! Because buying a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport will cost you DOUBLE!
However, if you have no other choice than buying a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport we recommend you to buy a Partner sim card at the Steimatzky book store in the Arrival Hall. You will get 25 GB for $48.
Another great alternative is a world sim card with global coverage. You can find some good deals among these sim cards specially designed for world travelers. Check out my comparison and review and comparison of the best international sim cards in 2023 and find the one for your trip to Israel.
Of course I also wrote a complete guide for the best Israel sim card for tourists in 2023. Airports are always more expensive than when buying a sim card in the city. But to make it even easier you can nowadays buy them also online. The easiest way? Order an e-sim card for Israel!
Related: Everything to know when you travel to Israel in 2023.
Buy a sim card for Israel online (cheaper than Tel Aviv Airport)
The cheapest way to stay connected in Israel is buying a sim card for Israel online. You already get 70 GB from $22 onwards including UNLIMITED calls to USA and Canada. That is an absolutely amazing offer and much cheaper than the sim card deals you find at Tel Aviv Airport.
- $25 = 150 GB data + unlimited calls in Israel and to USA & Canada for 7 days.
- $29 = 150 GB data + unlimited calls in Israel and to USA & Canada for 10 days.
- $39 = 150 GB data + unlimited calls in Israel and to USA & Canada for 21 days.
Order your Israel sim card directly through this link and get it delivered to your home address within a couple days.
RELATED: 19 Things To Know Before Traveling to Israel in 2023!
There are also other websites that offer prepaid sim cards for traveling to Israel. See some of the above international prepaid sim cards that also work in Israel. These international sim cards are valid in up to 120 countries and therefore also much more expensive:
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 12 GB data for 30 days = $29.90 USD
- 12 GB data for 1 year = $29.90 USD
Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Israel.
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv
The main hub for traveling to Israel is Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. It is an easy to navigate airport and there is only one big arrival hall. After going through immigration this is where you will walk into. The arrival hall at Ben Gurion Airport is a huge open space.
Prices below are in Israeli Shekel and as per August 2023: $1 USD = 3.65 ILS and 1 ILS = $0.27 USD.
Where to buy an Israel sim card at Ben Gurion Airport
As soon as you walk into the arrivals hall after immigration you will see shops straight ahead of you and on your left hand side. There are only two shops that sell an Israel prepaid sim card for tourists: 019 Mobile and the Steimatzky book store. They both have big signs saying Israel sim card for sale!
Prices sim card Tel Aviv Airport in 2023
One of the things I learned from my first trip to Israel is that Israel is an expensive country! Unfortunately buying a sim card at Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv is not cheap. Expect to pay a lot for your Israel sim card when buying it at Tel Aviv Airport.
019 Mobile Tel Aviv Airport
All the 019 Mobile Israel sim cards you can buy at Tel Aviv Airport come with unlimited calls all over the world, so at least that is a great thing. Plus they are flexible in how many days you travel to Israel.
- $45 = 8 days - 10 GB
- $54 = 8 days - unlimited data
- $49 = 20 days - 2 GB
- $69 = 20 days - 20 GB
- $75 = 20 days - unlimited data
- $69 = 35 days - 5 GB
- $99 = 35 days - 30 GB
- $109 = 35 days - unlimited data
The cheapest 019 Mobile sim card for Israel at Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv is $45 and then you get 10 GB data for 8 days. Remember ordering an Israel sim card online starts from $22 and you get 70 GB data and unlimited calls to the USA and Canada! Just saying... ;)
Steimatzsky Tel Aviv Airport
The Steimatzky shop is actually a book shop that sells Israel sim cards, but the guy was very helpful and knowledgeable. All the Israel sim card sold at this shop are from the mobile internet operator Partner.
Partner Israel sim card for 7 days
- 175 NIS ($50) = 500 minutes + 500 sms + 40 NIS ($11) international calling credit + 15 GB data valid for 7 days.
- 185 NIS ($52) = unlimited minutes & sms + 30 NIS ($8) international calling credit + 50 GB data valid for 7 days.
- 170 NIS ($48) = 1500 minutes + 1500 sms + 30 GB data valid for 7 days.
Partner Israel sim card for 10 days
- 180 NIS ($51) = 1500 minutes + 1500 sms + 30 GB data valid for 10 days.
- 230 NIS ($65) = unlimited minutes & sms + 150 GB data valid for 10 days.
Partner Israel sim card for 30 days
- 235 NIS ($67) = unlimited minutes & sms + 200 GB data valid for 30 days.
- 269 NIS ($77) = unlimited minutes & sms + 110 NIS ($31) international calling credit + 200 GB data valid for 30 days.
Data only Partner Israel sim card
- 169 NIS ($48) = 25 GB valid for 30 days.
In case you already have an Israel sim card, prices are significantly cheaper, see the first column on the picture above. This also counts for ordering your Israel sim card online. You can simply top up online too. Super affordable!
Best sim card at Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv in 2023
It depends for how long you intend to visit Israel. Personally I pretty much only use data and make phone calls over the internet through WhatsApp, Viber or Skype so a data only sim card for Israel is perfect for me.
The best Israel sim card at Tel Aviv Airport can be bought at the Steimatzky book store. Here a Partner Israel sim card will costs $48 USD and you get 25 GB valid for 30 days!
In case you want (international) minutes in your package plus data then buy a 019 Mobile Israel sim card at Tel Aviv Airport.
However, a last reminder that ordering a sim card for Israel online is much cheaper than the sim card deals at Tel Aviv Airport.
When looking for ways to stay connected when traveling to Israel then seriously just order an Israel sim card online. It will on average save you around $20 per sim card, no jokes. The cheapest sim card online already gives you 150 GB data and costs only $25 USD. It works great all over Israel with a super fast 4G/5G connection! Click on the link above or the picture below for more info.
Best e-sim cards for Israel
The easiest way to get connected when traveling to Tel Aviv in 2023 is an e-sim card. Without a doubt! You can arrange everything online within a couple minutes and there is no need to swap physical sim cards or visit a store. Unfortunately the Israel e-sim card deals are pretty expensive compared to the online prepaid sim cards for Israel:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $13.5 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $18 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $22 USD
You can order an Israel e-sim card directly through this link.
The above data-only e-sim cards for Israel are from Annatel and they operate on the 5G network of Annatel/Partner network. This e-sim card for Israel is 5G ready.
There are also international e-sim cards that are valid in more than 70 countries including Israel. These are also data-only e-sim cards and phone calls are not supported just like the ones above. International e-sim cards start from $17.90 USD which gets you 6 GB data for 10 days.
For more offers see the above picture.
Click here to order an international e-sim card for Israel or find more info.
How to get from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv
A taxi from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv will cost you around $30 to $50 depending where in the city you are going to. But there are cheaper options to get from Tel Aviv Airport to Tel Aviv. There are regular busses that take about 30 minutes into the city and they cost only $8. But the train is my favorite way to get from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv: the 15 minutes journey costs only $4.
I hope all the above info about buying a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport was helpful and saved you money before you even started traveling to Israel. If you have any more questions please leave me a comment. I am happy to help you out with Israel travel tips as well as questions about Israel sim cards.
Still not sure about which is the best sim card for Israel travel in 2023 then click on this link and read my comparison of 9 different Israel prepaid sim cards. In case you need some unusual things to do in Israel, check this link or read my article with 24 reasons to visit Israel or all my Israel travel tips.
Curious what it looks like to travel to every country in the world? Check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom and get fuelled by wanderlust. As of August 2023 I have been to more than 155 countries.
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Enjoy your trip to Tel Aviv!
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