I Got Stranded in Israel During a War: Advice For Others in The Same Situation
One word: balagan
NOTE: if you landed on this article for advice on evacuating Israel during the Ben Gurion Airport closure, you can skip the introductory fluff and scroll down to “Stuck in Israel? Options for Getting Home” for specifics. I hope this information helps others who find themselves in a similar position.
Here’s what they don’t tell you about getting stranded in Israel during a war: it’s actually boring. Nothing is planned, your return trip and daily life have just been upended. So between missile alerts, online searches for travel information, and correspondence with friends, family, and your employer, you’re just waiting around for more news.
Still, it’s been a whirlwind. I sit here writing this entry after being back home for less than a day with the realization that for the first time in weeks, I do not have to worry about sirens, running to bomb shelters, or my phone going off at 3am to warn of incoming missiles. Suffice to say that I am never taking living in a country not at war for granted ever again.
After a wonderful two weeks of fun and volunteering, I got stranded in Israel the day before what was supposed to be my departure date when the country closed its airspace to all travel due to the Iranian escalations. This extended closure of the airport never happens. Even during the worst days post-October 7th, Israel never shut down its airspace for more than a few days. I booked my trip on El Al specifically because they’re known to fly reliably during wars. Now, I resent the company for being closed and totally unavailable for any customer service calls over Shabbat (even during a war, which some might argue qualifies as a life or death exception).
This situation was truly unprecedented. Not only have the airport closures gone on for more than a week now, every other Israeli airline has relocated their fleets out of the country. At the time of this writing, normal operations won’t be resuming for several weeks. At first, I sat tight with the hope that El Al would resume operations within a few days. When it became clear that wasn’t happening, my volunteer group decided to explore alternate ways to leave the country.
As I sat on my return flight to the U.S. from Amman on Royal Jordanian Air after an exhausting trip across the land border, half the plane filled with exhausted American Jews in the same position, we couldn’t help but remark to each other that it felt like a flight of refugees from involuntary Aliyah. We sang “God Bless America” when the plane touched the ground.
All of that being said, I do not regret going to Israel. While I am not happy with how this trip ended, my feelings for the place remain intact. I will be back there one day, just hopefully not during a war.
Right now, though, I have never been so happy to be home from a planned trip abroad.
Stuck in Israel? Options for getting home:
If you’re unable to leave Israel from an in-country airport, there are alternative options available. However, they require you to travel to an airport in a neighboring country. While not convenient, they may be your only options during an extended airport closure on the Israeli side. Here are the options with links to reputable travel agencies, along with a broader explanation of what I personally did:
Shuttle to Egypt via the Taba Crossing, then fly out from Sharm El Sheik Airport. Abraham Tours is offering this transportation option.
Charter boat to Cyprus and fly out from Laranca. The cruise to Cyprus from Israel takes about 20 hours. Mano Maritime is one company offering this service.
Use one of Israel’s 3 land crossings to Jordan (I highly recommend using the northern Beit Shean/Sheikh Hussain crossing near Tiberius or the southern one near Eilat and NOT the Allenby/King Hussain crossing near Jericho) and fly out from Queen Alia Airport in Amman. That is what I did, so I will expand on it more.
I booked a shuttle through Tourist Israel, which was seamless. They arrange transportation with an Israeli driver who will take you to the northern Beit Shean/Sheikh Hussain border and with a Jordanian driver who will meet you on the other side for transport to Amman airport. Both drivers will contact you directly via WhatsApp (note: WhatsApp is crucial to have in Israel). If you decide to book through a different agency, I do not recommend doing so with one that takes you to the Allenby Crossing. I would only do the Allenby Crossing as a last resort.
Tips for this journey:
BE PATIENT. It will take you an entire day to go through this process. Book a flight for at least a day after your planned crossing and plan for an overnight in Amman. Get to the Israeli crossing as close as possible to when it opens, and plan to wait on the Jordanian side for a long time to clear customs. Then, it’s about a 2-hour drive from the Jordanian side of the border to Amman Airport. The entire process from arrival at the Israeli side of the crossing to clearing customs on the Jordanian side took me about 5 hours, but I know others for whom it took longer.
BRING CASH. Jordanian officials respond well to bribery.
GET YOUR JORDANIAN VISA BEFORE YOU LEAVE. The app is not user friendly and may be literally one of the worst pieces of software I’ve ever encountered, but you will get through. First, you must create an account, and the account will take several hours to be confirmed. After your account is confirmed, you can apply for and pay for an e-visa. If you are a U.S. citizen, your visa should be approved immediately. Paying the fee will mean that you should not owe Jordanian officials any additional money. Keep the receipt on your phone.
There is an exit fee on the Israeli side that cannot be prepaid. It can be paid at the crossing with cash or credit card.
Bring water and snacks. You will be waiting a long time, and much of it will be outside in the heat. There is nowhere to buy these items at the crossings.
IMPORTANT: when you arrive to the Jordanian side of the border, the driver will not be waiting for you immediately on the other side. You must take a local taxi and give the taxi driver your shuttle driver’s phone number to call for his location, which will be about 2 km beyond the crossing.
While not the ideal way to end a trip to Israel, everyone from my large volunteer group successfully made it out using one of the above options. Best of luck to my fellow travelers!
Thanks for reading! If you liked what you read and wish to support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation.
Glad you made it out. My boss got stuck too, headed to Eilat, from there to Sharm El-Sheikh and from there Europe, then the US.
Thank you! I forwarded to family stuck and they used your links to get home.