Local Accommodations
Holiday Inn
111 Yefe Nof St., Haifa. Tel. 972-4-8350835. Fax. 972-4-8350836
Flights
International flights land at the Ben Gurion Intl. Airport (TLV) near Tel Aviv. The airport is 12 miles (20 km) southeast of Tel Aviv, 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Jerusalem, and 55 miles (95 km) south of Haifa. The drive from the airport to the Haifa site should take about an hour and a quarter. Local time in Israel is GMT + 2 hours.
Note: Some airport and public transportation services are limited on the Sabbath, between Friday from about 5 P.M. to Saturday at 6 P.M.
Transportation from Ben Gurion Airport
Train
From the Ben Gurion Airport train station, located near the arrivals hall in the airport, you can take a direct train to Haifa. Buy a ticket to the Hof HaCarmel station in Haifa and go down the escalator to the train. Make sure you board on the correct track. Take a taxi from the Hof HaCarmel station in Haifa to your destination.
For more information, see the Israel Railways site. Note that trains and buses do not generally run on Saturdays/holidays in Israel. If you arrive on Friday afternoon, Saturday, or a holiday, you will probably want to rent a car or take a taxi to Haifa.
Bus
You can take a direct Egged bus from the airport to Haifa. Take the 947 bus to the Hof HaCarmel station in Haifa and take a city bus or taxi from there to your destination.
To find out more about the buses that serve the University of Haifa campus, go to the main Egged Web site.
Sherut Taxi Service
Shared taxis, called Sheruts, are available from the airport to all destinations in Israel. Sheruts are about half the price of a private taxi, so they're a good deal, especially if you're going to a distant area such as Haifa or Jerusalem. Keep in mind that you may have to wait a while, since the taxi only leaves the airport when it is full.
Taxi
As you exit from the terminal building, look for the supervised taxi stand. Give your destination to the dispatcher and he will direct you to the correct taxi. The fares from the airport are fixed, so the driver should not use the meter.
Rental Car
Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and other local firms have offices at the airport.
Driving Instructions
See this Haifa University map of the city for general driving instructions.
From the Airport
Follow the signs to Route 1 West to Tel-Aviv. Route 1 becomes the Ayalon Highway North. Get off at the Glilot exit, and turn left at the traffic light. After about 1 mile bear right onto the ramp in the direction of Haifa. You are now driving on Route 2, the coastal road. After about 45 miles (72 km) you'll reach the entrance to Haifa.
Take the first exit, Tirat HaCarmel. There are also signs for the University, the Technion, MATAM, and the Haifa Convention Center. Turn right off the exit ramp and move into the left hand lane. At the first light, turn left. You will see the Haifa Convention Center on your left side and the Haifa Mall on your right side. Continue driving straight up the mountain. At the third traffic light, about 5 km up the mountain, turn right onto Horev Street (Horev Street turns into Abba Hushi Street). Continue straight for about 3.5 km. You will see the IBM building and the tall University of Haifa building on your left side as you approach the University campus. At the traffic light, turn left into the University campus and make an immediate left into the IBM R&D Labs in Israel parking lot.
From the Tel Aviv Site
Take the Ayalon Highway North, get off at the Glilot exit, and turn left at the traffic light. After about 1 mile bear right onto the ramp in the direction of Haifa. You are now driving on Route 2, the coastal road. After about 45 miles (72 km) you'll reach the entrance to Haifa.
Take the first exit, Tirat HaCarmel. There are also signs for the University, the Technion, MATAM, and the Haifa Convention Center. Turn right off the exit ramp and move into the left hand lane. At the first light, turn left. You will see the Haifa Convention Center on your left side and the Haifa Mall on your right side. Continue driving straight up the mountain. At the third traffic light, about 5 km up the mountain, turn right onto Horev Street (Horev Street turns into Abba Hushi Street). Continue straight for about 3.5 km. You will see the IBM building and the tall University of Haifa building on your left side as you approach the University campus. At the traffic light, turn left into the University campus and make an immediate left into the IBM R&D Labs in Israel parking lot.
From the Rehovot Site
Drive North from Rehovot on Highway 412, and turn left before Ness Ziona towards Beit Oved. At the Beit Oved Junction, turn right on Highway 42 towards Rishon LeZion. At the Gan Raveh interchange, take Highway 4 North. After about 5 km, at the Ganot interchange, take Route 1 West towards Tel Aviv. Route 1 becomes the Ayalon Highway North. Get off at the Glilot exit, and turn left at the traffic light. After about 1 mile bear right onto the ramp in the direction of Haifa. You are now driving on Route 2, the coastal road. After about 45 miles (72 km) you'll reach the entrance to Haifa.
Take the first exit, Tirat HaCarmel. There are also signs for the University, the Technion, MATAM, and the Haifa Convention Center. Turn right off the exit ramp and move into the left hand lane. At the first light, turn left. You will see the Haifa Convention Center on your left side and the Haifa Mall on your right side. Continue driving straight up the mountain. At the third traffic light, about 5 km up the mountain, turn right onto Horev Street (Horev Street turns into Abba Hushi Street). Continue straight for about 3.5 km. You will see the IBM building and the tall University of Haifa building on your left side as you approach the University campus. At the traffic light, turn left into the University campus and make an immediate left into the IBM R&D Labs in Israel parking lot.
There are a number of Optional Scenic Route, for reaching the Haifa facility on the University of Haifa campus.
University Map
The Haifa facility is located at the edge of the University of Haifa campus, to the left of the Eshkol Tower on the campus map.
General Haifa Information
Tourism Information
- The InIsrael guide to Haifa
- The Yahoo Travel guide to Haifa
- The University of Haifa's guide to area attractions
- The Tour Haifa tourism guide
- General information from the Israel Ministry of Tourism
- Information about local weather in Haifa
- The Haifa Municipality Web site
Tips
- European power is 220 V/50 Hz. Most, but not all ThinkPad AC adapters will accommodate this; check before leaving. You will need a Europe/US outlet adapter, these can often be found in US airport shops or can be ordered from http://www.port.com/.
- The dress code at the IBM R&D Labs in Israel is generally very casual. Ties at IBM R&D Labs in Israel would be rather unusual, and jeans and T-shirts are common.
- The work week in the IBM R&D Labs in Israel and throughout Israel is from Sunday to Thursday.
IBM does not endorse or support any of the external sites/businesses listed here.
