 Located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, straddling the crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia, Israel is ideally situated as a travel base for exploring some beautiful and interesting parts of the world. I recently shared a video about the beneficial impact which the Open Skies Agreement concluded between Israel and the EU has had for Israeli travellers. Thanks to this historical aviation agreement, many low-cost airlines now operate flights to and from Israel, making flying to destination in Europe on the continent cheap and convenient for those based in Israel. This has really changed the game of travel for Israelis, with many now finding that it's actually cheaper to fly to destination in Europe than it is to vacation in costly Israel with its high cost of living and extremely expensive hotels. To work, you go out of Israel. To get you the mood for some travelling this summer, here are 5 destinations within quick, easy and cheap reach of Israel. Number 1 Cyprus Located only half an hour's flying time from Israel, Cyprus is a European Union member state, and yours gone by a passenger ferry transited between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. But these days, with the exception of cruises, sailing between the two countries is mostly reserved for cargo. Today, TUS Airlines, which is Cyprus's largest air carrier, operates a short, direct flight between Tel Aviv and Larnica. Much like Israel, Cyprus is renowned for its beaches, its food, and its historical sites. Number 2 Turkey Only slightly further afield on the other side of the Mediterranean is Turkey. The closest flight destination to Israel in Turkey is actually Antalya on the southern coast. The Tel Aviv to Antalya route is currently served by no less than four different airlines. Turkish, Pegasus, Kardon, and Sun Express. Flying time between the two cities is approximately and only 45 minutes. Antalya has a historical old town, a harbor, and is located within even reach of other cities on Turkey's southern coast. Only slightly further afield at two hours flying time ex-Israel is Istanbul, the world famous city connecting Europe and Asia. Turkish Airlines operates regular services between the two cities multiple times per day, as well as a small host of other airlines including currently, Erseyshal. Istanbul is famous for its historical mosques, its terrors, and for being the cultural and historic centre of Turkey. Number 3 Greece Just to the west of Turkey, of course, is Greece and the Greek islands including Greece, Rhodes, and Santorini. Greece's national carrier, Aegean Airlines, operates regular flights between Ben-Gurion and Asin Airport. Like Istanbul, Athens is a popular transit destination for connecting to other European destinations. Whiz Air currently operates direct flights between Israel and Santorini and Heraklion, while Ryanair flights to Khania and Tuus flights to Corfu. Greece has been a long-standing favourite summer destination among Israeli holiday makers and thanks to the now vigorous competitions on the routes, there's rarely been a more affordable time to visit these close and beautiful locations. Like Istanbul, Athens is about two hours flying time from Israel. Number 4 Italy Continuing westwards across the Mediterranean, Italy has also been a traditionally popular destination for Israeli tourists. These days, air connectivity between the two countries is operated by a mixture of legacy and low-cost carriers, while ITA and Delta both operates flights between Tel Aviv and Rome. Whiz and Ryanair now offer flights to less traditional destinations including Barry, Milan, Bergamo, and Catania in Sicily. Flying time between Tel Aviv and Rome is approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. Number 5 Spain and Portugal To cheat a little on the final destination of my roundup, the Iberian Peninsula countries of Spain and Portugal are also popular for Israeli holiday makers and are located about an hour's additional flying time moving westbound across the Mediterranean. The Tel Aviv to Barcelona route is approximately 4 hours in duration and is operated by Whiz. Voiling, El Al, Iberia and American all offer connectivity between Tel Aviv and the Spanish capital of Madrid. El Al flies between Lisbon, although for those looking to holiday in the beautiful Algarve, there isn't yet an operator of direct flights. Of course, these are only five out of many destinations in Europe that are located within relatively easy and quick reach of Israel. If you're interested in checking out more destinations with direct connectivity to and from Israel, then I recommend checking out the website of Ben Gurion Airport and see which cities are listed on the departures board. Until next time, have fun travelling.