When I was planning my first visit to Israel in 2010, I asked my friend Matan where in the country his hometown was located. “Close to Tel Aviv,” he replied. “But then, most everything in Israel is close to Tel Aviv.”
Israel is indeed a compact country, about the size of New Jersey if you exclude disputed territories like the Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and West Bank. Although some Israeli politicians view the state’s small size as an impediment to its national security, it makes traveling within Israel extremely quick and easy.
Buses are a popular transport option in Israel, both within cities and long-distance.
Buses in Israel
Buses are the most common means of travel within Israel for both Israelis and foreign tourists. The majority of my travel within Israel has been by bus.
After crossing the country’s calamitous northern border in 2010, I hopped a series of buses from the city of Beit She’an to Tel Aviv. The first was operated by the Egged bus company, the largest operator of intercity buses in Israel. I also spent the five-hour journey from Tel Aviv to Eilat during my most recent trip to Israel on an Egged bus.
While Egged buses are clean, comfortable and new, I’m glad I don’t have to traverse the distances I did say, in South America, on them — the seats barely recline and there is no service to speak of. Other companies operate long-distance buses within Israel, but Egged’s extensive route network and good reputation have allowed it to control more than half of the public transport market in Israel, so it’s likely you’ll ride an Egged bus when you travel within Israel.
Israel Railways is a fast, safe means of travel in Israel.
Israel Railways
Another fast, convenient way to travel within Israel is to go by train. Fast, modern Israel Railways trains run from Tel Aviv to most major cities within Israel, including Be’er Sheva, Haifa and Jerusalem. Prices are generally a bit higher than you’d pay on a bus, but travel time is also greatly decreased.
Traveling from Tel Aviv to the old city of Acre near Haifa, for example, takes just over an hour and costs 40 shekels, or about $10. Israeli trains are equipped with large windows, which allows you to take in the beautiful country from your seat — if the person sitting next to you doesn’t insist you close the shade, that is.
Although you can purchase Israel Railways tickets online and in advance, departures between Tel Aviv and most major cities are frequent enough that you shouldn’t encounter trouble just turning up at the station on the day of travel. Israel Railways’ hub is located at Tel Aviv’s HaHagana station, located just a stone’s throw from Tel Aviv’s central bus station.
Tel Aviv is a pedestrian-friendly city, so why not walk?
Urban Transport in Israel
Just as Egged dominates the l0ng-distance bus market in Israel, Dan bus company is king when it comes to intercity transport. Named for the Hebrew phrase for the Tel Aviv metro area (“Gush Dan”), Dan operates buses within Tel Aviv, as well as to and within many smaller cities in Israel. Dan buses are your run-of-the-mill city buses — don’t expect anything fancy.
Another way to travel within cities in Israel is to take a shared taxi-van known as a “sherut.” Although the sherut system takes some time to master — there aren’t official stops, and the destination of a particular sherut isn’t always marked — advantages to taking them exist. Namely, that they can drop you off anywhere. Prices are generally identical or comparable to a regular bus.
Some sheruts operate longer-distance routes as well. While waiting for a delayed bus from the central Israeli city of Afula, for example, a sherut driver approached me and offered me a seat in his vehicle, which dropped me exactly at my destination in Tel Aviv. Sheruts also have the advantage of running on Friday nights and Saturdays while many other forms of public transportation are closed down in observance of the Sabbath.
Tel Aviv also recently started an urban bike share program, with rental stands at conspicuous places like Ben Tsion Boulevard. I’m not sure what the pricing and usage details are, as I didn’t take advantage of it, but it’s nice to know that it exists. Tel Aviv is also a great city for walking, thanks to its small urban core.
Traffic in Jaffa and other cities is notoriously bad.
Car Rental in Israel
If you don’t want to take advantage of public transportation in Israel, you can always just rent a car. As is the case with most things in Israel, doing so is rather expensive, particularly when you factor in the high cost of gas in Israel. I wouldn’t recommend this option unless you plan to travel to really out of the way places — traffic is notoriously bad in cities like Tel Aviv.
Indeed, public transportation in Israel is so good that you shouldn’t need any means other than buses, trains and sheruts to get you where you need to go.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
