Public transit in Israel
Buses are the most common form of public transportation in Israel for Israelis and foreigners alike. They are generally frequent and modern, but often slow.
Since the late 1990s, trains have changed from a niche element of public transit to a popular network covering most major cities: ridership increased more than tenfold from 1996 to 2016 and keeps rising. However, as many train stations are located awkwardly in highway medians out of town, you'll often have to add a local bus ride to your train trips.
Local public transit was limited to buses for the most part throughout the 20th century. The main exception being Haifa's Carmelit (opened in 1959). In the 21st century, the two biggest cities added light rail to the mix – Jerusalem's first line opened in 2011 and Tel Aviv finally opened its first light rail line in 2023. Both systems are undergoing expansion and there are even plans for a fully underground Tel Aviv Metro.
Rav-Kav, a public transit smartcard, ties the whole system together. Buses must and trains can be paid by Rav-Kav or a payment app. It is strongly advised that any traveler to Israel get a Rav-Kav, ideally when they arrive at Ben Gurion Airport or Ramon Airport. You can also use a supported mobile ticketing app to pay for your travels without a Rav-Kav card. You cannot use cash to pay for rides directly to drivers.
OperatorsEvery bus route in Israel is operated by a single bus company. Egged and Dan used to be the dominant operators, but they have been replaced by other companies in an effort to increase competition.
StationsMajor cities have Central Bus Stations (תחנה מרכזית, "takhana merkazit"), which are the terminals where most intercity routes begin and end. Most of these stations have been rebuilt as air-conditioned malls.
Fares and ticketsFares are relatively low by Western standards.
UnderstandThe best way to find out routes and schedules is to use apps or websites that combine information about all bus and railway companies, such as Google Maps, efoBus, Rav-Pass/Bus Nearby and Moovit.
Night buses and trainsMost trains stop operating at night. The line serving Nahariyya to Ben Gurion Airport, and one line along the Southern Coastal Plain to Beer Sheva, do operate during the night.
AmenitiesDue to the relatively short bus journeys, there are no toilets on buses in Israel. Toilets are available in all central bus stations.
Haredi-oriented linesOften, separate bus routes serve centers of Israel's Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews) population.
Stay safeCity buses and bus stops were frequently the targets of suicide bombers in the 1990s and early 2000s. Though this hasn't happened in many years now, it is still a risk one should be aware of.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Public transit in Israel" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Geogast, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons