Tel-Aviv
Tel-Aviv is served by both the Egged and Dan bus services. Dan is the main bus company inside the city of Tel Aviv, and Egged is the main bus company outside of Tel Aviv. The Central Bus Station (Tachanah Merkazit), Azrielli and Tel-Aviv Central (Arlozorov/Savidor) are the three main bus stations in Tel Aviv. For a map of central Tel Aviv and Jaffa click here:
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is served by the Egged and Dan bus service. Urban and inter-city buses run to and from The Central Bus Station on Jaffa Rd. Many interurban buses leave from Zalman Shazar Blvd., across the street A map of central Jerusalem can be viewed here.
The bus station in Jerusalem is very busy, Security, like in every city in Israel, is tight and you will be subjected to a security check with a metal detector. Your bags will go through a security x-ray machine as well. First-time visitors to Israel might find these security checks intrusive and an invasion of their privacy. Understand that they are there for your safety and protection..
Haifa
Haifa is mainly served by Egged. The two main bus stations are the Carmel Beach Central Bus Station (Merkazit Hof Hacarmel) at the southern entrance to Haifa and the Haifa Bay Central Bus Station (Merkazit Lev Hamifratz) at the northern entrance to Haifa at the “Checkpost”. Both are adjacent to train stations. Click here for a detailed map of Haifa.
Haifa is a hub for public transportation from the center of the country (the Tel Aviv area) to the entire north as far as Kiryat Shmona.
Bus Tickets
Tickets are payable by cash only and there are various ticket options:
Single Journey
- A regular one way ticket (Kartis) is purchased from the bus driver as you get on the bus. Inter-urban rides, in most places, cost 6.60 ILS or US$1.75 (August 2012). A few years ago, the bus companies introduced a continuation ticket. The continuation ticket (Kartis Ma’avar) for the same price as a regular ticket, allows you to ride the bus (within the same fare) as many times as you need within an hour and a half. You must keep your bus ticket so that it can be validated, by the bus driver, on the second leg of the journey.
Multiple Journeys
- Multiple journey tickets are available at a reduced price. For the cost of 10 rides (66 Shekels) you get an extra ride free (see Rav Kav below)
- A monthly pre-paid ticket/season ticket (Kartisiya) allows you unlimited rides on routes where the regular bus fare is levied. This is really useful and economical if you are catching more than 2 buses a day.
- A student ticket has twenty rides and costs half of the regular fare. Students do not get a discount on a single ride.
- A pensioner’s ticket is also available at a reduced rate.
- Children under the age of 5, who do not occupy a seat, travel for free.
The Rav Kav (Multiple Ticket)
In 2010, a new pre-paid magnetic bus card was introduced for multiple rides and season tickets - the Rav Kav. It can be purchased at any central bus station. At the Rav Kav office at the bus station you will need to produce an identity document.. A digital photo of you, will be taken and processed onto the card (like on a driver's license) The Rav Kav is issued on the spot and your personal identification details are printed on the underside of the bus card. You pay in the required amount which is then credited to the card. Each time you get on the bus, you swipe the Rav Kav card in the card reader and the appropriate fare is deducted from the balance. The current fare for a single ride, is valid for 90 minutes. This means you can get on and off the bus, an unlimited number of times within the 90 minute period, and still only pay the ILS 6.60 fare.
Tourists can buy a Rav Kav Anonimi (an anonymous card) for a one time payment of 5 shekels, from the bus driver. Every time you purchase a regular ticket (ILS 6.40 or ILS 10) from the bus driver you are entitled to all the advantages of the regular Rav Kav.
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School Bus Routes
Schools have certain bus routes allocated to them. The student routes are marked on the yellow signage at the bus stops. In English, on the one side, it will say "students" and in Hebrew, on the other side, it will say "talmidim" - תלמידים
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Panoramic Bus Tours
The panoramic bus tours of Jerusalem (Bus no. 99) and the Dan Tel Aviv City Tour, are the best way to see these cities. The day-long excursion, on the open-top bus, allows you to hop-on and hop-off at the various stops.
Our tip: Guided tours on the panoramic buses, are available in 8 different languages Contact +972 3639 4444 (Tel Aviv) or +972 50 842 2473 (Jerusalem)
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A true story
Somewhere in Israel, a man gets on a bus and move towards a seemingly unoccupied seat next to an old lady. As he approaches, he sees her little dog sitting on the seat. He asks the old lady, politely, to move the dog. She ignores him. He asks her again. She refuses. An argument ensues. Other passengers, on the bus, join in the argument.. No one can agree on what should be done. They turn to the driver for advice. The driver says that the lady bought a ticket for the dog. The dog is entitled to the seat. The passenger admits defeat, sighs and looks for another place to sit.
Tel Aviv's new bus routes and discontinued lines
As of 1 July 2011 a number of bus routes in Tel Aviv have been discontinued and replaced with new ones. The bus fare has been standardized and is now ILS 6.60 within 3 different zones. Should you go out of your zone and into one of the others (e.g from zone 1 to zone 22) the fare is ILS 10.
Zone Map
Discontinued and new bus routes
| Dan Routes |
Cancelled Lines
|
Existing Lines with New Routes
|
Lines Remains Unchanged
|
Brand New Lines
|
| Holon - Tel Aviv |
1 |
|
129 |
72
172
|
| Rishon LeZion - Holon - Tel Aviv |
2 |
|
129 |
72
172
|
| North East Tel Aviv |
3 |
|
6 |
7
42
22
|
| Bat Yam - Tel Aviv |
8 |
|
10 |
25
125
|
| Tel Aviv |
11 |
9 |
56 (Kavim Bus Co.) |
39
139
239
|
| Tel Aviv |
15 |
16 |
|
|
| Tel Aviv |
20 |
40 |
|
42
142
89
189
289
|
| Tel Aviv |
21 |
40 |
24 |
89
189
289 |
| Bat Yam - Tel Aviv |
26 |
|
|
26
126
|
| Tel Aviv |
27 |
126 |
274 |
71
171
271
|
| Tel Aviv |
28 |
40 |
|
89
189
289
42
142
22
|
| Tel Aviv |
29 |
13 |
6 |
71
171
|
| Tel Aviv - Ramat Gan |
30 |
31 |
|
39
139
104
|
| Tel Aviv |
32 |
31
63
|
18 |
16
104
|
| Tel Hashomer - Tel Aviv |
35 |
|
34 |
139 |
| Bat Yam - Tel Aviv |
44 |
41
6
|
84 |
40
140
42
142
|
| Tel Hashomer- Tel Aviv |
45 |
|
55 (Kavim Bus Co.) |
160
161
33
171
271
|
| Bat Yam - Tel Aviv |
46 |
41 |
10
88
|
40
240
|
| Givatayim - Tel Aviv |
53 |
7 |
58
34
|
|
| Beni Brak - Tel Aviv |
54 |
|
|
240
160
|
| Bnei Brak - Ramat Gan - Tel Aviv |
62 |
|
|
161 |
| Tel Hashomer - Tel Aviv |
64 |
|
70
66
|
61
161
|
| Bnei Brak -Tel Aviv |
72 |
|
|
240
161
|
| Bat Yam - Holon - Tel Hashomer |
143 (Dan) |
|
|
143 (Egged) |
| Bnei Brak - Tel Aviv |
154 |
41
7
|
|
240
161
|
| Egged Routes |
Cancelled Line |
Existing Line with New Route |
Line Remains Unchanged
|
Brand New Lines |
| Holon - Bayt Yam |
1 |
88 |
85 |
5
11
99
|
| Rishon LeZion - Tel Aviv |
73 |
|
|
71
171
|
| Holon - Tel Aviv |
74 |
|
|
71
171
271
|
| Bat Yam - Tel Aviv |
86 |
|
25 ) Dan
125 ) Routes
|
26
126
|
| Holon - Tel Aviv |
89 |
|
|
89 Dan
189 Dan
289 Dan
|
| Holon - Tel Aviv |
90 |
|
|
5
89 Dan
171
271
|
| Rishon LeZion - Holon - Tel Aviv |
91 |
|
75 |
71
171
|
| Rishon LeZion - Holon - Tel Aviv |
92 |
|
129 Dan |
126
89
189
289
|
| Holon- Tel Aviv |
94 |
|
|
89 Dan
189 Dan
289 Dan
72 Dan
172 Dan
|
| Holon -Tel Aviv |
97 |
|
|
89 Dan
189 Dan
289 Dan
71
171
271
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