The Transport in Tel-Aviv – Airport to Centre, Buses, Trains, Central Stations

bike couple

From the Airport to Tel-Aviv city Center

The International Ben-Gurion airport is situated between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem at about 20 km from Tel-Aviv and 45 km from Jerusalem (See on Map).

Airport tel avivOption 1 : Train

Frequency : Every 15 minutes at day time and every 1 hour at night time.
Travel time : About 15 minutes to Tel-Aviv.
Week-end : The train doesn’t operate during Shabat time (week-end).
Stops : In Tel-Aviv, the train stops in 3 stations. See locations. You probably need to continue to your hotel with a short travel of bus (the stations in Tel-Aviv are located in parallel to the beach, about 3 Km distance).

Price : About 18 Shekels.  See how to pay for the transports in Israel, on the next page.
You can see the schedule of the trains on the Israel train site.

Option 2 : Bus number 445 

Frequency : Every 1 hour. Also at night.
Week-end : The bus doesn’t operate during Shabat time (week-end).
Stops :  The bus passes along the beaches of Tel-Aviv, probably close to your hotel.
See the itinerary of the bus on Moovit site (or Moovit smartphone application) or on the site  bus.co.il. The bus is operated by Kavim company.

Option 3 : Taxi

Price : The price to Tel-Aviv is about 150 shekels. At the airport, there is a central point to board the Taxis. An assistant will tell you the price before you board the Taxi.
Travel time : Around 30 minutes, to your hotel.
Week-end : The Taxis do operate (Yes !!!! ) during Shabat time (week-end).

Option 4 : Shared Taxi – “Sherut”

There is NOT a “shared taxis” service between the airport and Tel-Aviv, there is such service between the airport and Jerusalem and maybe to other cities.

See also : The Airport website (Ben Gurion airport), for real time flight Info.

How to know the correct bus or train to your destination, in Israel ?

There is the traditional way, the one of asking people on the streets (or at information desks) and there is the modern way : Using a smartphone application. There are at least 2 applications which are excellent and will guide you, to your destination. So, get yourself an Internet connection on your smartphone (buy a local SIM, if you want) and get familiar with these Apps : Moovit and Google Maps. (both are free).

Option 1 : Using a Smartphone App to find your way :

Moovit is the better of the two. It is an App dedicated only to public transports and it does an excellent job. When you specify your destination, Moovit will tell you which buses (or trains) to take, from your current location (yes, it detects your location). It will tell you the time that each bus is expected at the bus stop (it works well, when the buses have a GPS transmitter). The App will also tell you how to arrive by foot to the bus stop (or train station). It will also remind you when to get down from the bus.
There are 3 ways, that you can get info with Moovit :

  1. You tell your destination and Moovit guides you.
  2. You specify a bus stop on the Map and Moovit tells you all the buses that are about to arrive there.
  3. A list of all the bus lines, with info about each line.

Google Maps, can also guide your way. You specify a destination and Google Maps will tell you the Public Transports to your destination. Unlike Moovit (which is dedicated only to public transports), Google Maps is more generalist. It can also guide you to arrive to your destination by car or on foot. From my experience, Moovit has more information on the public transports  (sometimes, I use both of them simultaneously to be sure to receive the best info).

Option 2 : Get Info from websites or phone numbers

Option 1 (smartphone App), is by far the best way to find your way on the public transports in Israel, but if you want you can search info on the websites of the bus and train companies :

Option 3 : Get Info at the Information desks

The are Info desks at the central bus stations, railway stations and at the airport.

Option 4 : Get Info from people on the streets

Israelis are quite cooperative. They like to practice their english and they like tourists. Some of them also know some bus lines.

Tel-Aviv Metro, The Light Train

metro tel avivWe waited for this from the first day of the creation of Israel (1948) and finally it has happened, a first line of underground was inaugurated in august 2023. The red line. It is not exactly a Metro because most of the line runs above the ground and it is dependent on the traffic of vehicles. It is a Tram. In Israel it is called “a Light Train”. There are more lines in construction and you will feel the works inTel-Aviv. Let’s hope that the next lines will not need another 75 years to be operational.
As for the red line : As a tourist, you will probably be interested only in the stations located in the town center.

Look at the following Map. Click to expand :

You can see the stations on a Google Interactive Map.

You can note that the line is only passing in the south part of Tel-Aviv. The stations are not close to the beaches of Tel-Aviv (you may need to walk 2 Km from a station.

Stations that may interest you :

  • Arlozorov station – The main station of the national train
  • Yehudit station – The malls : Azrieli, TLV and Sarona.
  • Allenby station – The south of Tel-Aviv – Rothschild avenue
  • Salame station- Jaffa

Buses in Tel-Aviv

Bus tel avivThis is the main public way of transport in Tel-Aviv, the service is fine. The indications could be better, there are almost no maps and plans at the bus stops and sometimes the information is just in Hebrew.

See :  How to know the correct bus or train to your destination.

Minibus Service in Tel-Aviv

minibus tel avivIn addition to the main bus companies, there are also minibuses operating on the path of some busy lines. On some lines the Rav-kav card is accepted, otherwise you pay by cash. Some of the minibuses are operating at night and on Shabat day (Saturday).

Transport at Night in Tel-Aviv

bus tel avivThe regular buses and trains stop to function at around midnight. There are some bus lines operating at night. Their frequency is low.  For now, they run only during the week-ends and holidays.
See the night buses site (Kavei-Layla), for more details.
Minibuses are operating at night on some lines (line 51 for example) and there are taxis, of course, and the public bike service Tel-O-Fun.

See :  How to know the correct bus or train to your destination.

Tel-Aviv Transport on Shabat Day (Saturday)

minibus tel avivUnfortunately, because of some powerful political religious parties operating in Israel, there is no regular public transport running  in Tel-Aviv on Shabat day.
There are some minibuses operating on some lines (line 51 for example).
There are taxis. There is the public bike service Tel-O-Fun that operates also on week-ends.
The train to the airport is not working. International flights yes but not El-Al company. Restaurants, spectacles and entertainment areas are very active on Shabat. Shops and businesses are closed but you can find grocery products in some places.
From 2019, the municipality of Tel-Aviv is running a limited transport service to its suburbs ,during Shabat. It is called NaimBesofShavua.

Note : The period of Shabat starts on Friday at sunset and ends on Saturday at sunset. The buses will stop to run earlier than Sunset and will resume one or two hours after sunset on Saturday.

Taxis in Tel-Aviv

Taxi tel aviv

The service is good but make sure the Taxi-Meter is running at the start of the ride. You can :

  1. Stop a Taxi on the streets.
  2. Use a smartphone application, like Gett or Uber or Yango
  3. Call by phone a Taxi station.

The smartphone applications have become quite popular in Israel. Unfortunately private cars are not allowed to serve clients in Israel, so when you will use one of these applications, a regular Taxi will arrive. You will also don’t get a fixed price with the application (the Taxi will make run the Taxi-Meter).

Israel National Buses

bus tel avivBuses are the main public transport to reach  different locations in Israel (the Train doesn’t reach all destinations in Israel).

You can get on a National Bus from one of the two central bus stations of Tel-Aviv.

See :  How to know the correct bus or train to your destination.

Tel-Aviv Central Bus Station

Click to zoom. You can also see the stations on a Google map.

There are two central stations. They serve National and Tel-Aviv destinations.
The main central station is at the south of the city inside a big neglected mall. The train has a connection there called “Aagana”.
bus tel avivThe second central station which is much smaller and doesn’t serve all National destinations is at the north of the city, it is called Arlozorov bus station. The train also gets there and the train station is called, “Merkaz, Savidor”. (See on Map)
You can travel to Jerusalem from both central stations.

Israel National Trains

Train tel avivThey are not super fast as the ones existing  in France or Japan and they are not reaching every part of Israel, but Israeli trains are useful for some destinations like Jerusalem, Haifa, the Airport, Beer-Sheva, Natania, Ashdod and some Tel-Aviv suburbs.
See the location of the Train stations in Tel-Aviv.
The Train doesn’t reach Eilat.

See :  How to know the correct bus or train to your destination.

Tel-Aviv Train stations

Click to zoom. You can also see the stations on a Google map.

There are 3 train stations in Tel-Aviv but only one railway.
Train tel avivMost trains have a stop at all 3 stations.

  1. “Savidor Merkaz” station: It is the main train station of Tel-Aviv. All trains have a stop here. Nearby is the The northern central bus station of Tel-Aviv.
  2. “Ashalom” station : Get down here if you want to go to the center of Tel-Aviv (about 20 minutes walk to Dizengoff street). The commercial center Azrieli is here (Azrieli towers).
  3. “Aagana” station : Get down here only if you need the southern central Bus station or if you want to feel like in Bombay.

Travelling with the Trains inside Tel-Aviv

Train tel avivLook at the location of the train stations in Tel-Aviv. If, by chance, you need to travel inside Tel-Aviv, exactly on the path of the railway, you can get on any train that passes through Tel-Aviv and get off at any of the 3 stations. Just make sure your train stops at the station you need because some of them stop only at the main one (Savidor).

How to Pay for the Transports in Israel ?

See this on the second page.

Electric Scooters

Like in many cities worldwide, also Tel-Aviv as adopted the “ride sharing” with electric scooters. There are 5 companies operating in Tel-Aviv. It functions via a smartphone application and you need to charge your account with a credit card. It is a very convenient way of transport for the city of Tel-Aviv, especially on Shabat day when there is no regular transportation. Driving regulations for this kind of vehicle are constantly changing, it is possible that you will be required by the smartphone application to show a driving license.

Rent a bike in Tel-Aviv

telofun tel avivGreat way to move in Tel-Aviv.
There is the public service Tel-O-Fun that allows to take a bike in any station and return it in another one. It operates also at night and on week-ends. You can pay with an international credit card.
There is also the international company Mobike, that works with a smartphone application and without stations.
There are also private bike shops, of course.

Rent an Electric Bike or Moto in Tel-Aviv

electric bike tel avivTel-Aviv is full of electric bikes on the roads and the sidewalks. There are also many bike shops and in some of them you can rent an Electric bike.
These shops are a little bit everywhere in Tel-Aviv.
You can also rent a real moto in MotoGo.

Rent a Car in Tel-Aviv

rent a car tel avivYou can rent a car in Tel-Aviv from one of the car rental companies like : Sixt, Budget, Eldan, Europcar, Avis, Thrifty.
There are some agencies in Ayarkon street, (the first parallel street to the sea) and at the airport, of course.
If you are going to stay only in Tel-Aviv it is not advised to use a car.
If you are going to make one day trips to other cities like Jerusalem and Haifa, you also don’t need a car.
You may need a car if you are going to tour Israel and visit the Dead Sea, the Galilee, Eilat, Kibutz etc.

Tourist Bus in Tel-Aviv

tourist bus tel avivThere was one, before the Corona era (2019). Now they are probably waiting for more tourists to launch it again.

 

 

How to go from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem city ?

JerusalemJerusalem is at just 65 Km from Tel-Aviv.
Option 1 : A New Train
A new train line between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, via the airport.
The journey between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem takes about 35 minutes. The train station in Jerusalem is called Navon and it is located in front of the Central Bus Station of Jerusalem.

Frequency : Every 30 minutes.
Night : Doesn’t function at night.
Week-End : The trains in Israel do not function on Shabbat day (the week-end).
More information  : Israel Railway website

Note : Temporarily, the new train travels only till the first station in Tel-Aviv. This station is called Aagana. If you want to continue to the other 2 train stations in Tel-Aviv (Ashalom and Savidor Merkaz)  you need to switch trains at Aagana station (it is very easy and without extra cost). See the location of the train stations in Tel-Aviv.

Option 2 : Public Bus
From one of the two bus central stations of Tel-Aviv. The journey takes about 50 minutes. Once you arrive to the central station of Jerusalem you can use the “light train” to get to the city center and the old city (about 15 minutes).

Visit my site Visitjeru.com for details about Sightseeings, Transport etc.

How to go from Tel-Aviv to Haifa city ?

HaifaVisit the page about Haifa, on this site.
Haifa is at 100 Km to the north of Tel-Aviv and the best way to get there is by Train, it takes one hour and the frequency of the trains is fine. The train stops at several stations in Tel-Aviv. Once you arrive to Haifa with the train, you can get down at the main station “Haifa Center” and then take the funicular (Carmelit) to climb the Carmel mountain. You will get a great view over the city and you can visit the amazing Baai Gardens.
You can also travel to Haifa by Bus, it takes also one hour. You can get on a bus for Haifa in one of the two bus central stations of Tel-Aviv.

How to go from Tel-Aviv to Eilat city ?

planesEilat is at 350 Km from Tel-Aviv, it is the most southern city of Israel.
There is No train to Eilat (there are always plans…).
You can take a Bus to Eilat for about 5 hours (there is also a night bus). You should better reserve your bus ticket to Eilat (by phone or at the central bus station).
You can also take a short flight to Eilat (30 minutes).

Continue to the next page – How to Pay for the Transports in Israel

star More on Tel-Aviv  :

star On Haifa :

Haifa – What to Visit and where to Stay ?

star On Jerusalem :

Jerusalem – What to Visit and where to Stay ?

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