I can’t say anything about the public transportation system in Israel in general terms. The functionality and ease of use really depend on where you are in the country.
So lets get working:
When Should I Use Public Transportation in Israel?
In the large cities, such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa, the public transportation system is great. There are lots of buses that will take you just about anywhere you want within the city.
In Jerusalem and Haifa there’s a light rail, which is very useful. It’s much faster than the buses, but offers limited destinations. The light rail in Tel Aviv is still under construction. It’ll open…eventually.
Using a bus or train to get between cities is also great. And it’s highly recommended especially if you’re moving between large cities such as going from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem or vice versa.
This will save you a lot of frustration sitting in traffic, as you’re not the one driving. It will also save you a lot of time (and money) since you don’t need to worry about parking. And in big cities there are designated bus lanes so your journey quite possibly will take less time than driving on your own. If you want to get somewhere that’s not a large city though, you’ll be better off renting a car.
This being said, you should get a Rav Kav in order to use public transportation.
What is a Rav Kav?
A Rav Kav, similar to the Oyster Card in London or the Octapus Card in Hong Kong, is a pre-paid card that you use on the public transportation system to pay for your tickets.
How to Choose a Rav Kav
There are actually multiple types of Rav Kav.
There is the personal one – which is the free one.
There’s an anonymous one – which costs 5 NIS.
And there is also a semi-anonymous one – which also costs 5 NIS.
This is really up to you, and there are two sites I’m recommending you take a look at to read about the differences between them:
The first, is the Government Information Website about the Rav Kav.
The second, is the Egged website. Egged is one of our major bus companies here in Israel, and if you’ll be doing travel between cities, you’ll most likely be getting on one of their buses.
Where to get a Rav Kav
Great news! You can get one at the airport. At the service information center at exit 2, on your way out of the airport.
This is probably the best choice if you plan on using public transportation a lot during your stay. You can begin using it straight from the airport!
If only later in your journey you’re realizing that you’re going to be using the Israel public transportation system a lot, don’t worry. There are many different places where you can get a Rav Kav.
You can also order your Rav Kav online and have it shipped to you. I emailed them to make sure they ship internationally, and they do. But they said that there will NOT be a tracking number and that you’re dependent on the Israeli Postal Service. I’m not sure I’d go for this option. If you do want it shipped to you, check when ordering if you can somehow get a tracking number, or expedited shipping, or some other way to track your package. And if not, and you still want to order online, then do it at least a month in advance if not earlier.
So now you have your Rav Kav and need to be able to use it.
Generally speaking, you should be able to charge your Rav Kav at the same place where you got your Rav Kav…but if not…
How to Charge a Rav Kav
If you’re at the airport and weren’t able to charge your card at the service station, don’t worry. Just head outside to the train station and charge it there. You can either use the machines to charge it, or head to the cashier and have them do it for you.
Now, in most of the country you can still pay the driver and have them charge your card. But we’re moving away from having the bus drivers handle money, and your best bet is to make sure your card has enough on it so you don’t accidentally get stuck.
Tel Aviv has already fully made this switch. In Tel Aviv, you CANNOT pay the driver, you need to load the card in advance with money. When you get on the bus you swipe it and you’re set to go.
Whether you’re in Tel Aviv, or anywhere else, loading your Rav Kav is easy.
You can load your Rav Kav at a large number of stores, and at every train station. These are really the easiest options and the most convenient, and there is a human you can interact with and ask any questions you might have.
There are also charging stations at select bus stops, but I would only count on this as a back up, since they’re not at every stop.
Now, there are also different apps you can use to charge your Rav Kav.
Rav Kav has their own app you can download and use. There’s also an app called Hop On, but I couldn’t get their site to work in English.
How Much to Charge
This really depends on what your plans are while you’re here, and where you plan on going.
I’d start small, about 50 NIS. That should get you from the airport to wherever you need to go, and still leave enough for at least 1-2 bus rides the next day. This gives you the chance to use the public transportation system a bit, and then really make a decision as to whether or not it’s going to be your made method of transportation.
Once you’ve decided that this is your preferred mode of transportation you can load more onto the card.
When I travel, I generally calculate out how much I think I’ll be spending on public transportation, and load a little less than that onto my card. This way I don’t need to worry about it for most of my trip. I usually run out of money on my card a day or two before the end of my trip, and now that I have all of this experience with the public transportation system, I can calculate much more exactly how much money I need to add to the card to get me through the end of my journey.
How Do I Know Where I’m Going?
Now that you’ve got your Rav Kav charged and ready to go, you have to be able to navigate the country.
There are 2 apps that I recommend.
The first – Moovit. It’s the main public transportation app that’s used here in Israel. It incorporates buses, trains, and the light rail schedules into one app. And it tells you approximately when each line is supposed to arrive, which definitely helps with planning, although with all the traffic we’ve got here, it’s not always accurate.
And the second – Google Maps. They have a public transportation feature, and it’s also pretty good. So if you don’t want to download another app, you can use Google Maps.
The train has it’s own app, and I usually do everything I need by train through this, and then use Moovit for everything else.
Although Moovit does incorporate the train times in the app, I’ve had enough issues with the train schedule that I prefer the train app to get the most up to date times and updates, and then switch over to Moovit once I’m off the train.
And if you’re having trouble navigating, just ask. Really, ask anyone. Israelis are usually very friendly and willing to help. If it’s at the bus stop and you’re not sure which line you need, or if you’re already on the bus and need help to know when to get off the bus, just ask and multiple people will come to your aid.
Summary
Using the public transportation within the big cities and to travel between large cities is a fantastic way to get around, and save money while doing so! If you want to get to smaller towns, archeological sites, or even hiking, you’ll be much better off renting a car. See my post about driving in Israel.
Getting a Rav Kav will save you a lot of hassle in trying to pay for your bus fare while in the city, and it’s free/5 NIS so it’s worth the investment.
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Have you been to Israel and used public transportation? Let me know about your experience!