Transport in Jerusalem - Lonely Planet Travel Information

Getting there & away

Contents

Land
Air

Land

Bus

From the sparkling Egged central bus station (694 8888; Jaffa Rd), buses connect to all major cities and towns around Israel. Buses travel to Tel Aviv (No 405, 17.70NIS, one hour, every 15 minutes); to Haifa (No 940 or 947, 39NIS, 2½ hours, every 15 minutes); Tiberias (No 962, 42NIS, 2½ hours, hourly); and Be’er Sheva (No 446 or 470, 32NIS, 90 minutes, twice hourly); and to Eilat (No 444, 65NIS, 4½ hours, six daily). For day trips to the Dead Sea, including Ein Gedi (No 421, 444 or 486, 32NIS, two hours, five daily) or Masada (No 444 or 486, 39NIS, 2½hours, five daily), be sure to leave on the first service of the day (8.45am) or you’ll be pressed to get back the same day. There is also service to Rachel’s Tomb (No 163, 3.80NIS, 25 minutes, every two hours) near Bethlehem.

For destinations in the southern portion of the West Bank such as Bethlehem (3NIS) and Hebron (10NIS), use the Arab bus station in East Jerusalem, located on Sultan Suleyman St.

If you are headed into northern areas of the West Bank such as Ramallah (5NIS), use the old Arab bus station on Nablus Rd, opposite the Jerusalem Hotel. If there are no direct buses to Nablus you can take a bus to the Qalandia checkpoint and change. At the time of writing there were no buses from Jerusalem to Jericho, although you can get a bus to Abu Dis, past the Mount of Olives.

Car

Note, most Jerusalem-based rental-car agencies forbid you to take their cars into the Palestinian Territories; check the agency’s policy.

Avis (624 9001; 22 HaMelekh David St)

Budget (624 8991; 23 HaMelekh David St)

Eldan (625 2151; 24 HaMelekh David St)

Green Peace (582 2179; www.greenpeace.co.il; Shu’fat, East Jerusalem) Will deliver the car to you wherever you are in Jerusalem.

Hertz (623 1351; 19 HaMelekh David St)

Train

Jerusalem’s new railway station (577 4000) is located in the southwest of the city, near the Jerusalem Mall. Trains to Tel Aviv’s Arlosoroff station (adult/child 19/17NIS) depart hourly between 6.10am and 9.10pm Sunday to Thursday. The last train on Friday is at 3pm. A combo train/bus ticket saves a few shekels. The station is reached on bus No 6 from Jaffa Rd or the central bus station.

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Air

Jerusalem’s Atarot Airport is used mainly by international charter flights. When demand is high, domestic carriers Arkia and Israir will connect Jerusalem with Eilat and Haifa.