Haifa to Jerusalem

We are coming off a tour from Haifa to Galilee on May 17th which is a Thursday and when we return to Haifa in the early evening we need to get to Jerusalem for our overnight. Should we take the bus? Is the bus station close by and easy to navigate for a couple of newbies in Israel? Is there a sherut or should we take a taxi?

Edited by: formerlymidwestern

You have two good choices:
- take the #940 direct bus from the Hof HaCarmel bus station (southern entrance to Haifa) straight to Jerusalem. It takes about two hours. The last bus is at 20:30.
- take the train from any of the Haifa train stations to the Tel-Aviv Savidor-Center (Arlozorov) station. From there you can take the #480 direct bus to Jerusalem. This line departs every 15-20 minutes.

Train schedules:
http://www.rail.co.il/EN/Pages/HomePage.aspx
Bus schedules:
http://www.egged.co.il/Eng/
www.otobusim.co.il

Just to add to what mbgg said, don't take the 947 bus from Haifa even if it's the next one out and you'd have to wait half an hour for a 940. The 947 is the slow route, and it takes much longer.

Note if you're looking at bus timetables today (Thursday April 12): what it says for Thursday is not a normal Thursday because today is a holiday eve (last day of Passover, a full holiday on which public transport doesn't run. Either look for Sunday (which is the same as a normal Thursday), or wait until next week to look, by which time you'll be able to see times for a normal Thursday.

Train times can be looked up for a specific date weeks ahead, so that's no problem.

There's no sherut from Haifa to Jerusalem, and a taxi will cost a fortune. Train to Jerusalem is incredibly slow and the Jerusalem station is miles from anywhere. The only plus, which you wouldn't see in the dark anyway, is the scenery on the last part of the ride. Mbgg's options are the best.