Jordan Valley / Sheikh Hussein border crossing to Jordan

Adding to the post below, I'm in a similar situation, but will arrive on Friday in Tel Aviv and go to Amman on Sunday, so no time to apply for a visa.. My questions regarding the northern border crossing: I learned that bus 961 goes to Beit Shean - is there a bus from there to the border? How much would a taxi be? What's the best way to get to Amman from the border - is there a bus/minibus to Irbid or taxi again - what's the going rate?
Do the JETT busses also leave from the southern bus station in Irbid?

Thanks in advance,
Lars

After you cross the Sheik Hussein Bridge to Jordan side you might find a shared taxi to Irbid for around $ 10 each or take a private taxi to Irbid bus termnial cost around $40 then a bus to Amman is very frequent and cheap. Bus stops in Amman at Tabarbor terminal /Mujamaa Shamali.
.I trust Israeli experts can advise you on transport on the Israel side of border

OK, Israeli "bus expert" here!

When you say you arrive on Friday in Tel Aviv, do you mean Ben-Gurion Airport or the city? And what time on Friday? It makes a huge difference.

Public transport in Israel doesn't run on Shabbat - the Sabbath, meaning it stops running on Fridays an hour or so before sunset, and this time of year it that is about 4 p.m. That's the time the last bus reaches it's destination, not the time it sets out. Service doesn't resume until after dark on Saturday evening.

If you arrive in Tel Aviv (city) early enough in the day:
Bus 961 is from Jerusalem, not from Tel Aviv, and it would be going backwards to go via Jerusalem. Your best bet would be to go via Afula (major bus hub in the north of Israel). There are very frequent buses from Tel Aviv to Afula, a stopover on their way to another destination. They leave from the 7th floor in the Tel Aviv central bus station. The 7th floor of the bus station has two separate sides and you want the Egged side. If you end up on the wrong side you have to go back down to the 6th floor and then find your way up to the Egged 7th floor. From Afula there are buses to Beit She'an. You can see times at www.otobusim.co.il (click ENGLISH in top left-hand corner).

If you mean from the airport, this would be a bit more complicated. I'm at work now, but can look it up for you when I get home, around 10 p.m. Israel time (I work late on Wednesdays). I have heaps of public transport websites (mostly in Hebrew) saved on my computer at home.

If you arrive after about 1 p.m. on Friday it's a whole other story. You might need to take a string of sheruts (shared taxis), some of which run on Shabbat. Again, I have these saved at home. Probably - if you have to do this - the best way would be a taxi to Tel Aviv (no sherut from the airport to Tel Aviv), a sherut from there to Haifa, and MAYBE a sherut from there to Beit She'an. Not all sherut routes run on Shabbat. I have phone numbers saved (at home) and can give you these.

Please post again stating expected time of arrival in Tel Aviv, and whether you mean the airport or the city.

Meanwhile, here are some more things to think about. (I have to say that if this isn't a troll, it's one of the worst planned - or not planned - itineraries I've seen here in a long time.)

The border crossing closes at 8 p.m. on Fridays.

Assuming you mean you arrive at the airport, you should allow at least four hours from the time your plane touches down until you get to Beit She'an. This does not include any time you spend in line at the border crossing, and I have no idea at all whether there are likely to be long queues there.

It's a big airport, miles to walk, and immigration lines can be very slow even if you are not asked a lot of questions. If you need to take a taxi from the airport, note that fares are regulated with an official price list for each town. I have no idea what it would be to Beit She'an, but a wild guess - based on what I paid from the airport to my home town, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, at 2 a.m. on a weeknight (NIS 200) - would be NIS 400-500.

If you are not going to be able to get to the border crossing by 8 p.m., spend the night in Tel Aviv and go north on Saturday. When I hear from you again, I'll give you the options, the names of sherut companies and so on. Note that not ALL sherut routes operate on Shabbat, and I have no idea whether there is any sherut to Beit She'an on Saturdays. You may find yourself stuck in Israel over Shabbat, having to go north on Sunday morning.

No worries, I arrive on Friday night - actually rather Saturday morning and will stay in downtown Tel Aviv (no Sheruts only Taxi I assume?) before going to Amman on Sunday morning. Why I mentioned the Friday was just to explain why I want to take the Jordan River Crossing even though it's a detour: Simply because I won't have time to get a visa ahead for using Allenby/King Hussein.
So Sunday morning, no Shabat, public transport in place: Which route to take and especially: How to get the last Kilometers from Beit Shean to and from the border to Irbid (bus to Amman from there I assume)?
Thanks a lot,
Lars

There is no sherut from the airport to Tel Aviv at any time. And since it's Friday night you will have no option other than a taxi.

Sunday is a normal workday in this part of the world. Take an early bus to Afula (as described above), and from there to Beit She'an. This website will give you all the bus timetables. Tel Aviv to Afula is operated by Egged; Afula to Beit She'an is some other company but this website covers them all.

I doubt that there is public transport from Beit She'an to the border crossing. A taxi won't cost much for 5 km.

I can't help on the Jordanian part.

Just a quick one - went via Jerusalem - 480 from Merkaz to Jerusalem CBS, then 961 up to Beit Shean (Egged all the way).
There are indeed only Taxis to the border, 50 NIS. If you don't find one - on the (dysfunctional) bus stop at the crossing next to the station are taxi numbers posted.
Jordan side: Fixed (high prices) for taxis - take one to Irbid, JETT from there to Amman is 1,900 JD.

Edited by: larsen99

Glad it worked out!

Maybe I should add that the JETT bus stop in Irbid is at the opposite side of the southern bus station, not in the bus station itself. The bus stops in front of their office. Buy tickets inside. Pretty comfortable ride.
By the way, the Jordan visa is 20JD.

Hello,

I have a problem I can't solve. I have no other solution than leaving Tel Aviv early morning this saturday to go back to Jordan early afternoon.

You said you have number of sheruts, wouldyou be kind enough to give it to me so that I can check if I can take a sherut from tel aviv to haifa and then from haifa to beit shean on saturday morning?

Thank you very much in advance, I really have no option left!

Have a nice day,

Anne-Sophie

There are also the Nazerene tours busses which go from Nazereth to Amman. Last time I took one, the other way (in May) they split at the border with busses to Sakhnin and Um Al'Fahm. I'm not sure if their times will fit in with you, but you could get a sherut to Nazereth on the Saturday (they definately run) and then the direct bus on the Sunday. I don't have the number to hand but if you phone Nazerene tours, or ask someone else to, they'll give you the info. They don't have a website. They are mostly run for students from the north who study in Jordan, which is why they're not so well known. I'm also sorry that I don't have the sherut number but I know that they run too (or take a bus after dark).

G

Yes, there are sheruts from Tel Aviv to Nazareth on Saturdays. As on every day of the week, they go when they are full, and I have no idea how long they might take to fill up.
From Nazareth to Beit Shean your only option on a Saturday is a taxi.

Search the forum for Nazarene buses; they have been mentioned here before.

Another option would be to go via the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge if you already have a visa for Jordan. The sherut from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem runs on Saturdays. You would need to get from the sherut drop-off point in the Jerusalem city center to the Damascus Gate (about a 20-minute walk or a taxi ride) and take a bus or service taxi from there to the bridge. Visas for Jordan are NOT issued at this crossing, and there are often long delays there.