Tel Aviv Transport

Getting around the city on foot is easy if you’re a good walker. In very hot or rainy weather, you may want to use the excellent bus system, with both urban and inter-urban services running regularly. There are also the sherut, shared taxis that follow the same routes as the public buses, often with more frequency they are slightly cheaper on weekdays. The bus system itself is extensive, with a fixed fare in the city centre. Taxi cabs are not of any particular make or model of car, but they do have rooftop signs and are plentiful.

By train

Tel Aviv has four Israel Railways railroad stations along the Ayalon Highway. The stops are from north to south: Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv Merkaz (Tel Aviv Central Train Station), Tel Aviv Hashalom and Tel Aviv Hahaganah (near Tel Aviv Central Bus Station). An estimated one million people use the train from Rishon LeZion, Rehovot and Petah Tikva to Tel Aviv and back, each month.

Tel Aviv Central Station (phone: +972 3 693 7456) is located to the north of the city centre, at the junction of Haifa road, Arlosoroff Street and Peta Tikva Road, and is the city’s main station, serving national destinations as well as suburban routes. Trains run from Tel Aviv to Haifa along the coastal line, with a journey time of 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Israel Railways (phone: +972 3 577 4000; website: www.israrail.org.il) is the national rail provider, and trains run every hour between 06:00 and 20:00.

By bus

The Egged National Bus Co-operative (phone: +972 3 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il), a worker-owned co-operative, is Israel’s national bus and coach service operator, and provides mainly inter-city transportation to and from Tel Aviv.

Buses are the most popular and economical form of transport in Tel Aviv. The bus service is fast, punctual and economical, with over 300 bus stops situated throughout the city. Most buses follow circular itineraries starting and finishing at the Central Bus Station, with routes throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. The network is extensive, with almost all buses running through Ben Yehuda Street and Dizengoff Street daily from 05:30 to midnight, except on Shabbat.

An ordinary single-fare ticket in central Tel Aviv is available for purchase on the bus, whether travelling one stop or all the way across town. It is wise to avoid bus travel during the morning and evening rush hours (07:00 to 08:00 and 16:00 to 18:00), when there are big traffic jams. All bus drivers speak some English. The main bus network in Tel Aviv is operated by Dan Bus Company (phone: +972 3 639 4444; website: www.dan.co.il).

By car

Even with an excellent road network, Israel’s major roads can get very congested, so visitors to Tel Aviv are advised to allow plenty of time for their journeys if they are travelling by car. The Ayalon Highway is the four-lane motorway that links Haifa to Tel Aviv. It skirts Tel Aviv, with exits to different parts of the city, Ramat Gan and suburban towns. Road signs meet international standards, distances given are in kilometres and all signposting on major roads is in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

Taxis

Taxis are plentiful and can be hailed anywhere in Tel Aviv. Taxis can also be ordered by phone or found at one of the various taxi ranks. Taxis are governed by meters based on Tariff 1 (05:30 to 21:00) and Tariff 2 (21:00 to 05:30 and on Shabbat). An alternative to a taxi or a bus is the popular sherut, shared stretched Mercedes or minibus taxis that usually seat up to 12 passengers and generally follow fixed public bus routes. Sherut allow passengers to get on and off anywhere on the journey and may take alternative routes when necessary, to dodge heavy traffic. 

Liberated Taxi Ltd: +972 3 566 1818
Ihud Taxis Ltd: +972 3 962 6090

Tourist services

Tourist information services can be found at the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo and the Association for Tourism Information desk (phone: +972 3 521 8500), situated at City Hall Lobby at 69 Ibn Givrol Street. There is also an information desk at Tel Aviv Promenade (phone: +972 3 516 6188; website: www.tel-aviv.gov.il) on 46 Herbert Samuel Street.

There are also tourist information desks at the Central Bus Station and at Ben Gurion International Airport. Information counters are situated in the main building and in the Departures Hall. The Israeli Government Tourist Office information desk (phone: +972 3 971 1485) is located in the Arrivals Hall.

From the airport

By car, Tel Aviv International Airport lies just off Highway 1, which links Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Trains depart from the airport for the city centre from Level S, adjacent to the Greeter’s Hall, and run from 03:00 until midnight. Public buses leave Terminal 3 on the second level, next to gates 21 and 23, to Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station in the city centre (approximate journey time: 30 minutes), although they also stop at other terminals and continue on to various regional destinations. A taxi rank and dispatcher’s station are on Level G of the Multi-Level road, near Exit 3 of the Greeter’s Hall.

Airport facilities

Tel Aviv International Airport is a modern airport equipped with amenities such as 24-hour banks, currency exchange booths, ATMs, restaurants, duty-free shops, restaurants, a post office, a children’s nursery, facilities for disabled passengers and 24-hour tourist information. It is worth noting that most airport services including public transport are reduced on Shabbat (from Friday 17:00 to Saturday 17:00).