Bus Travel

Egged buses are modern, air-conditioned, and reasonably priced. Service is dependable on main routes but infrequent to outlying rural districts. Egged buses don’t run from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.

From the Beersheva Central Bus Station, buses depart four times a day for Arad, Ein Bokek, and other southern points. For Ein Bokek, there's also a daily 8:40 am bus from Tel Aviv's Arlozorov Bus Station (a three-hour ride) and several buses, departing on the hour, from Jerusalem (a two-hour journey). There is a bus line that drops passengers at the front door of the Ein Gedi Hotel. Buses can be crowded, especially on Friday and Sunday. You can’t buy tickets or reserve seats by phone for the above routes; go to the bus station early and be aware that buses often are off schedule.

Buses to Bethlehem and Beit Jala run from the Palestinian bus station at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Expect to be stopped and checked by Israeli troops on the way back to Jerusalem.