Getting Around

Bus Travel: Buses are run primarily by Dan, and also by Egged. The fare is a fixed NIS 5.80 within the city center, and you buy your tickets on the bus. There is a small discount for a 10-ride card. Combined train-and-bus tickets are also available. Privately run minibuses also service two of the major lines: Bus 4 (Ben Yehuda and Allenby streets) and Bus 5 (Dizengoff Street and Rothschild Boulevard). You can flag these down and ask to get off at any point along their routes; the fare is the same as on regular buses. Minibuses also run on Saturday, when regular buses do not. Buses leave for Jerusalem every 15 minutes throughout most of the day.

Taxi Travel: Taxis here can be any car model or color and have lighted signs on top. They're plentiful, even in bad weather; drivers honk to catch your attention, even if you're not trying to catch theirs. If traveling within the metropolitan area, make sure the driver turns the meter on when you get in. Rates are NIS 11.10 for the first 18 seconds and 30 agorot in increments thereafter. Sherut taxis consist mainly of a fleet of vans at the Central Bus Station that run the same routes as the buses, at comparable one-way prices. They run on Saturday at a higher charge.

Train Travel: The train is an excellent way to travel between Tel Aviv and cities and towns to the north, such as Netanya, Hadera, Haifa, and Nahariya. The northbound train leaves from the Central Railway Station and the Azrieli station. The information office is open Sunday to Thursday 6 am to 11 pm and Friday 6 to 3. Trains run roughly every hour on weekdays from between 5 am and 6 am to between 10 pm and 11 pm depending on the destination; there are fewer trains on Friday and Jewish holiday eves and no service on Saturday or on holidays. There is also a line to Beersheva.