I am a solo traveler , female wishing to join a group tour that will not provide me with an airport transfer from the Tel Aviv airport. I am a widow and would like to use my air miles. Any safe ideas on public transport?? Thanks in advance. K

The most economical and easiest way to get from the airport to Jerusalem is by sherut - shared taxi. You can get one at the official taxi stand right outside the terminal. The cost is approximate $16 and will take you to your address in Jerusalem.

If you are not too budget constrained Taxi DIRECT would be a better safer choice or perhaps a hotel pickup from 200 Sheks or so...

A sherut is 50 sheks per person or appx $15 but it holds 10 people , if they get close to that number they will leave, but if if its just the 2 of you or 4 altogether, they probably will tell you they will wait till the next flight gets in. then again you might be the ones to put the number of people high enough for the driver to go w/o a full load as others were waiting from a flight before yours.They may make a bunch of stops on your way so not ideal for me unless
very budget.

Happy Journey,

A taxi is a more expensive way. If you decide to do it follow the signs and go to the official dispatch line. Do NOT go with anyone who approaches you in the airport. BTW the taxi is just as safe as the sherut. --or another way of wording it--there is nothing unsafe about the sherut.

The odds of you waiting a long time to fill a sherut are slim. There are multiple flights landing at Ben Gurion at any given time and loads of people do head for Jerusalem.

I just returned from 11 days in Israel. I think a sherut is safer. It's not just you and the taxi driver, which can be unnerving in certain instances for solo females.

I am a solo female who has made close to 50 trips to Israel. I ride the buses, the trains and take taxis. I have NEVER had a problem with a cabbie and know of no solo female who has. What may have unnerved WillTravel is the different social mores here in the Middle East. A women alone gets into a cab and a driver may make conversation by asking if you are married. This, while not normal in the US , is no big deal here and you either answer it or tell the driver you'd rather not say, that you consider that information personal.