HOW TO MOVE AROUND IN ISRAEL?
EGGED bus lines
The best way to get your way around the city is by bus. It may not seem the fastest or even the cheapest way of travelling but definitely safer than let’s say hitch-hiking. Although this form of transport is popular and efficient among travelers in Israel, our schedule was too tight to wait for a ride at the side of the road. So if you don’t have much time, choose the bus.
The most popular bus company is called Egged. It offers transits between the cities, as well as within the city. A bus ride from Tel-Aviv to Eilat ( it’s no. 390) costs 70 NIS and lasts about 5 hours. It is the only one that requires pre-booking; the best way is to buy the ticket at the bus station, because online booking is available only in Hebrew). You can also reserve a seat on the bus by phone: 972-3-6948888 (in English and Hebrew).
NOTE: This bus has two 15-minute breaks along the way (the first after 1,5 hour), so don’t worry about the need for toilet (it costs 1 NIS) or grabbing something to eat or drink.
There is free wi-fi available on the bus and a USB dock to charge your devices.
Public transport is well-developed in Israel. It doesn’t matter how many bus stops you are going, the price is set. One-way bus ticket in Tel-Aviv costs 6.00 NIS and one-way bus ticket in Eilat costs 4.90 NIS.
You can check the bus schedule on Google Maps (it will find correct bus line numbers for you) or on the official website of EGGED bus company.
USB docs are available above every seat
TIP: There are different private bus companies in Israel that offer city transits for a better price than the official carrier. However, they are limited to one or two rides per week (at least out of the holiday season) and you have to be quick because they get fully-booked fast. Where to find them? Have a look around at the nearest travel agencies – some of them will help you with booking a trip.
View from the window during a bus ride from Tel-Aviv to Eilat