One of the things that can be intimidating about visiting a new country is learning the area’s public transportation system. I’ll admit that, the first time I visited London’s Underground, I was confused by the Tube’s map and schedule of stops.
Many of my fellow travelers have similar stories about the Metro in Paris, the Rail in Spain, the Shinkansen in Japan, and of course the notoriously confusing subway in New York. With a little bit of patience and practice, however, even these befuddling transportation systems become no sweat. After all, there are thousands of people who use these systems every single day.
Comparatively, Israel’s public transportation is a breeze. The train system is very well organized and easy to use. In the past 10 years it has been upgraded considerably, increasing its ease as well as its cleanliness and its safety. While buses within Israel are also convenient, and car rental is available, the Israeli train system is the form of transportation that I would most highly recommend.
Israel Railways run from Sunday to Thursday between 6 am and 11 pm, and Fridays between 6 am and 3 pm. Essentially, you can travel between all of the major cities in the country using this system. Here’s a table of all of the passenger train stations available within the country.
Some tips to remember while riding Israel Railways are:
Bring your own food and drinks with you:
There are no dining cars on the trains. However, attendants do come around with carts filled with snacks, drinks, and sandwiches. The only issue with the provided food and drinks is that the prices are very high. Thus you are generally better off bringing your own food and drinks, for which there are no restrictions.
Try to nab a double-decker train car:
The double-decker ones are easy to spot because they are painted red. Try to get a seat on the upper level for a really neat view. You’ll receive more natural sunlight on the second level, too.
Avoid riding the train on Sundays:
Israeli soldiers are able to ride the trains for free, and since Sundays are their day off, the trains tend to be extremely crowded. If you do need to ride the train on a Sunday, plan to take it after 3:00 pm.
Don’t plan to check your email to pass the time:
Wireless internet service is available, but it is priced by the hour and is very expensive. Bring a book, magazine, or deck of cards instead.
If you prefer, taxis are plentiful within Israel as well. While all taxi drivers are required by law to use their times meters, you can speak to the driver about getting a special out-of-town rate when commuting from one city to another.
Taxis are available 24 hours a day, and the fares are slightly heightened during night-time hours (between 9 pm and 5:30 am) and on holidays.
You should also expect to pay an additional fare if you are bringing luggage, have booked the taxi by phone, have three or more additional passengers, are traveling a toll road, or cause the taxi cab driver to wait for you for more than 15 minutes.
Regardless of the cost, taking a taxi is Israel is generally preferable to renting a car and driving on your own. Driving within Israel can be a major challenge for tourists. Israelis’ driving style is often referred to as “wild,” and the streets tend to be narrow and crowded.
If you do choose to rent a car, one good thing is that the driving style is the same as America, wherein you drive on the right side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the left side of the car.
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