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Jerusalem's Western Wall & Dome of the Rock... |
Israel by train?
Reaching Israel by land or sea is tricky at the moment, with the war in Syria and a dearth of ferries in the Eastern Mediterranean. But once in Israel, it's easy to get around on an efficient and inexpensive train network, linking Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, Jerusalem, Haifa, Akko and Be'er Sheva.
Useful country information - visas, currency,
etc.
Be'er Sheva-Tel Aviv-Haifa-Akko-Nahariya route
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
by train
A train ride from Tel Aviv
to Haifa & Akko (Acre)
How to travel from Europe to Israel without flying
Recommended hotels in Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
Useful country information
Train travel in Israel
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Israel has a modern and rapidly-expanding train network - the roads around Tel Aviv are often gridlocked at rush hours, making the train the best transport solution. The trains are frequent, inexpensive, and come with toilets & power outlets. They trains used to have WiFi, this was discontinued but may be restored in due course.
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You can check train times at the Israeli Railways website, www.rail.co.il - change HE to EN at the top. This also has a route map.
Tip: If it says forbidden, just set your VPN to an Israeli IP address, refresh the page, and it will work. This sort of thing is why you need a VPN!
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The main line links Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Akko & Nahariya, with fast trains every 30 minutes.
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Trains link Tel Aviv to Jerusalem every half hour over the new fast line taking 34 minutes, see the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem section below. There are normally also trains every hour taking 90 minutes with a simple change at Bet Shemesh over the slow, twisting and scenic line originally built in Ottoman times, see the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem page.
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Expect to go through a quick and simple security check - often with baggage X-ray & metal detector portal - at the entrance to each station. You'll then usually need to go through automatic ticket gates to access the platforms, with an extra-wide one if you have luggage.
Which station in Tel Aviv? See location map
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Tel Aviv doesn't have a main central station, it has 4 stations spaced out through the city on a north-south railway built through Tel Aviv in the 1950s between the carriageways of the Ayalon Highway.
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From north to south, they are: Tel Aviv-University, Tel Aviv Savidor-Center, Tel Aviv HaShalom and Tel Aviv HaHagana.
Most trains call at all 4 Tel Aviv stations so you can pick whichever is nearer to your hotel.
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Tel Aviv Savidor-Center (pictured below) & Tel Aviv HaShalom (pictured here) are arguably the most important stations, both with plenty of taxis waiting outside. Tel Aviv HaHagana is smaller, but it's the closest to old Jaffa.
Fares & how to buy tickets
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Just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train - there is no need to reserve.
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It's possible to reserve seats on certain trains on which one carriage has been designated as 'all seats reserved' but I'd recommend not worrying about seat reservations, just buy a ticket, hop on and sit in any empty seat. Seat reservations aren't possible at all on the trains to or from Jerusalem, you just sit where you like.
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You can buy tickets at the station from the staffed ticket office or from the self-service machines which have a touch screen and English language facility. Both ticket office and machines accept credit cards, using the magnetic strip.
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Fares are cheap: Tel Aviv to Jerusalem costs 24 NIS, about £4 or $6. Tel Aviv to Haifa costs 32 NIS, about £5.50 or $8.
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To check fares online use pti.org.il/derekh-shava/eng/?culture=en (please let me know if that link stops working). The Israeli railways website won't tell you the fare as prices are set by the government, hence the need to use pti.org.il.
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Children: Infants under 5 go free (one per adult). Strangely, there is no discount for children 5 & over when buying normal tickets if you are not an Israeli citizen. However, there's a 50% discount for children aged 5-18 if you obtain a RAVKAV child smartcard and pay with that. You can get a child RAVKAV at any RAVKAV service centre, including one at Ben Gurion Airport. A few may (incorrectly) refuse to give you one as a non-Israeli, but most will, the one at the airport normally won't be a problem as they are used to this.
Be'er Sheva ► Tel Aviv ► Haifa ► Akko ► Nahariya
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On Mondays-Thursdays & Sundays, 2 trains an hour link Tel Aviv (all 4 stations) with Haifa, Akko (Acre) & Nahariya. The Tel Aviv to Haifa journey takes 50-60 minutes for the 85km (53 miles). 3 trains an hour link Tel Aviv with Be’er Sheva, some trains starting back in Haifa.
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On Fridays, trains run hourly on both routes until around 13:00, there is no service on Friday afternoons or on Saturdays until after dark.
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You can check train times at www.rail.co.il, check prices at pti.org.il/derekh-shava/eng/?culture=en.
Tel Aviv ► Jerusalem
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The train is an excellent way to reach Jerusalem, you have (or had) a choice of two routes, the new fast link or the classic line:
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The Tel Aviv - Jerusalem fast train
The new fast rail link between Tel Aviv & Jerusalem opened in September 2018 and links Tel Aviv Center-Savidor, Tel Aviv HaShalom, Tel Aviv HaHagana & Ben Gurion airport station with Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station.
On Mondays-Thursdays & Sundays it runs every 30 minutes taking 43 minutes from Tel Aviv Center-Savidor or 36 minutes from HaHagana.
On Fridays, it runs hourly until around 14:30, there is no service on Friday afternoons or on Saturdays until after dark.
To allow for security, it's best to arrive at the station at least 10-15 minutes before departure.
Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon is a new station opposite Jerusalem's central bus station, immediately to the west of the old city and within easy walking distance of all the sights.
The fare is 24 shekels, about £6 or $7.
Buy at the station, no reservation necessary. Check times at www.rail.co.il, check prices at pti.org.il/derekh-shava/eng/?culture=en.
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The classic route - currently suspended
Before the pandemic, you could also take the historic Jaffa-Jerusalem railway from Tel Aviv HaShalom or Tel Aviv HaHagana stations through the scenic Judean Hills to Jerusalem Malha station located in a southwest suburb of Jerusalem, see the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem page. It was worth doing at least in one direction for the experience and historical interest. Trains used to be direct, after the opening of the new fast line it became necessary to make one simple cross-platform change at Bet Shemesh. However, this classic route stopped operating in 2020 because of the pandemic and it has not resumed, with no plans to reopen it.
Ben Gurion Airport train
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Trains link Ben Gurion Airport with Tel Aviv & Haifa every 30 minutes, journey time to Tel Aviv Savidor-Center 18 minutes, daily except Friday nights & Saturdays. Direct fast trains also link Ben Gurion with Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station every 30 minutes, taking 26 minutes.
You can check train times & fares at www.rail.co.il, check prices at pti.org.il/derekh-shava/eng/?culture=en.
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When you arrive by air at the airport, follow the signs for trains. The station is on the ground floor right outside the exit from terminal 3 arrivals. For Tel Aviv, look on the departure boards for any train going to Nahariya as these go to all 4 Tel Aviv stations.
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When heading back from Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion airport, look for a train going to Modi'in Center or Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon as these all call at Ben Gurion Airport.
What are the trains like?
There are essentially just 3 types of train in Israel: The red double-deck and blue single-deck used on most lines, and the Danish-designed IC3 trains which were used on the classic line to Jerusalem before it was suspended. All these trains have toilets & power outlets.
A train ride from Tel Aviv to Haifa & Akko
The historic old city of Acre, today's Akko, makes a great day trip from Tel Aviv, see www.akko.org.il...
Europe to Israel without flying
Israel is isolated from the rest of the world as far as land or sea travel is concerned. There used to be two or three options for travel from London (or anywhere else in Europe) to Israel, but at the moment there are major problems with each option...
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Option 1: Travel by train all the way via Syria & Jordan.
Before the war in Syria, this used to work OK in the outward (London to Israel) direction, and could only be used in the return (Israel to London) direction if you were careful to avoid any indication in your passport (or anywhere else) of your visit to Israel. This was because you couldn't enter Syria with any evidence of a visit to Israel in your passport. The route was London - Paris - Vienna - Budapest - Istanbul - Aleppo - Damascus - Amman - Allenby Bridge - Jerusalem. Now, of course, the war in Syria blocks this route.
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Option 2: Travel by train+ferry to Athens, then by ferry from Piraeus to Israel.
The catch here is that Poseidon Lines & Salamis Lines direct ferries from Piraeus to Cyprus & Israel stopped running in 2001 because of the political situation in Israel, and still show no signs of resuming.
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Option 3: Travel by train+ferry UK to Athens, then by cruise ferry via Cyprus.
A new Rhodes-Cyprus & Cyprus-Israel cruise service started in 2008 running June-October, and would take one-way passengers at least if you booked near to departure date. But it's had its ups and downs and I don't believe it's currently running, see www.varianostravel.com/Cruises/ferry_service. See the London to Greece page for train travel between London and Athens.
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Option 4, Grimaldi freighter cruises...
One option which may still work is to contact www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com. They run weekly freighters from various European ports including Southampton (UK), Salerno (Italy) & Piraeus (Greece) to Haifa & Ashdod in Israel which carry a limited number of passengers. Feedback would be appreciated, they don't seem to be offering this route in 2023.
Hotels in Israel
In Jerusalem: The King David Hotel
The King David Hotel is the most famous & fabulous hotel in Jerusalem. Opened in 1931, the building was used as the British administration HQ during the British Mandate period from 1917 to 1948 - the south west wing was blown up in 1946 by zionist activists. Today, it's an excellent luxury hotel with great character, 15 minutes walk from the Jaffa Gate into the Old City. The rooms at the rear of the hotel have views over the city wall. Read more about this hotel at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel. Also at the upper end of the scale, the American Colony Hotel gets great reviews. For cheaper options, just check Booking.com.
In Tel Aviv: Lily & Bloom Hotel
The Lily & Bloom Hotel occupies a 1930s Bauhaus-style building which was originally a bank. Located just off Allenby, near the junction with Rothschild Boulevard, the Lily & Bloom hotel has friendly staff, great clean rooms and does an excellent breakfast - and of course there's free WiFi. It's a short taxi ride from HaShalom station, and 15-20 minutes walk from Old Jaffa. If you'd prefer to stay in the old city of Jaffa rather than busier, more modern Tel Aviv, try the highly-rated Margosa Hotel, Jaffa.
Use Booking.com...
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www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from Buy from Amazon.com.