Jerusalem's Western Wall & Dome of the Rock...

Israel by train?

Once in Israel, it's easy to get around on an efficient and inexpensive train network, between Ben Gurion Airport, central Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Akko and Be'er Sheva.  Trains typically run every 30 minutes - or every hour or two to/from Jerusalem.  Although reaching Israel by land or sea at the moment is tricky, with the war in Syria and a dearth of ferries in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

  Useful country information - visas, currency, etc.

  Train routes & times

  Fares & how to buy tickets

  Be'er Sheva-Tel Aviv-Haifa-Akko-Nahariya route

  Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by train

  Ben Gurion Airport train

  What are the trains like?

  A train ride from Tel Aviv to Haifa & Akko (Acre)

  How to travel from Europe to Israel without flying

  Suggested hotels

Useful country information

Train travel in Israel

Train times & routes...

• Israel has a modern and rapidly-expanding train network - the roads around Tel Aviv are often gridlocked at rush hours, so the train is a great transport solution.  The trains are frequent and inexpensive, and come with toilets & power outlets.  They trains used to have WiFi, this was discontinued but may be restored in due course.

• You can check train times at the Israeli Railways website, www.rail.co.il - click English at the top.  This also has a route map.

  Tip:  If it says access denied, use a VPN set to an Israeli IP address.

• The main line links Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Akko & Nahariya, with fast trains every 30 minutes.

• 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 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.

• 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

• Tel Aviv doesn't have one main central station, but 4 stations spaced out through the city on a north-south rail line built through Tel Aviv in the 1950s between the carriageways of the Ayalon Highway.

• Most trains call at all four Tel Aviv stations so you can simply pick whichever is nearer to your hotel.  The main exception is the fast trains to Jerusalem as at present (meaning until they are extended in future) they only go from Tel Aviv HaHagana, although you can go from any of the four stations if you change trains at HaHagana.

• 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, and as the southernmost one it's where you'd change trains when travelling between Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem.

Tel Aviv Savidor-Center station. There's a baggage check at the entrance to stations with X-ray machine & metal detector.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

• Just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train - there is no need to reserve.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. 

• To check fares online use www.rail.co.il, change HE to EN for English.

• 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.

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The ticket machines accept notes, coins & cards...		Ticket gates at Tel Aviv HaShalom...

Be'er Sheva ► Tel Aviv ► Haifa ► Akko ► Nahariya

• 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.  On Fridays, trains run hourly in each direction on both routes until around 13:00, there is no service on Friday afternoons, or on Saturdays until after dark.  You can check train times at www.rail.co.il.

Tel Aviv ► Jerusalem

• The train is an excellent fun way to reach Jerusalem, you have (or had) a choice of two routes, fast or classic:

• Fast:  The new fast link opened in September 2018 and now links Tel Aviv Center-Savidor, Tel Aviv HaShalom & Tel Aviv HaHagana stations with Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station every 30 minutes taking just 43 minutes from Center-Savidor or 36 minutes from HaHagana.  These trains also call at Ben Gurion Airport station.

  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.

  Fare 22 shekels.  Buy at the station, no reservation necessary.  Check times & prices at www.rail.co.il.

  To allow for security, it's best to arrive at the station at least 10-15 minutes before departure.

• Classic:  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 in one direction for the experience and historical interest.  One simple cross-platform change was necessary at Bet Shemesh.  However, this classic route stopped operating in 2020 due to the pandemic and has not resumed, with no plans to reopen it.

Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station just outside the old city walls, with a double-deck fast train to Tel Aviv boarding in one of its underground platforms.  Photos courtesy of David Frankal.

Ben Gurion Airport train...

• 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.

• When you arrive by air at the airport, follow the signs to 'trains'.  The station is on the ground floor right outside the exit from terminal 3 arrivals.  Look for any train on the departure boards shown as going to Nahariya, as these go to all four Tel Aviv stations.

• 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.

When you walk out of the ground floor exit from terminal 3 signed 'Trains', this is the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport Station.  You can buy from the ticket machines in English, or use the staffed ticket office located on the other side of that wall.  There are automatic ticket gates just visible in this photo, then lifts & escalators down to the platforms.

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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 used on the line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  All these trains have toilets & power outlets.

1.  The red double-deck trains...  Each train has a locomotive at one end.

2.  The blue single-deck trains...  Each train also with a diesel locomotive at one end.

3.  The Danish-designed IC3 trains on the classic route to Jerusalem Malha station...  These trains have diesel-electric power under the floor.  They operate the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem line as they are the only type which can cope with the tight curves on this once-narrow-gauge line dating from 1892.  As from 2017 you need to switch trains at Bet Shemesh when travelling between Tel Aviv & Jerusalem.

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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...

Tel Aviv HaShalom station - through the quick security scan at the entrance.		After buying a ticket, go through the ticket gates...

Time to buy a coffee & some Fuze Tea for the train...		Waiting for the next train - they run every 30 minutes...

The rail line through Tel Aviv is sandwiched between carriageways of the Ayalon highway...		The train is air-conditioned & carpeted with power outlets...

We pass farmland & the odd level crossing...		...And even the occasional banana plantation.

...Before running along the Mediterranean coast.

Haifa Bat Galim.  Note the exit turnstile.		The train passes Haifa port...

There's a great view of the old city of Akko (Acre) as the train approaches Akko station...

The train arrives at Akko...		Akko railway station...

A taxi to Acre old city costs around 30 NIS...

St George's church, Akko...		Akko prison museum, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre_Prison.

Spice stalls in the bazaar...

Safely back to Tel Aviv by train, as the sun sets over the Med...

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Europe to Israel without flying

Israel is incredibly 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...

• 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.

• 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.  You can check the with UK ferry booking agents www.viamare.com if you like.

• 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 summer 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.

• Option 4, Grimaldi freighter cruises...  This option may still work!

  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!

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Find hotels in Israel

My favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0. Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Recommended hotel 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.

Recommended hotel in Jerusalem:  The King David Hotel

If your budget will stretch, the most famous hotel in Jerusalem is the King David Hotel.  Opened in 1931, the building was used as the British administration HQ during the British Mandate period 1917-1948 - 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.  More about this hotel at https://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.

The famous King David Hotel, Jerusalem.  Below, the view of the old city from rooms at the rear of the hotel.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• 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...

• 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.

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Travel insurance & VPN...

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 myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, reliable insurers include Columbus Direct.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com.

You can use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

A Curve card saves on foreign transaction fees...

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then charge you a currency conversion fee.  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 balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works:  1. Download the app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  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 - I get some commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you £5 cashback through that link, too.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it 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, and I get a small commission to help support this site.

 

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