Hebrew Phrases for Using Israeli Public Transportation

Israeli public transportation is surprisingly good once you know the system. Buses, trains, and light rail cover most of the country, but they run on Israeli time (which means loud, fast, and sometimes chaotic). Here are the Hebrew phrases that help you buy tickets, ask about schedules, and not miss your stop.

The main transit modes

• Autobus, bus. The most common way to get around cities.
• Rakevet, train. Israel Railways runs inter-city trains.
• Rakevet kala, light rail. Tel Aviv has one, Jerusalem has one, Haifa has a funicular called Carmelit.
• Sheruit, shared minivan taxi. Runs fixed routes, often faster than buses.
• Monit, regular taxi.

Buying tickets

Most Israelis use a Rav Kav card, which works on all public transit. You can buy one at train stations, transit centers, and some convenience stores. Key phrases:

• Ani tzarich kartis, I need a ticket (masc).
• Ani tzarich Rav Kav, I need a Rav Kav.
• Efshar lehatpit et ha-Rav Kav?, can I top up the Rav Kav?
• Ha-im ze betokef?, is it valid?

You can also pay for buses directly with a contactless credit card now, which is the easiest option for tourists.

Asking about routes and times

• Matai yotzeh ha-autobus ha-ba?, when does the next bus leave?
• Me'eifo yotzeh ha-autobus?, where does the bus leave from?
• Le'an ata nosea?, where are you going? (said to a bus or sheruit driver)
• Ze megia le-Yerushalayim?, does this go to Jerusalem?
• Kama zman ha-nesi'a?, how long is the trip?

On the bus

• Ani yored ba-tachana ha-ba'ah, I'm getting off at the next stop.
• Slicha, tuchal lomar li matai le-redet?, excuse me, can you tell me when to get off?
• Lehagid lemoked rak et ha-tachana... actually simpler: Ani tsarich laredet po, I need to get off here.

Pro tip: there's a button near the doors on every Israeli bus. Press it before your stop to signal the driver. If you miss the button and the driver doesn't stop, shout slicha! tachana! (excuse me! stop!) clearly. Drivers are used to it.

At the train station

• Eifo ha-rakevet le-Yerushalayim?, where is the train to Jerusalem?
• Rasif, platform.
• Kartis chazor, return ticket.
• Kartis yachid, single ticket.

Israeli train stations have English signs and announcements, so you'll be fine even without Hebrew. But using the Hebrew words gets you faster service and warmer responses.

The Shabbat rule

The biggest thing to know about Israeli transit: buses and trains stop running from Friday afternoon (around 3-4 PM) until Saturday evening. This is because of Shabbat. If you need to travel during Shabbat, your options are:

• Monit, taxi. Always available.
• Sheruit, shared taxi. Many routes run on Shabbat.
• Rental car, for longer trips.

If you're coming from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on a Friday evening, book early. Shabbat traffic is real.

Inter-city buses

For trips between cities, Egged is the main inter-city bus company. Trips like Tel Aviv to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to Eilat are popular. Key phrases:

• Eifo tachana merkazit?, where is the central bus station?
• Kartis le-Eilat, bevakasha, a ticket to Eilat, please.
• Yesh li hazmana, I have a reservation.

The universal transit frustration

At some point you'll be stuck at a station wondering why your bus isn't coming. The phrase to know is eifo ha-autobus?! (where's the bus?!). Say it with a shrug and a frown and you'll blend right in.

For more travel and transit vocabulary with audio, our phrases section has sentences you can memorize, and our topics pages include travel word lists.

Once you know the basic patterns, Israeli public transit is cheap, frequent, and gets you nearly everywhere. Welcome aboard.