Trains

Israel has a great train system including the new direct, fast train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. We highly recommend you download the Israel Railways App and take advantage of the scenic 45-minute trip from central Tel Aviv to the heart of Jerusalem. With traffic, the trip can take twice as long via car. Other major locations you can get to via train are Acre, Haifa, and Beer Sheva.

In order to get to the Old City from the Jerusalem – Yitzhak Navon Station, simply exit the train station to Jaffa Street and purchase a ticket for the light rail train. You can purchase the ticket from the kiosk at the rail stop or if you have money downloaded on a “Rav Kav” card (explained below), you can simply jump on the rail train and the cost of the ride will be deducted. Take the rail train to the “City Hall” stop, and the Old City is just to the south.

https://www.rail.co.il/en

***DO NOT RUN FRIDAY OR SATURDAY***

We also recommend that if you plan to utilize the train on a frequent basis, that you get a reloadable Rav Kav card. With a Rav Kav card, you can enjoy discounts on the train. For example, a round-trip ticket from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem costs 32 NIS as compared to 40 NIS. You can obtain non-picture Rav Kav cards at any train station. If you want a card with your picture, you must take your passport to select Rav Kav stations. The picture cards give some advantage to those loading them online with an Israeli credit card. But if you do not have an Israeli credit card, you can simply load the card at the station kiosks using either shekels or a U.S. credit card.

https://ravkavonline.co.il/en/