Israel is a small country geographically and it is easy to get from one place to another. Buses are the most popular form of public transport in Israel for both local and intercity trips.The bus fare is reasonable, the buses are comfortable and usually air conditioned. The service is also regular, frequent and reliable.

Israel has several different bus companies. Egged and Dan are the most popular buses that you will see in Israel. Tickets can be purchased in the bus stations or directly from the driver. Most bus companies do not run on Shabbat or Holidays. This means they stop running on Fridays and resume service on Saturday evenings after dark. See below for a comprehensive list of bus companies.

HOW TO - TICKETS

Single Rides

• A fare for a single ride costs NIS 6.50. You can purchase a Rav Kav(see below) or simply pay the bus driver in cash and get a single kartis (ticket). A pensioner’s ticket is also available at a reduced rate.

• If you are taking a trip that requires several buses, make sure you hold onto your ticket as it will need to be validated each time you switch buses.

• Children under the age of 5, who do not occupy a seat, travel for free.

The Rav Kav

The Rav Kav is a new pre-paid magnetic card, that is pre loaded and used for buses and trains in Israel. You can purchase one at any central bus station and at  various Rav Kav stations all around the country. To get a personal Rav Kav - or Rav Kav Ishi - you will need to produce an identity document. A digital photo of you will be taken and processed onto the card  much like on a driver's license. The Rav Kav is issued on the spot and your personal identification details are printed on the underside of the bus card. This way any discounts you are entitled to, such as student or senior rates, are automatically processed. You then load your card with however much money you want.  Each time you get on the bus, you swipe the Rav Kav card in the card reader and the appropriate fare is deducted from the balance. The Rav kav is good for multiple rides and seasons tickets as well as single rides.

The Rav Kav Anonimi

This is an anonymous Rav Kav that you purchase for 5 shekel and then pre load. The difference between this card and the regular Rav Kav is that there are no personal details on it, so you will always be paying the regular standard fare. It is also not good for multiple rides and seasons tickets.

Below are a list of the bus companies that you will see in Israel:

Egged buses

www.egged.co.il

Egged Customer Service and Information: *2800

Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (Hebrew: אגֶדֶ ), a cooperative owned by its members, is the largest bus company in Israel. Egged's intercity bus routes reach most Israeli cities, towns, kibbutzim and moshavim in Israel. The company operates urban city buses throughout the country.

Dan Bus Company

www.dan.co.il

Dan Customer Service and Information: 00 972 3-639-4444

Dan Bus Company (Hebrew: דן חברה לתחבורה ציבורית ) is an Israeli bus company based in Tel Aviv. It operates local bus service in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area (Gush Dan) as well as some intercity bus services between the Gush Dan area and nearby regions.

Superbus

www.superbus.co.il

Superbus Service and Information: 00 972 8-920-4455

Superbus (Hebrew: סופרבו ס ) is an Israeli bus company, which provides intercity and intra-city service in Lod, Ramla, Tzrifin, Modi'in Illit, Beit Shemesh and Shoham. The vast majority of bus routes within Beit Shemesh are operated by Superbus.

Kavim

www.kavim-t.co.il

Kavim Customer Service and Information: *8787

Kavim (Hebrew: קווים ; "lines") is an Israeli bus company that provides bus service in the eastern Gush Dan region - the towns/cities Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva, Or Yehuda, Givatayim, Afula, Rosh HaAyin, Bet She'an and the Nazareth area .

Nazareth Transportation and Tourism

www.ntt-buses.com

Nazereth Customer Service and Information: *3553

This bus service operates inter-city lines in the north, covering Nazareth, Haifa, Karmiel and villages in the Galilee, and international lines to Amman (Jordan) and Sinai (Egypt).

Metropoline

metropoline.com

Metropoline Customer Service and Information: *5900

Metropoline (Hebrew: מטרופולין ) is an Israeli bus company, which provides bus routes from Beersheba to Tel Aviv and other destinations, mainly in the Southern District.

Golanbus

www.golanbus.co.il

Golanbus Customer Service and Information: *3254

Golan public transport is operated by the Golan Regional Council and Economic Society Golan who are seeking to make public transportation more accessible and innovative. They are equipped for specialcare passengers and operate sightseeing buses for tourism .

Metronit

www.dannorth.co.il

Metronit Customer Service and Information: *2450

“Dan North” is a mass transit company which was incorporated as a subsidiary of “Dan”, which operates public transportation in the Tel-Aviv metropolitan area.

Metrodan Beersheba Ltd

www.metrodan.com

Metrodan Customer Service and Information: *5100

Metrodan Beersheba Ltd. (Hebrew: מטרודן באר שבע בע"מ ) is an Israeli bus company in the south. Most of its lines originate in the Beersheba Central Bus Station (Beersheba CBS) in a terminal called Tahatz.