Public Transit in Israel is a cinch. The previous gold standard, the “Rav Kav” card (https://ravkavonline.co.il/en/) , has been upstaged by the most popular urban mobility app in Israel called Moovit. Owned by Intel through its subsidiary Mobileye since 2020, Moovit is now the best way to get around within and between cities in Israel.
No more Rav Kav cards, forgetting them in your room, losing them on the bus, or not having enough money loaded on them. Using Moovit, and hence public transportation anywhere in Israel, is as easy as downloading the Moovit App. What’s great is that most of the directions are in English, so if your newly acquired Hebrew isn’t up to snuff, you’ll be able to understand everything.
Here’s how to register to use Moovit:
Download the App (https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-Israel-1)
You’ll be prompted to register with your name and telephone number so they can send you a code to continue.
Choose a payment method, which will typically be your credit card but can also be via Pango, which is the popular parking app in Israel (https://en.pango.co.il/) if you are driving a rental car.
Choosing your profile is next and a must. As a student, you’ll get a wapping 33% discount on all fares.
Using your app is incredibly easy. You can use it with
1) any bus line (including Egged, Dan, Superbus, and Metropoline (http://www.bus.co.il/));
2) all trains (Israel railways and LightRail (http://www.rail.co.il/)); and
3) Taxis such as Gettaxi as well as other modes of transport such as Car2Go and Lime.
Don’t worry about figuring out how to go either. Just type in the address or business and Moovit gives you step by step directions to any venue/attraction, street, or transit station from wherever you are. You can see bus and train schedules with arrival times and detailed routes. You can also get real time updates on traffic as well as live directions on when to get off for your stop. No worries about falling asleep between stops!
So let’s get you started by boarding a bus, for instance. -
Open the app and scan the QR code which is either next to the bus driver or by the back doors.
Choose your ride distance based on where you boarded and when you plan to get off.
You are charged only for the rides you’ve actually taken, and only once at the end of the month.
That’s basically it!!
Enjoy all the sites of Israel, in any city, with the swipe of your phone. What could be easier?