The Israeli public transportation system is great. Depending on the city you reside in there will be different forms of public transport. From buses and taxis to trains for inter-city commutes, light-rail for inner-city transportation, service vans/shuttles (‘Moniyot Sherut’).
As a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow with Israel Experience, you will need to get to and from school in a timely manner.
One of the skills you will develop when there is the ability to traverse with public transport in a foreign country with people speaking a language that is not native to you – Hebrew.
After a few days traveling/commuting back and forth from your job in Israel of teaching English to Israeli kids you will have it down to a science and it will be easy for you to do.
But remember that during your job in Israel for English speakers you will have most of the afternoons off (school in Israel ends at 13:00-14:00) so you will have time to explore and discover the city around you.
As an English teacher in Israeli schools you are also entitled to, not a small number of days off. This will be the time you will want to venture farther in the country and explore unique attractions and historical locations. As a MITF with Israel Experience you will want to do this via public transportation.
To make it easier for you to travel within your host city and around this beautiful country we have put together some of the most important local lingoes you will need when traveling on public transportation in Israel.
Here are some terms and phrases to help you get around:
Locating stations and taking public transportation, especially buses, is easy. However, you would benefit from knowing some local lingo, more specifically bus-lingo to help you navigate, literally, your way around utilizing the bus system to your advantage.
Here are some terms and phrases to help you get around:
Bus ‘Auto-boo’. אוטובוס
Driver ‘Nehag’ נהג
Taxi ‘Monit’ מונית
Station ‘Tachana’ תחנה
Ticket ‘Kartees’ כרטיס
Does this bus go to? ‘Ha-o-to-boos ha-ze me-gi-a le-……..? האוטובוס הזה מגיע ל?
Wait driver. ‘Re-ga ne-hag’ רגע נהג
Where does this go? ‘Le-an ze me-gi-a?’ לאן זה מגיע?
What is the next station? ‘Me ha-tachana Ha-ba-a?’ מה התחנה הבאה?
Excuse me ‘Slee-cha’ סליחה
Rav Kav ‘רב קו ‘ This is an electronic ticket used on public transport in which can be loaded using cash or credit card
*As a MITF with IE you will get a monthly Rav Kav for the city you are living in for the entire duration of your Israel Experience
Would you like to sit down? ‘Oolai atta/at rotze/rotza lashevet?’ אולי את רוצה לשבת?
Where do you buy a ticket? ‘Eifo konim kartis?’ איפה קונים כרטיס?
How much does a ticket cost? ‘Kama Ol-e kartis?’ כמה עולה כרטיס אחד?
I need to get to _____ ‘Ani tzarich/tzricha le-hagi-a le _______ ‘ אני צריך/צריכה להגיע ל_____
Where do I need to get off? ‘Eifo ani tzarich/tzricha laredet?’ איפה אני צריך/צריכה לרדת?
What direction are you going? ‘Le-eize kivoon atta no-se-a?’ לאיזה כיוון אתה נוסע?
Is there a daily pass? ‘Yesh kartees yom?’ יש כרטיס יום?
Is there a monthly pass? ‘Yesh kartees hodshee?’ יש כרטיס חודשי
When is the last bus? ‘Matai ha-oto-boos ha-acharon? מתי האוטובוס האחרון
Important tips to keep in mind when traveling and living in Israel:
In most cities, public transportation does not run between Friday later afternoon until Saturday evening. So when you are making plans make sure to see you will be able to get where you want to within that time frame. In any event, our full-time community manager and dedicated staff members will be able to assist you with this.
As you know Israel is one of the leading countries in hi-tech and is home to numerous start-ups,, so there are lots of great apps for public transpiration:
Moovit – Get directions anywhere in Israel with public transportation
Hop on – Here you can charge your Rav Kav online
Also,
Feel free to ask the driver direction-related questions if you are not sure.
It is customary on buses to allow seniors, the disabled, and pregnant women to sit down if the bus is full.
Always keep in mind that buses may be delayed due to traffic or other unforeseen circumstances.
Good luck! Enjoy the ride!
