HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

Sheruts
AIRPORT- JERUSALEM WITH THE SHERUT
Sheruts (shared taxis) usually carry about ten-12
passengers and follow set routes…but unlike buses can
stop for you anywhere along the route. They offer a less
expensive alternative to a special taxi. They are also the
only mode of cheap travel on Shabbat and public
holidays.
Sheruts are good for traveling around the city and
between cities, but not always great for getting to
specific places. You can find sheruts in Herzliya that run
South to Tel Aviv and north to Natanya. Sheruts do not
come into the suburban neighborhoods. They only run
along the main roads, usually following standard bus
routes. In Herzliya, you can pick up a sherut along Route
2 (Namir Rd/Coastal Highway). They do not take you
directly to the Embassy, but you could connect to a
different sherut once in Tel Aviv and get as close as Ben
Yehuda and Shalom Alechem. Once you are in Tel Aviv,
there are more sheruts available that can take you closer
to other locations in the city. Sheruts in the city are
numbered to match the bus system.
Sherut Tips
Popular lines in Tel Aviv are 4, 5 and 66. Maps of the
routes can be found at: http://www.dan.co.il/eng/lines/
Rates for routes within Tel Aviv are generally 6.5-7 NIS.
For routes between cities, ask the driver for the rate.
Getting On:
1. Raise your arm – If the sherut is full, it will pass by.
2. Get on & sit down – Most drivers pull away quickly.
Pass your money to the front and change will be
returned to you.
3. Ask the driver to stop – You can ask to stop anywhere
along the route.
A reasonably priced way to get to Jerusalem from Ben-
Gurion Airport is by sherut (shay-root), a van shared by
eight passengers with a fixed per-person rate. The
current fare is NIS 75 per person, baggage included. The
sherut stand, run by Nesher Taxi, is to the left as you exit
the arrivals area of the terminal building. Confirm that
the destination of the Nether van is Jerusalem, give your
luggage to the driver, and climb in. When all the seats
are claimed, the van will take off: The driver must,
without charging an extra agora (a single smalldenomination
coin), take you from the airport to the
hotel or residential address of your choice anywhere in
Jerusalem. If you're lucky, you'll be the first in your
group to be dropped off at your destination. If not, you`ll
find yourself on an odyssey through parts of Jerusalem
you would never normally see.
For the return trip to the airport, your hotel will be glad
to call in advance (reserve about 2 days before your
departure) and make an appointment for a sherut to pick
you up. If you want to make your sherut reservation in
person, the office of Nesher Taxis and Sheruts (it 021625-
72n, known for its extremely reliable airport service, is
upstairs at 23 Ben-Yehuda St., near King George Street.
The company will pick up around the clock, 7 days a
week, but if you need transport to the airport on the
Sabbath, you must make your reservation by Thursday—
the Nesher office is closed on Shabbat.
Tips:
1. Ask when you get on to verify that the sherut goes
where you think it does.
2. Numbered routes will have the number prominently
displayed in the windshield.
3. Sheruts from Netanya to Tel Aviv (found on Route 2)
have the destination in Hebrew in the window.
The Holy Land - The Essential Guide to Living in Israel 71