Preface here: It’s 2025 and the last time I took a bus in Israel before this was in about 2003. The last time I took a bus in the United States … 2010-ish? Maybe once after. Thus, maybe the technology applies to the rest of the world already and I just didn’t know that.

Exciting New Experience

An Israeli bus – sign cycles between Hebrew, English, and Arabic. Riders are disproportionately haredi.

Only Cars for Me
Step -1: “My kids love their freedom here – don’t have to ask parents for a ride because they can take buses everywhere. I really should learn how to take a bus …”

Step 0: “I broke my car. Yipee! I get to experience the buses finally.”

Intra-city Buses
Step 1: “This is so relaxing – the app tells me when to leave, I sit on the bus, scan a QR code to pay, and get off when the app tells me to … and so much less stressful than using the parking garage.”

Step 2: “I could take my wife’s car – it’s available … or I could take the bus again. Hmm… bus was crowded though okay.”

Step 3: “Hmm… bus is 15 minutes late and it’s 95 degrees out with no shade. This is less fun.”

Intercity Buses
Step 4.1: “Well, let’s try this now. Modiin to Afula to get my car … app says stop in Tel Aviv … that went pretty well. In fact, probably quicker than driving because the bus can avoid the traffic.”

Step 4.2: “Okay, here I am waiting outside in Tel Aviv … that’s a lot of buses passing by and it’s still hot today. Ah, here it is. Wow … 110 minutes more to go? That’s … a long time.”

Step 5: “Afula, nice to see you! Let’s walk 10 minutes to pick up my car … and … yeah, I’m driving back. Ahhhhhh …. 1 1/4 hours instead of 3 hours … this is … yeah, I’m not taking a bus again.”

How To Use Buses in Israel

Taking an intercity bus from Modiin to Afula … over three hours … it was fine. I used a Hebrew app (turns out I only get nauseous after eating) – and then I listened to shiurim, podcasts. Not something I’d want to do every day though if you had to, you could and make good use of your time and have a pleasant rest on the very nice buses.

Each major city has a bus station with buses that go between many of the bus stations – these are the intercity buses and they have plenty of stops along the way. Within cities are the intracity buses. The difference mainly is where the stops are …

Above is the Modiin bus station in the center of town situated on a large traffic circle, underground train, and roadway that splits into a local road and underground tunnel to drive right through the center of town without traffic. Best urban planning ever.

Below the traffic circle is another level with the intercity buses pulling up to an air-conditioned lobby. On the traffic circle are the intra-city buses. In back of the picture, just behind the traffic light, is the train station. Again, best urban planning ever.

… and that archway building in the background I’ve been in many other blog entries from different angles.

One of my kids had to explain to me how to use a bus in Israel. The best way is to use an ad-filled app called Moovit that wants too many permissions – to know your location whenever it feels like, so you have to remember to turn that off. Reminded me of QQ – out of China. Chinese clients asked me to use it to instant message … not happening.

There are people with monthly bus passes, or, you scan a QR code on outside of the bus, as well as in many places in the bus.

Moovit is a bit like Waze or Google Maps for getting directions … put in your destination and it gives you directions including walking time to the bus stop, time the bus will arrive, and the name of each stop along the way. It tells you what time to leave and start walking and so on. Sometimes it will have you make many bus lines to ‘save’ five minutes because this is the theoretical quickest time though this is a) annoying, b) an easy way to miss a connection and get stranded until the next bus comes.

Walking directions were excellent and dare I say – better than Google Maps for the simple reason that as you turn, the direction you are facing updates like a ticking clock to the direction you are facing with probably 8 directions. With Google Maps you often have to walk a bit to find out it’s the wrong way once the map decides to update, and even then, it can be confusing.

It’s all in all a very pleasant experience – the buses are air conditioned; there are lit USB ports at every seat (either in the wall or the ceiling) – the signage is well-lit and clear, and the app tells you exactly where you are with a convenient popup on your phone telling you how many stops and minutes until you get off the bus … and when to get off which was very helpful because despite knowing exactly where I was going (the bus station), it turns out the last stop on the route is before the bus station (not far away) and I wouldn’t have known that. From there, it was quicker to get to my destination than if I had driven my car and parked in the nearest parking lot.

On the way back, same thing … walk over there, wait for this number bus … get on and it tells you when to get off.

The downside is the app is full of ads … very intrusive ones. They want you to pay for features like live bus tracking and no ads.

The bus drivers greatly vary in … bedside manner? What’s the bus driver equivalent? One was aggrieved that I was on my phone in a front seat, another kept driving while someone who was clearly at the stop when he arrived was pounding on the door to be let in … driver just kept going, ignoring him. Some bus drivers are just quiet – which works for me.

Once I had my car back

Then I got my car back. On the 10th floor of an office building – which is where they put gyms in this country – while on a window facing machine I had this view and thought, “poor shlubs who have to take the bus and walk down the road.” That was me two days prior at that very bus stop. How quickly we become snobs. How quickly I become a self-critical snob.

The Entire Aliyah Diary

Arrival

01. Aug 19, 2024: Preparation In America
02. Aug 25, 2024: First Few Days
03. Aug 29, 2024: Moving In
62. July 17, 2025: I MADE IT

Cultural Adjustment Fun

Cultural Adjustment Difficulties

On The Roads

Shopping

11. Oct 13, 2024: Packages. (חבילות.)
34. Feb 17, 2025: Finding Obscure Things
41. Mar 23, 2025: New Shopping Habits
44. Apr 6, 2025: Pesach Shopping & Osher Ad

Government and Bureaucracy

Politics and Thought

Travel: South Israel

Travel: Central/North Israel

Travel: From Israel to …

54. June 4, 2025: Marseille and Avignon