TEL AVIV BUS HUB
The Central Bus Station — seven floors, a thousand storefronts, about 80,000 passengers a day — remains Israel’s coach capital, with Arlozorov as the second gate; buses carry roughly 85% of the country’s public-transport trips, and there is no international coach network.
Opened in 1993 and instantly nicknamed the Mediterranean Escher, the CBS stacks seven floors above the Neve Sha’anan streets: more than a thousand storefronts, Egged’s intercity platforms on the upper levels (including the soldier-heavy IDF lines), city buses at street level and about 80,000 passengers a day in the pre-war count. It is chaotic, half-loved and still unavoidable for half the country — the HaHagana train station next door takes the overflow that rail can serve.
The second gate is Arlozorov Terminal (the 2000 Terminal) beside Savidor Central station, handling northern intercity lines; Dan, Kavim, Metropoline and a dozen regional operators share the market with Egged, and buses still carry about 85% of Israel’s public-transport trips. There is no international coach network at all: borders are crossed on foot at land terminals — 5.25 million crossings in 2025, led by Yitzhak Rabin (1.93 million, +19%) toward Aqaba, Allenby Bridge (1.87 million) toward Amman, Taba (960,000, +56%) toward Sinai and Jordan River (495,000, +24%).
THE TIO READ
Visit the CBS once, for the story; ride the train wherever rails run and take Egged only where they don’t — the Galilee, the Negev, the four-hour 394 to Eilat. Buy a Rav-Kav card at the airport and every bus in the country is a tap away.
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