Much like in the U.S., Israel has multiple alternatives to get around the country. In cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, there are train and tram systems, taxis as well as a reliable bus system. In the southern region, where I spent the majority of my time, people relied heavily on the regional buses and, at times, even resorted to hitchhiking, which was very surprising for me.
Given that we were in a much more rural region, locals depended on either their own cars and/or kibbutz- shared cars or on public buses. To get to the nearest city which was Eilat, one could take the 23 bus, which arrived at the bus stop within the kibbutz, or one could walk outside the kibbutz and into the highway’s bus stop, and take either the 397 or the 340. All of these buses cost 12 shekels—around $3.70 in US dollars.
Something that was starkly different from what I experienced in the United States is how common hitchhiking was for people there. I can’t speak for other regions in Israel, but since the highway leads directly to Eilat, cars passing by are able to give people a ride since they are both going to the same destination. I knew friends who would hitchhike in order to get to Eilat, especially during times when buses didn’t run frequently.
