The capital of Israel - Tel Aviv (not Jerusalem)
Speaking of Israel, I believe most people will think of Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem is indeed the most famous city in Israel, but it is not the capital of Israel. Its real capital is Tel Aviv. Speaking of Tel Aviv, it is indeed not as famous as Jerusalem. I believe that more than 90% of tourists who go to Israel also set their sights on Jerusalem. However, you cannot reach Jerusalem without passing through Tel Aviv (Jerusalem has no airport, and the only international airport nearby is in Tel Aviv). So, since we have to pass through it anyway, let us take the opportunity to get to know this city, or take a day trip.
Tel Aviv means spring hill in Hebrew, where Aviv means spring and Tel means hill. Today, Tel Aviv is a city where the night never stops and it is always full of life, day or night. At the same time, Tel Aviv is also the economic and technological hub of Israel and even the entire Middle East region. It is the world's high-tech center and has long been known as the Silicon Valley of the Middle East. Israel has 3,500 high-tech companies, such as Intel, IBM, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc., all of which have research and development departments in Israel. However, Tel Aviv only began to take shape in the 1880s, with a history of just over 200 years. Compared with the neighboring Jaffa Old City, which has a history of thousands of years, it is like a comparison between a baby and an old man. Ironically, the newborn defeated the giant and completely surpassed Jaffa in size, successfully seizing control of the country and becoming the capital of Israel today.
Jerusalem, 50 kilometers away, is the religious center of the Middle East and even the world. However, in Tel Aviv, 50 kilometers away, you can't feel the solemn religious atmosphere at all. Here, you can hardly see religious people in formal attire. There are only skyscrapers by the sea, sunshine and beaches (Tel Aviv has more than 300 days of sunshine a year), bar street/shopping street, boutiques/art galleries/open-air cafes, etc.
Tel Aviv has many attractions for visitors to see and enjoy, not to be missed include the White City and Jaffa Old City. The White City is a group of modernist Bauhaus-style buildings in Tel Aviv. The buildings combine ancient and modern cities, taking into account the combination of humanities, climate and sand. It was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in July 2003 and is one of the youngest heritage sites in the world.
The Old City of Jaffa is a completely different attraction. The ancient port is full of ruins, the streets are winding and rugged, and the blue doors are intertwined with beige stones, just like a Greek town. The area near the port is full of elegant seafood restaurants, cafes and galleries, where visitors can spend a leisurely afternoon drinking a cup of coffee or reading a book, forgetting the hustle and bustle and pressure of the big city. Those who love treasure hunting can also find their favorites here. The old town is full of antique shops, and the flea market (Jaffa Flea Market) next to the clock tower is a good place for treasure hunting. There are old toys, vinyl records, and old furniture from the 1970s and 1980s. Even if you get lost, it is still fun.
Finally, it was time to leave Tel Aviv and head to the real destination of tourists – Jerusalem. There are four ways to get to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. You can choose according to your budget and time. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that some public transportation will stop operating during the Sabbath (Shabbat). The Sabbath refers to the time from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, so you should plan ahead when designing your itinerary.
1. Take bus No. 405
The cheapest way to travel between the two places is to take bus No. 405. The bus departs from Tel Aviv Central Bus Station and arrives at Jerusalem Central Bus Station. The first bus departs at 05:50 in the morning and the last bus departs at 23:40 late at night. There is a bus almost every 20 minutes, and it takes about an hour. The ticket price is only 5.9 NIS. There is no bus service during the Sabbath, please pay attention to the detailed timetable. website
2. Israel National Railway
Israel National Railways has direct connections to Tel Aviv Airport/city center and Jerusalem. The ticket price is only 17NIS and the journey takes 26 minutes to reach Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon Station. The first train is at 6:30 in the morning and the last train is at 7:30 in the evening. Again, there is no train service on the Sabbath. For ticket booking and detailed timetable, please visit the following website
3. Abraham Shuttle Bus
It is really a headache to go to Jerusalem on the Sabbath without transportation. I arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday morning and chose the Abraham shuttle bus to Jerusalem. Abraham is a well-known hostel in the city, with hostels in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Shuttle buses provide transportation between the two hostels. Although the Abraham shuttle bus is a bit expensive, costing 30NIS, the good thing is that it also provides service during the Sabbath, with several shuttle buses running every day. For details, please refer to the official website. In addition, since the bus only has 22 seats, it is best to book as early as possible through the official website.
4. Sherut
Sherut is usually an eight-seater yellow taxi, similar to Hong Kong's mud bus, Taiwan's carpooling, and mainland China's carpooling. It drives away when the taxi is full. Sherut does not have a mileage meter. Both parties pay the fare agreed upon before getting on the bus when they get off. The price is relatively expensive, at 30 NIS, but the advantage is that it can take you point-to-point to the designated destination in Jerusalem, and it also operates on the Sabbath. Sherut generally has fixed pickup locations, such as outside Terminal 3 of the airport and outside the central station, but if you see this yellow van on the street, you can actually hail a car.