Eilat to Jerusalem by bus

We entered Israel that morning on foot (July 2017). We came from Wadi Rum, Jordan and crossed the Wadi Araba border (Aqaba-Eilat border). We took a taxi from the border to the Eilat central bus station. It cost 50NIS and took only about 15 minutes.

The Egged bus 444 goes from Eilat to Jerusalem. Costs 70NIS one way. Because I heard that this route can fill up quite quickly, I made a reservation over the phone from England. Booking with Egged bus was, well almost, straightforward. Operators always spoke good English and were very helpful. You need to pay in advance by card and will be given a reference number. They will also take your passport number and this works kind of as a booking code. However, when I called them to confirm my booking a week later, I found out that they got my passport number wrong . The system said my booking didn’t exist but the operators didn’t give up until they found it, I really appreciated that.

Your pre-booked ticket can be issued from 2 hours before your journey, you just find the ticket machine in the bus station, type in your reference number and your passport number and you will get your ticket, simple!

We arrived at Eilat bus station around 10:15AM. I booked the 14:15 bus, but was hoping to change for an earlier one. However, at 10:15, 14:15 was the next bus to Jerusalem.

There was a couple whom we shared the taxi from the border with, they were taking the same bus to Jerusalem also. We took turns to look after each others luggage so we could go out for a bit. It was so hot in Eilat! There were many shops and restaurants around the bus station, but we walked around only for a bit, went to a supermarket, got some water and food and spent most of our waiting time in the cool bus station. Later we found the lockers behind the bus station.

I’m not really sure why, but our 4 hours waiting time passed strangely quickly, maybe from excitement of being in a new country?

Our bus arrived and left on time. The seat numbers were indicated on our tickets. There was free Wi-Fi on the bus which was useful. I really enjoyed the views, overlooking the amazing Dead Sea and driving along Jordan, the country where we were just until that morning and have so many fond memories of.

There was one rest stop at a service station. 

I was expecting a 5 hours journey, but we arrived in Jerusalem in 4 hours.

You need to go through a security gate before entering the station building. If you are taking the light rail, the train stop is just across the main entrance of the central bus station.