Rishon LeTsiyyon

Getting around

Rishon LeTsiyyon is a spread-out city rather than a compact historic core, so walking works best for short trips within a single neighbourhood or along one of the main commercial streets. The wide arterial roads, such as Sderot David Ben-Gurion and Sderot Menachem Begin, are lined with bus stops and local businesses and are the most comfortable corridors to walk along. For longer cross-city journeys, or in the summer heat, a bus, taxi, or ride-hailing car is more practical than walking the whole way.

Within the city, the bus is the backbone of public transport, with dozens of routes covering most trips between neighbourhoods, the city centre, and the main commercial and residential streets. The greatest concentration of stops is on the larger arteries, including:

• Yisrael Galili Street
• Golda Meir Street
• Sderot David Ben-Gurion
• Sderot Menachem Begin

Staying near one of these roads generally puts you within easy walking distance of a bus stop. The national rail network is the fastest way to connect the city with Tel Aviv and the rest of the country, but it is best thought of as the intercity option rather than a way to move between neighbourhoods: you arrive by train, then switch to a local bus or taxi for the last leg. Rail, metro, and light-rail systems are integrated under the same national ticketing framework, so the same payment methods and travel passes generally work across them, and a reloadable stored-value smart card is accepted across bus and rail operators. Single tickets can also be bought from the driver on most city and intercity buses, though paying with a card is usually cheaper and faster. Because the network is periodically extended and new lines open, check current national rail and light-rail maps when you arrive rather than relying on older information.

Taxis are widely available and are the simplest option when buses have stopped or when you are travelling late at night, and ride-hailing apps work here as elsewhere in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, letting you book to a specific address and pay through the app. For short hops within the city, or for reaching a rail station with luggage, a taxi or ride-hailing car is often the most convenient choice. Keep in mind that services are reduced on Shabbat, from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, and on Jewish holidays, when buses and trains largely stop; plan around this if your trip falls on those days. The city also observes Daylight Saving Time, from late March to late October, so timetables and daylight hours shift with the seasons.

From Ben Gurion Airport, the most convenient way into the city is by train: the airport has its own railway station on the national network, with trains running toward Tel Aviv and onward to stations serving Rishon LeTsiyyon, where you complete the journey by local bus, taxi, or ride-hailing car. A taxi or ride-hailing car directly from the airport is the simplest option if you have heavy luggage or are arriving when trains are not running, and it is the expected choice for arrivals on Friday afternoon or Saturday, when rail and bus services do not operate.

Three days in Rishon LeTsiyyon

Day one: Start in the centre of Rishon LeTsiyyon, where the main streets give you an easy feel for the city. Walk Sderot David Ben Gurion and Sderot Menachem Begin, the two long boulevards that carry much of the local life, then turn onto Yisrael Galili Street and Golda Meir Street for a slower look at the surrounding neighbourhoods. If you arrive from Ben Gurion Airport, the rail link is the simplest way in, and single tickets keep the trip cheap; taxis are also available if you prefer door to door.

Day two: Give the day to the streets you skipped, wandering between the boulevards and the smaller roads that connect them. Rishon LeTsiyyon is a place to cover on foot rather than by car, so build in time for cafes and pauses along the way. Keep in mind that Shabbat runs from Friday evening to Saturday evening, when much of the city slows down, so plan your busiest walking for the other days of the week.

Day three: Use the morning for any last stretch of the centre, then decide whether to stay local or head to Tel Aviv, which is within easy reach by rail. Daylight Saving Time shifts in March and October, so check the clock if your travel falls near those months. From Ben Gurion Airport the return journey is straightforward, whether you take the train or a taxi.