A taxi from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem takes about 64 minutes door-to-door (68 km) and costs from ₪380 by day according to the official 2026 meter tariff — from ₪95 per person when four of you share the car, or ₪190 each for a couple. The fast train to Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon station is cheaper for a solo traveller and quick between stations, but add getting to a Tel Aviv station, the wait, the long escalators up from the deep underground platform and the onward leg across Jerusalem, and the door-to-door gap shrinks fast — and there are no trains on Shabbat. We drive this corridor every day at Almaxpress Taxi; here is an honest comparison.
Taxi or train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: the short answer
The train wins on price for one person with a backpack on a weekday in daylight. The taxi wins on almost everything else — two or more people, suitcases, night arrivals, Saturday night, a fixed meeting time.
- Solo, hand luggage, weekday, near a Tel Aviv station: take the train.
- Two or more passengers, suitcases, children, night, Saturday night, or an address far from Navon station: book a taxi from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
- A group of 5–19: Book a 6-seat large taxi / 10-seat van / 19-seat minibus — we confirm the price within minutes.
How long does Tel Aviv to Jerusalem really take? (door-to-door)
Most online comparisons mislead here: the advertised train time is platform to platform, not door to door. The full picture:
| Stage | Train (Tel Aviv → Navon) | Private taxi (door-to-door) |
|---|---|---|
| Getting to the departure point | Walk, bus or local taxi to Savidor, HaShalom or HaHagana station | None — the driver comes to your door |
| Waiting to depart | Until the next train (check the timetable) | None — you leave at the time you booked |
| The journey itself | Quick, but station to station only | About 64 minutes for 68 km on Highway 1 |
| Arriving | Escalators up from the deep platform, then light rail, bus or local taxi across Jerusalem | None — you stop at the address |
| Door-to-door | Station time plus both ends | About 64 minutes; allow 15–20 minutes more in rush hour |
Door-to-door, the two options are much closer than the headline numbers suggest. Navon station sits deep underground near the Central Bus Station — not in the Old City or the hotel districts — so almost every hotel adds a city journey by light rail, bus or local taxi. In rush hour Highway 1 can add 15–20 minutes to the taxi — but your ride to the train station sits in the same traffic.
Taxi from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: 2026 price and how the meter works
A private intercity taxi in Israel is charged according to the official meter tariff, in force since 1 April 2026. The meter counts distance and time simultaneously, and the rate depends on the hour: Tariff A by day, Tariff B at night, Tariff C on Shabbat and holiday nights.
| Route | Distance / time | Tariff A (day) | Tariff B (night) | Tariff C (Shabbat/holiday night) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv → Jerusalem | 68 km / 64 min | from ₪380 | from ₪430 | from ₪480 |
| Jerusalem → Tel Aviv | 67 km / 64 min | from ₪370 | from ₪420 | from ₪470 |
| Ben Gurion Airport → Jerusalem | 54 km / 50 min | from ₪300 | from ₪340 | from ₪380 |
| Jerusalem → Ben Gurion Airport | 54 km / 48 min | from ₪290 | from ₪330 | from ₪370 |
Regular taxi, up to 4 passengers, VAT and the ₪5.78 pre-booking fee included, according to the official 2026 meter tariff; final price confirmed at booking. At Tariff A the meter starts at ₪12.46 and adds ₪1.95 per km for the first 10 km, ₪3.79 per km beyond that and ₪1.95 per minute — which is why 68 km and 64 minutes land at around ₪380. An intercity trip costs about 14% more at Tariff B and about 28% more at Tariff C. Full table on our 2026 taxi price list; meter line by line in our guide to the Israeli taxi meter tariff 2026.
When each tariff applies
Tariff A: Sun–Thu 06:00–21:00, Friday and holiday eves 06:00–16:00. Tariff B: Sun–Wed 21:01–05:59, Thursday 21:01–23:00, Friday 16:01–21:00, Shabbat and holidays 06:00–19:00. Tariff C: Thursday 23:01–05:59, Friday 21:01–05:59, Shabbat and holidays 19:01–05:59. The tariff day runs 06:00 to 05:59.
No luggage, passenger or toll surcharges
Israel abolished the luggage and passenger surcharges in 2020, so three large suitcases, a stroller and a child seat or booster (free with us when requested in advance) are all included. Highway 6 and Carmel Tunnels tolls are added at cost only if used — and neither road is on the usual Tel Aviv–Jerusalem route.
Taxi from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem vs the airport train
A direct train runs from Ben Gurion Airport station, at Terminal 3, to Jerusalem–Navon — fine for a solo traveller with one bag on a weekday, less so with suitcases, tired children and a landing time that rarely matches the timetable. A taxi from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem costs from ₪300 by day (54 km, about 50 minutes), from ₪340 at night and from ₪380 on Saturday night after Shabbat ends (Tariff C), according to the 2026 meter tariff — from ₪75 per person for four. A ₪5 airport-departure surcharge is added when leaving Ben Gurion.
You send your flight number, we track the landing in real time (a delay does not change the price), and your driver waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall holding a sign with your name. More in our Ben Gurion taxi guide 2026 and our post on airport pickup, flight delays and Friday landings.
Want an exact price?
Enter pickup and destination — instant price at the 2026 meter tariff.
Book now — get an instant price | WhatsApp +972-50-912-2133Train vs taxi to Jerusalem: the full comparison table
Train fares vary (check Israel Railways); taxi prices are daytime "from" prices at Tariff A.
| Criterion | Israel Railways | Private taxi (Almaxpress) |
|---|---|---|
| Door-to-door time | Station time plus both ends | About 64 min (Tel Aviv) / about 50 min (Ben Gurion) |
| Price for one passenger | Low (check Israel Railways) | from ₪380 (Tel Aviv) / from ₪300 (Ben Gurion) |
| Price for four | Four times a single ticket | from ₪95 per person (Tel Aviv) / from ₪75 (Ben Gurion) |
| Luggage | You carry it; limited space | Up to 3 large suitcases, no surcharge |
| Operating hours | By timetable; no trains on Shabbat and holidays | 24 hours a day, Sunday to Friday; Saturday night by pre-booking, after Shabbat ends |
| Where you end up | Deep underground at Navon, then a city transfer | At your door; special needs arranged in advance |
Who should take the train and who the taxi? Four real cases
1. A late landing at Ben Gurion
Land late in the evening, clear passport control, and it is close to midnight — a train plus onward transport from Navon makes for a hard night. A night taxi from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem costs from ₪340 (Tariff B), and the driver is already waiting with a sign.
2. A family with children
Two parents, two kids, a stroller and three suitcases. By train: escalators with a stroller, a crowded carriage, then another vehicle in Jerusalem. By taxi: child seats fitted in advance, everything in the boot, door to door — from ₪95 per person from Tel Aviv.
3. A business meeting at a fixed time
When the meeting starts at a fixed hour in the city centre, reaching Navon "on time" is not enough — you still have to cross the city. A private taxi means one agreed pickup time and arrival at the entrance. In the other direction, a taxi from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv costs from ₪370 by day. More in our business traveller's guide.
4. Shabbat, Saturday night and holidays
Israel Railways does not run on Shabbat or Jewish holidays — trains stop on Friday afternoon and restart on Saturday night. With us: on Friday we drive until Shabbat comes in (Tariff B from 16:01), and Saturday-night rides depart after Shabbat ends, by pre-booking — including to Ben Gurion for a late flight (be at the airport about 3 hours before an international departure). On Shabbat and holidays themselves we do not operate; the next are Rosh Hashanah (12–13 September 2026), Yom Kippur (21 September) and Sukkot (26 September).
Taxi to Jerusalem at night and on Saturday night: what it costs
Weeknight rides are charged at Tariff B (from 23:01 on Thursday, Tariff C). Saturday-night rides after Shabbat ends fall in the Shabbat window (Tariff C from 19:01), as do rides after a holiday ends. For up to 4 passengers: Tel Aviv → Jerusalem from ₪430 at night and from ₪480 on Saturday night; Ben Gurion → Jerusalem from ₪340 and from ₪380. Split four ways, the day-to-night difference is roughly ₪10–25 per person.
5 or more passengers? Large taxi, van or minibus instead of the train
From five passengers the maths changes: five train tickets plus onward transport versus one vehicle at your door. Large-vehicle prices depend on vehicle and route: Book a 6-seat large taxi / 10-seat van / 19-seat minibus — we confirm the price within minutes. See also large taxi from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.
Bottom line
- Solo, no luggage, weekday, near a station: train — cheapest for one, quick between stations, but add both ends for the real door-to-door time.
- 2–4 passengers: private taxi — from ₪380 from Tel Aviv (from ₪95 per person for 4), from ₪300 from Ben Gurion (from ₪75 each for 4), door-to-door.
- Night, Friday afternoon, Saturday night, luggage, children, a fixed meeting time: taxi — there are no trains on Shabbat and holidays.
- 5–19 passengers: large taxi / van / minibus — price confirmed within minutes.
- Always at the official 2026 meter tariff, no luggage or passenger surcharge; final price confirmed at booking.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2026?
From ₪380 by day (Tariff A), from ₪430 at night (Tariff B) and from ₪480 on Saturday night after Shabbat ends (Tariff C), for up to 4 passengers, according to the official 2026 meter tariff; final price confirmed at booking.
How long is the taxi ride from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?
About 64 minutes for 68 km in normal conditions, door-to-door. In rush hour allow an extra 15–20 minutes.
Which is faster to Jerusalem — train or taxi?
Station to station, the train; door to door, it depends on where you start and finish — the train needs a leg to a Tel Aviv station, a wait, the climb out of Navon and an onward ride across Jerusalem, while the taxi takes about 64 minutes door to door.
How much is a taxi from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem?
From ₪300 by day, from ₪340 at night and from ₪380 on Saturday night after Shabbat ends, for up to 4 passengers (54 km, about 50 minutes). The driver waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall with a name sign.
Does the train to Jerusalem run on Shabbat?
No. Israel Railways does not run on Shabbat or Jewish holidays. We drive 24 hours a day, Sunday to Friday, and on Saturday night by pre-booking after Shabbat ends; on Shabbat and holidays there is no service.
Is there a luggage surcharge in an Israeli taxi?
No. The luggage and passenger surcharges were abolished in 2020. A regular taxi takes up to 3 large suitcases at no extra cost; for more, book a large taxi or van.
How much is a van or minibus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?
Quoted individually by route and time: send a request on the large taxi page or in the booking calculator and we confirm the price within minutes.
Ready to go?
Book now — get an instant price at the 2026 meter tariff, or write to us on WhatsApp.
Prefer to call? +972-50-912-2133, 24 hours a day, Sunday to Friday.
