Shuttle Bus from Jerusalem to Eilat

The Jerusalem to Eilat shuttle leaves at three in the morning and reaches the Red Sea around eight, which sounds brutal until you compare it with the alternatives: a flight via Ben Gurion, or a full day on a bus with changes. The pickup is at a central point in Jerusalem, the vehicle is air-conditioned with an English-speaking driver, and the drop-off covers Eilat city centre and the Arava border. It runs seven days a week, including Friday and Saturday nights when trains and most buses have stopped.

Highlights

• Leave Jerusalem at 03:00 and reach Eilat around 08:00 the same morning
• Sleep through the Negev instead of changing buses in Be'er Sheva
• Travel on Friday and Saturday nights when public transport stops
• Pay a fixed $80 per person, whichever day you travel
• Board at a central Jerusalem pickup point rather than a remote station
• Connect onward to the Arava border crossing on arrival

Good to know

The 03:00 departure is the point of the service: it uses the empty night roads and delivers you in time for a full first day. Arrive at the pickup point fifteen minutes early with your booking confirmation, keep a jacket handy because the bus air conditioning is cold at night, and sleep if you can. Timings are approximate, and the return from Eilat leaves in the evening, arriving after midnight.