Rav-Kav smart travel cards are now on sale for tourists at Ben Gurion airport. Since the smart card travel reform has been introduced in Israel's major cities in recent months, tourists have found themselves in an awkward situation. Unable to buy cards when boarding buses, they have been either forced to buy more expensive individual tickets for each ride, or made hasty last minute purchases at bus or railway stations without really understanding the system.
The tourist Rav-Kav card called Israel Pass will be sold at a special stand at Ben Gurion Airport's Terminal 3. The anonymous pass (Israelis hold cards with their name, ID number and picture) can be loaded with a specific amount for inter-changeable travel on buses and trains. Alternatively tourists can buy daily or weekly cards for travel throughout the country, rather like oyster cards in London. The cards also provide a 20% discount on entrance fees to Israel Nature and Parks Authority sites, which include Masada, Caesarea and much more.
In the near future, the Israel Pass travel cards will also be available at major tourist sites and include discounts for additional tourist services including accommodation, restaurants and cafes.
Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz said that the Israel Pass is designed to make Israel's public transport more accessible for tourists.
The card can also be refilled online. For more information Israel Pass
Despite the improvement, Israel's public transport remains problematic for tourists with digital signs at bus stops and announcements on the buses in Hebrew only. Tourists are required to ask fellow passengers to tell them where the next bus is going to or when on the bus when they have reached their stop.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 25, 2019
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