What is a sherut, and how is it different from a private taxi?
Updated
The two kinds of taxi ride that Israeli law defines, and the shared-taxi lines from Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in the 2026 price order.
A sherut is a shared taxi, usually a minibus, that runs on a fixed route: passengers heading the same way share it and each pays for one seat, at a fare set in the Ministry of Transport price order. A private taxi, a "special" ride in Hebrew, is the whole car for you, priced by the meter or agreed in advance, and it goes door to door with your luggage. Lines run from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem and Haifa, among others.
Sherut or private taxi: the difference at a glance
| What you want to know | Sherut (shared taxi) | Private taxi ("special") |
|---|---|---|
| Who rides with you | Passengers who did not come together, each paying for their own ride | You and the people travelling with you. Another passenger joins only if the person who booked asks for it |
| Where it goes | Along a fixed line to a central point, or to your address for the higher special-service fare on the airport lines | To the address you choose |
| How the fare is set | A maximum fare per passenger for each line, set in the price order | By the meter on the official tariff, or a price agreed before the ride, which is how we work |
| Luggage | Two pieces per passenger besides hand luggage are included; each extra piece costs a fixed charge | The meter tariff has had no luggage charge since the end of 2020; with us, the vehicle is matched to your suitcases |
| Children | From age five a child pays the full fare | Child seats for every age when you book with us |
| Suits | One or two people travelling light, going near the line’s central point | Families, heavy luggage, an address away from the line and a pickup time you choose |
Where the words sherut and special come from
Sherut is Hebrew for "service". Israel’s Traffic Regulations define two kinds of taxi ride. A service ride (nesi’at sherut) runs on a service line, and each passenger pays for their own ride. A special ride (nesi’a meyuhedet) is a ride in a taxi that is wholly at the disposal of the person who ordered it. In everyday Hebrew the first is a monit sherut, a service taxi, and the second is simply a "special", using the English word.
A taxi you wave down in the street, one you order through an app and one you book from a station are all special rides. Which apps work in Israel, and why Uber is not one of them, is covered in our guide to Uber and its alternatives in Israel. The Ben Gurion Airport taxi you book ahead with us is a special ride as well, from the terminal to your door.
Sherut lines from Ben Gurion Airport in the 2026 price order
Part C of the taxi price order (Hebrew PDF) (opens in a new tab) lists six service lines that start at the airport. Each one has a central destination named in the order, and two fares: one to that central point and a higher one for the special service to your own address.
| Line from the airport | Places on the line | Central destination in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | Jerusalem, Ora, Aminadav, Even Sapir, Giv’at Ze’ev | Central Jerusalem or the Jerusalem Central Bus Station |
| Mevaseret Zion and the hills west of Jerusalem | Mevaseret Zion, Ma’ale HaHamisha, Beit Zayit, Neve Ilan, Abu Ghosh, Kiryat Anavim, Shoresh, Beit Meir, Sho’eva, Beit Nekofa | Harel Interchange |
| Ma’ale Adumim | Ma’ale Adumim | The police station |
| Haifa | Haifa, Nesher, Tivon, Rekhasim, Yokneam, Tirat Carmel | HaMifratz Central Station or Kiryat HaMemshala, the government complex in Haifa |
| Acre and the Krayot | Acre, Shomrat, Check Post, Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Ata | Acre Central Bus Station |
| Nahariya | Nahariya, Lohamei HaGeta’ot, Rosh HaNikra | Nahariya Central Bus Station |
How a sherut fare from the airport works
What part C of the order says about the fare, luggage and children. The order sets maximum fares, and the amounts are in the PDF linked above.
- Each passenger pays separately
You pay for your own ride, whoever else is in the vehicle.
- A central point or your own address
The lower fare takes you to the line’s central destination. The special service is still a shared ride priced per passenger, but it runs from the airport to the address you ask for, or from that address to the airport, and costs more.
- The same fare late at night
The order prints a separate column for rides from 23:31 to 04:59. On the order’s other service lines that column shows a higher fare, while on the airport lines both columns show the same one.
- Two pieces of luggage included
Each paying passenger can bring up to two suitcases or other pieces of luggage, not counting hand luggage. Every extra piece costs a fixed charge set in the order.
- Children
From age five a child pays the full fare. One child under five travelling with an adult pays no separate fare, and the two share one seat; each further child under five pays the full fare and gets a seat. If your child needs a car seat, book a private taxi and ask for one: we have child seats for every age.
When to book the whole car instead
A sherut suits one or two people travelling light to somewhere near the line’s central point. Once there is a family to seat, a third suitcase each, a car seat to fit or an address away from the line, a private taxi is simpler: the car is yours from the terminal to the door, and nobody else is dropped off on the way.
With us, you book on WhatsApp, by phone or with the online booking form, and the price is fixed before you travel. Give us your flight number. The driver follows the flight and, once you have your bags, contacts you by phone or WhatsApp to arrange where you meet. Three of the six airport lines serve the Jerusalem area, and our page on the taxi from the airport to Jerusalem lists the parts of the city we drive to.
If you want to compare, our meter fare calculator shows the range the official meter tariff gives for the same trip. It is an estimate, not a quote.
Sources, checked between 18 and 22 October 2026
- The 2026 amendment to the taxi price order
Kovetz HaTakanot 12345, 30 March 2026 (Hebrew PDF) (opens in a new tab): the airport service lines and their central destinations, the late-night column and the meter tariff for special rides.
- The order in full
Price Control Order on taxi fares, consolidated text (Hebrew) (opens in a new tab): the special service, luggage and children on service rides, and the end of the luggage charge on the meter.
- The Traffic Regulations
Traffic Regulations 1961, the part on taxis, on Nevo (Hebrew) (opens in a new tab): the definitions of a special ride and a service ride.
Questions and answers
What does sherut mean?
Sherut is Hebrew for "service". A monit sherut, a service taxi, runs on a fixed line and each passenger pays for their own ride. Israelis call a private taxi a "special", after the legal term for a ride in which the whole taxi is yours.
How much does a sherut to Jerusalem cost?
The 2026 price order (Hebrew PDF) (opens in a new tab) sets a maximum fare per passenger to central Jerusalem or the Central Bus Station, and a higher one for the special service to your own address. Its separate column for 23:31 to 04:59 shows the same fare on this line, and luggage beyond two pieces costs extra.
How do I pay for a sherut?
Each passenger pays for their own ride, at the fare the order sets for the line. Neither the order nor any other official source we checked says which means of payment are accepted, so ask the driver before you set off. In a private taxi booked with us, you pay the driver in cash, by credit card or with Bit.
Does the sherut run on Shabbat?
We found no official source that says whether the lines from the airport run on Shabbat, or at what hours. Our station does not drive on Shabbat or Jewish holidays: book with us before Shabbat begins and the taxi sets out once it ends. See taxis before and after Shabbat.
Can a private taxi meet me at Ben Gurion instead?
Yes. Book before you fly and give us your flight number. The driver follows the flight and contacts you by phone or WhatsApp after you collect your bags to arrange where you meet; a name sign in the arrivals hall is part of our VIP service.
Book on WhatsApp or by phone
Send us where from, where to and when on WhatsApp, and the taxi will be there on time.