What is a Rav-Kav card and should I get one?
Pros/cons
| Personal Rav-Kav card | Anonymous Rav-Kav card |
|---|---|
| Allows all kinds of contracts | Some kinds of contracts are not supported, such as monthly passes |
| Allows discounts for senior citizens, students etc. | Not recommended for people eligible for special discounts |
| Free | Can be purchased for 5.00 (in Gush Dan) |
| Can be obtained at service points only | Can be obtained at service points or from a driver |
| Requires an identification card or a passport, plus a photo | Does not require any identification |
| Insured in case of loss | Not insured |
How to obtain a personal Rav-Kav card?
In order to obtain a personal Rav-Kav card, you need to come to one of the service points located at most major bus terminals, fill out a form and get photographed. You will receive a Rav-Kav card on the spot for free. Kavim is the only company which allows to order a Rav-Kav card online.
Required documents
- Identification card or passport
- Discount certificate for a senior citizen, student etc.
Location of service points
Egged
Dan
Dan service points (Hebrew). Here is the list of points as of September 3rd, 2011:
- Tel Aviv, Arlozorov terminal
- Tel Aviv, central bus station, 7th floor
- Bnei Brak/Ramat Gan, Ben Gurion 31
- Ramat Gan, Krinitzi 5
- Bnei Brak, Yerushalayim 53
- Petah Tikva, central bus station, southern platform, near the terminal of bus 49
- Bat Yam, Nissenbaum terminal (on Derekh Begin, near the country club and the city stadium)
These service points are open on Sunday-Thursday between 8:00-18:00 and on Friday between 8:00-13:00.
Kavim
On the Kavim website you can fill out an online form (Hebrew) and get the Rav-Kav card mailed to your home. Note that for service regarding the card you'll still need to come to one of the service points (Hebrew) in Petah Tikva, Afula, Kiryat Ono or Kafr Qasim.
CityPass (Jerusalem light rail operator)
CityPass service points (Hebrew). Here is the list of points as of September 4th, 2011:
- Jerusalem, Moshe Dayan 67 (in Pisgat Ze'ev)
- Jerusalem central bus station, entrance floor, next to Superpharm
These service points are open on Sunday-Thursday between 7:00-19:00 and on Friday between 7:00-13:00.
Note that travel on the Jerusalem light rail is free during the first months of operation. Therefore you cannot (and don't need to) load light rail tickets or passes onto the card. But you can get your card from CityPass and use it for buses.
Other bus operators
Service points of most other companies are located on central bus stations of the areas they serve. Information in Hebrew can be found on their websites.
What if I care about my privacy?
Instead of a personal Rav-Kav card, you can purchase an anonymous Rav-Kav card from a bus driver. It allows some of the benefits of a personal card, but does not require identification.
More info
More information about Rav-Kav on Egged's website
More information about Rav-Kav on Dan's website
Rav-Kav on Wikipedia
