Is there public transport from Ben Gurion on Rosh Hashanah 2026?

Mostly no, and for longer than people expect. Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, September 11 and runs into Shabbat, so trains and regular buses stop from Friday afternoon until Sunday night, September 13. Plan for a taxi if you land in that window.

How much does a taxi from the airport cost on a holiday?

Holiday surcharges work like Shabbat: up to 50 percent above the regular fare. A ride to Jerusalem that runs 270 to 340 shekels on a weekday can reach 405 to 510 on a holiday. The fare is per taxi, so people landing in the same window split one cab and divide it.

When exactly are the September 2026 transit blackouts?

Three blocks: Rosh Hashanah plus Shabbat from Friday afternoon September 11 to Sunday night September 13; Yom Kippur from Sunday afternoon September 20 to Monday night September 21 (when even the roads empty out); and Sukkot beginning Friday afternoon September 25, running into Shabbat again. Check Moovit close to your date for exact resumption times.

What is the cheapest way to get home if I land on a chag?

Splitting a taxi. Trains and buses are parked, transfers charge holiday rates, and the official stand applies the surcharge to the whole taxi, not per person. Four people sharing a Jerusalem ride pay roughly a quarter each. You can coordinate on PairMee before you fly: post your flight window for free and approve the people who join you.

Airport guides · Seasonal

Landing at Ben Gurion on the High Holidays 2026? Read this before you book anything

Updated July 2026 · לגרסה בעברית

Quick answer

September 2026 is the hardest month of the year to get home from the airport. Rosh Hashanah begins Friday evening, September 11 and runs straight into Shabbat, so trains and regular buses stop for about three days. Yom Kippur and the start of Sukkot repeat the shutdown two and three weeks later. Flights keep landing the whole time. What is left is a taxi at the holiday rate, and since the fare is per taxi, people landing in the same window increasingly share one and split it.

The three September blackouts

Holiday	No trains or buses	Length	Worth knowing
Rosh Hashanah + Shabbat	Fri Sep 11 (afternoon) to Sun Sep 13 (night)	~3 days	The longest block: holiday runs straight into Shabbat
Yom Kippur	Sun Sep 20 (afternoon) to Mon Sep 21 (night)	~1.5 days	Airport keeps operating; the roads and transit do not
Sukkot (first days) + Shabbat	Fri Sep 25 (afternoon) to Sun Sep 27 (night)	~3 days	Chol hamoed runs reduced service after

Transit resumption times vary by line; check Moovit or the Israel Railways app close to your date.

What the taxi costs on a chag

Holiday surcharges work like Shabbat surcharges: up to 50 percent on top of the regulated fare. A Jerusalem ride that costs 270 to 340 shekels on a weekday afternoon can reach 405 to 510 on Rosh Hashanah. The surcharge applies to the taxi, not to each person, which is exactly why splitting matters most in September: four people sharing that Jerusalem ride pay roughly a quarter each, surcharge included.

Full disclosure, we built PairMee for exactly this, and this is our site. You post your flight window and destination for free, see people landing around the same time going the same way, and approve who joins you. There are women-only rides for anyone who prefers them. We launched recently and we are honest about being small, but holiday landings are when the math works hardest in your favor.

Holiday arrival tips

Use only the official taxi stand outside Terminal 3. Holiday crowds attract unofficial offers inside the terminal; skip them.
On Yom Kippur itself, even taxis are scarce for parts of the day. If you can move your flight off September 20 to 21, do.
Book nothing that promises a "holiday discount" on a private transfer without a written price; the regulated surcharge is the honest baseline.
Post your ride before you fly, not after you land: the people on your flight window are deciding how they get home this week too.

Frequently asked questions

Is there public transport from Ben Gurion on Rosh Hashanah 2026?: Mostly no, and for longer than people expect. Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, September 11 and runs into Shabbat, so trains and regular buses stop from Friday afternoon until Sunday night, September 13. Plan for a taxi if you land in that window.
How much does a taxi from the airport cost on a holiday?: Holiday surcharges work like Shabbat: up to 50 percent above the regular fare. A ride to Jerusalem that runs 270 to 340 shekels on a weekday can reach 405 to 510 on a holiday. The fare is per taxi, so people landing in the same window split one cab and divide it.
When exactly are the September 2026 transit blackouts?: Three blocks: Rosh Hashanah plus Shabbat from Friday afternoon September 11 to Sunday night September 13; Yom Kippur from Sunday afternoon September 20 to Monday night September 21 (when even the roads empty out); and Sukkot beginning Friday afternoon September 25, running into Shabbat again. Check Moovit close to your date for exact resumption times.
What is the cheapest way to get home if I land on a chag?: Splitting a taxi. Trains and buses are parked, transfers charge holiday rates, and the official stand applies the surcharge to the whole taxi, not per person. Four people sharing a Jerusalem ride pay roughly a quarter each. You can coordinate on PairMee before you fly: post your flight window for free and approve the people who join you.

Flying around the chagim? See who lands with you.

Post your flight window for free and approve the people who join your taxi.

Post your ride, it is free