Late-night arrival, train down, staying near Allenby? That’s 445 territory.
Egged Bus 445 runs between Ben Gurion Airport Terminal 3 and central Tel Aviv, mainly along big city corridors like Kaplan, Dizengoff, and Ibn Gabirol. It’s the budget fallback when the airport train isn’t running for Shabbat, is under maintenance, or is too packed. Reviews on r/Israel and r/telaviv both say the same thing: it works, but it’s slower and more confusing than the train if you don’t already know Tel Aviv streets.
The stop you want at TLV is the public bus bays level below arrivals at Terminal 3, near the other intercity routes that queue on the road outside. Travellers complain that signage for 445 is minimal and English info on the platform is spotty, so most end up asking the driver directly if the bus passes their street or junction. Don’t expect a big route map; drivers confirm it’s the Tel Aviv service, then shout key stops in Hebrew as they go.
One Reddit regular notes that 445 does not pull up outside every big-name hotel strip or beach spot; it sticks to set stops like major junctions on Dizengoff and Kaplan, so you often need a local Dan city bus or a 5–15 minute walk from where it drops you. Factor that in if you’re staying closer to the beach, Neve Tzedek, or south of the HaHagana train station, where a taxi or extra bus ride becomes almost mandatory.
Service patterns and even the 445 route number have shifted over the past few years, and several threads warn that 2018–2019 blog posts are now wrong on exact streets and timings. Locals on r/telaviv say they usually pick the airport train to Tel Aviv HaHagana or Hashalom and only ride 445 if the train is shut for Shabbat, there’s overnight work, or they live right on its current path.
Traffic is the killer: in rush hour on Highway 1 and through central Tel Aviv, 445 can crawl while the train skips it all, so expect a slower ride than rail during the 07:00–10:00 or 16:00–19:00 peaks. One r/Israel commenter summed it up: cheaper than a taxi, but slow and confusing if you’re not already familiar with where it snakes through the city.
Quick tip: before you head to the Terminal 3 bus bays, plug “Egged 445” into Moovit or Google Maps with your exact hotel address and screenshot the stop name it shows; then just ask the driver “atzeret / hashmonaim / dizengoff?” or whatever your stop is and wait for a nod.