Getting There
By Bus -- From Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, several buses make the 1 1/2-hour ride every hour. There is no bus service on Shabbat.
By Car -- From Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, I strongly advise the long route via Kiryat Gat, which circumvents the West Bank. Take Hwy. 1 to Hwy. 40 South to Beersheva.
Visitor Information
The Tourist Information Office (tel. 08/623-4613) is at 1 Derech Hevron (Abraham's Well), at the southern end of Keren Kayemet Yisrael Street (KKL St.), the midrehov, or pedestrian street in the heart of the Old City downtown center of town. It's open Sunday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm. The fabulous My Negev website (www.my-negev.co.il) is filled with great information for long- and short-term visitors. Just click on "My Beersheva."
Most shops and businesses in Beersheva close between 1 and 4pm, reopening from 4 to 7pm.
Orientation
Beersheva's Central Bus Station is located on Eilat Street, across from the modern Canion Ha-Negev Shopping Center. To the left of the entrance to the bus station are stops for local buses to the Old City, where the restaurants listed below are located. A new railway station has been constructed nearby, but at present there is limited rail service to Beersheva. Other trains may be added, however, if a planned railway to Eilat is put into operation.
West of the bus station you'll find the original Turkish and British Mandate-era Old Town, laid out as a grid. It is this commercial "downtown" of Beersheva where you will find teashops, cafes, and restaurants.
Herzl Street is the major downtown north-south thoroughfare. Main streets east and west are Ha-Atzma'ut (Independence) Street and Keren Kayemet Le-Israel, which has been made into a pedestrian-only street to compete with the modern indoor malls elsewhere in town. Right where Herzl and Ha-Atzma'ut intersect is the old Turkish city hall, the Allenby Garden, and behind the Turkish city hall, the Great Mosque and the small Negev Museum.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
