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Getting Here & Around

Berlin Features

Getting Here & Around

By Air

Major airlines will continue to serve western Berlin's Tegel Airport (TXL) after a first stop at a major European hub (such as Frankfurt) until 2011, when eastern Berlin's Schönefeld Airport, about 24 km (15 mi) outside the center, will have been expanded into BBI, the international airport of the capital region. Schönefeld is now used principally by charter and low-budget airlines. Massive Tempelhof Airport, an example of fascist architecture, closed in late 2008. The two Berlin airports share a central phone number.

By Bus

BerlinLinien Bus is the only intra-Germany company serving Berlin. Gullivers Reisen serves foreign destinations. Make reservations ZOB-Reisebüro, or buy your ticket at its office at the central bus terminal, the Omnibusbahnhof. Public buses are the best way to reach the bus terminal, served by the lines X34, X49, 104, 139, 218, and 349. A more central place to buy bus tickets is Mitfahrzentrale, a tiny, busy office that also arranges car-ride shares. Only EC credit cards and cash are accepted.

By Car

Rush hour is relatively mild in Berlin, but the public transit system is so efficient here that it's best to leave your car at the hotel altogether. As of 2008 cars entering downtown Berlin inside the S-Bahn ring need to have an environmental certificate. Most German rental cars will have these—if in doubt, ask the rental-car agent, as without one you can be fined EUR 40. Daily parking fees at hotels can run up to EUR 18 per day. Vending machines in the city center dispense timed tickets to display on your dashboard. Thirty minutes cost EUR 0.50.

By Public Transit

The city has one of the most efficient public-transportation systems in Europe, a smoothly integrated network of subway (U-bahn) and suburban (S-bahn) train lines, buses, and trams (in eastern Berlin only). Get a map from any information booth. Don't be afraid to try buses and trams—in addition to being well marked, they often cut the most direct path to your destination.

From Sunday through Thursday, U-bahn trains stop around 12:45 AM and S-bahn trains stop by 1:30 AM. All-night bus and tram service operates seven nights a week (indicated by the letter N next to route numbers). On Friday and Saturday nights some S-bahn and all U-bahn lines except U4 run all night. Buses and trams marked with an M mostly serve destinations without S-bahn or U-bahn link.

Most visitor destinations are in the broad reach of the fare zones A and B. At this writing, both the EUR 2.10 ticket (fare zones A and B) and the EUR 2.70 ticket (fare zones A, B, and C) allow you to make a one-way trip with an unlimited number of changes between trains, buses, and trams. There are reduced rates for children ages 6-13. Rates are likely to be higher in the near future.

Buy a Kurzstreckentarif ticket (EUR 1.20) for short rides of up to six bus or tram stops or three U-bahn or S-bahn stops. The best deal if you plan to travel around the city extensively is the Tageskarte (day card for zones A and B), for EUR 6.10, good on all transportation until 3 AM. (It's EUR 6.30 for A, B, and C zones.) A 7-Tage-Karte (seven-day ticket) costs EUR 25.40 and allows unlimited travel for fare zones A and B; EUR 31.30 buys all three fare zones.

The Berlin WelcomeCard (sold by EurAid, BVG offices, the tourist office, and some hotels) entitles one adult and three children under age 14 to either two or three days of unlimited travel in the ABC zones for EUR 18 or EUR 24.50 respectively, and includes admission and tour discounts detailed in a booklet. The CityTourCard,good for two or three days of unlimited travel in the AB zones, costs EUR 16.50 and EUR 21.50, respectively, and details 50 discounts on a leaflet; up to three children under 6 can accompany an adult.

Tickets are available from vending machines at U-bahn and S-bahn stations. After you purchase a ticket, you are responsible for validating it when you board the train or bus. If you're caught without a ticket or with an unvalidated one, the fine is EUR 60.

Disabilities & Accessibility

All major S-bahn and U-bahn stations have elevators, and most buses have hydraulic lifts. Check the public transportation maps or call the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe. The Deutscher Service-Ring-Berlin e.V. runs a special bus service for travelers with physical disabilities, and is a good information source on all travel necessities, that is, wheelchair rental and other issues.

By Taxi

The base rate is EUR 3, after which prices vary according to a complex tariff system. Figure on paying around EUR 8 for a ride the length of the Ku'damm. If you've hailed a cab on the street and are taking a short ride of up to 2 km (1 mi), ask the driver as soon as you start off for a special fare (EUR 3.50) called Kurzstreckentarif. You can also get cabs at taxi stands or order one by calling; there's no additional fee if you call a cab by phone. U-bahn employees will call a taxi for passengers after 8 PM.

Velotaxis, rickshaw-like bicycle taxis, pedal along Kurfürstendamm, Friedrichstrasse, and Unter den Linden, and in Tiergarten. Just hail one of the cabs on the street or look for the velotaxi-stand signs along the boulevards mentioned. The fare is EUR 5 for up to 1 km (½ mi) and EUR 2 for each additional kilometer, and EUR 22.50 to EUR 30 for longer tours. Velotaxis operate April-October, daily 1-8. Despite these fixed prices, make sure to negotiate the fare before starting the tour.

By Train

All long-distance trains stop at the huge and modern central station, Hauptbahnhof-Lehrter Bahnhof, which lies at the north edge of the government district in former West Berlin. Regional trains also stop at the two former "main" stations of the past years: Bahnhof Zoo (in the West) and Ostbahnhof (in the East). Regional trains also stop at the central eastern stations Friedrichstrasse and Alexanderplatz.

Essentials

Accessibility Information

Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (030/19449. www.bvg.de). Deutscher Service-Ring-Berlin e.V (030/859-4010).

Airport Information

Central airport service (0180/500-0186. www.berlin-airport.de).

Bus Information

Mitfahrzentrale (Joachimsthaler Str. 14, Western Downtown. 030/19444. Weekdays 9-8, weekends 10-6. www.mf24.de). ZOB-Reisebüro (Zentrale Omnibusbahnhof, Masurenallee 4-6, at Messedamm, Charlottenburg. 030/301-0380 for reservations. www.berlinlinienbus.de. Weekdays 6AM-9PM, weekends 6AM-3PM).

Public Transit Information

Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (030/19449. www.bvg.de). S-Bahn Berlin GmbH (030/2974-3333. www.s-bahn-berlin.de). VBB (Hardenbergpl. 2, Western Downtown. 030/2541-4141 or 030/2541-4145. www.vbbonline.de).

Visitor Information

Berlin Infostore (Kurfürstendamm 21, Neues Kranzler Eck, Western Downtown. 030/250-025. Mon.-Thurs. 9:30-8, Fri. and Sat. 9:30-9, Sun. 9:30-6. www.berlin-tourist-information.de). MD Infoline (030/2474-9888. Weekdays 9-4, weekends 9-1). Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (030/266-2951 operator. www.smb.museum). Tourist Information Center in Prenzlauer Berg (Kuturbrauerei entrances on Schönhauser Allee 36-39, Knaackstr. 97, Sredzkistr. 1. 030/4435-2170. www.tic-berlin.de).