Airport Transfers

Tegel Airport is 6 km (4 mi) from the downtown area. The express X9 airport bus runs at 10-minute intervals between Tegel and Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten (Zoo Station), the center of western Berlin. From here you can connect to bus, train, or subway. The trip takes 19 minutes; the fare is €2.30. The express bus TXL runs at 10-minute intervals between Tegel and Alexanderplatz via Hauptbahnhof and takes about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can take Bus 128 to Kurt Schumacher Platz or Bus 109 to Jakob-Kaiser-Platz and change to the subway, where your bus ticket is also valid. Expect to pay about €15 for a taxi from the airport to the western downtown area. If you rent a car at the airport, follow the signs for the Stadtautobahn into Berlin. The exit to Kurfürstendamm is clearly marked. The system is a bit clumsy here. Look carefully for the DB office, which is upstairs to your right after you initially descend into the station. Buy an Einzelfahrt €3 ticket (ABC zone) from here or from an S-bahn platform vending machine (no credit cards) to get you into town. This ticket is good for both the S-bahn and the Airport Express train, which runs about every half hour from a track that has no vending machine. To take the Airport Express, look for a small dark-blue sign at the foot of the stairs leading to its platform. Bus 171 also leaves Schönefeld every 20 minutes for the Rudow subway station. A taxi ride from the Schönefeld Airport takes about 40 minutes and will cost around €35. By car, follow the signs for Stadtzentrum Berlin.