Berlin - Transportation from airport to hotel
 

Does anyone have some sources for prearranging transportation from the Airport to our Berlin Hotel? Thanks for your help!

Where are you staying ? The TXL bus only costs €2 & is very quick, if it would be handy for you. We caught it near the corner of Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse.

Which Berlin airport will you be arriving at?

We just returned from Germany on 5/1/05.

Berlin was part of our itinerary.

The public transit system (Buses, U-bahn and S-bahn system)is very easy and convenient to use. In fact, if you e-mail the BVG (local transit authority for Berlin), they will work out for you the fastest and simplest route to get to your hotel. (We did so, and had a response within several hours.)

If you want to use a private taxi service, there was no shortage of them waiting outside the airport's arrival area. (We flew into Tegel.)

Regardless if you are flying into Tegel or Templehof ---it is an easy journey to the City Center.

Berlin traffic is amazingly light--totally unlike other European cities of its size. So, if you decide to take a taxi, it is unlikely you will get into any traffic "jams."

We're flying into Tegel and staying at the Hotel Berlin Lützowplatz 17. Two adults, bunch of luggage - buses might not work for us. Appreciate everyone's help!

Hi,

I looked up the location of your hotel on Mappy, and either the Nollendorfplatz or Wittenbergplatz stops on the U-bahn line #2 are basically equidistant from your hotel.

You can get to your hotel one of two ways:

Walk out to the streetside at the arrivals level at Tegel airport and take a cab directly to your hotel. Believe me, Tegel is a rather small airport and you won't have a problem getting to the curb and getting a taxi from the taxi rank line.

If you can manage your luggage and get to the BVG office in the main hall of the airport to buy a ticket, then get on the X-9 bus (which leaves about 15 feet from the ticket window) and take the bus to the Ernst Reuter Platz stop. (The stops are displayed in lights on a board at the front of the bus.) It takes about 8 minutes to get to the Ernst Reuter Platz stop. The bus stops directly in front of the one flight of steps that takes you down into the U-bahn stop. Take the train in the direction of "PANKOW".

Take the U-bahn two stops to Wittenbergplatz or three stops to Nollendorfplatz. (Both of these stops have elevators to take you to street level.) From either stop, it will be a quick taxi ride (about 5 blocks) to your hotel.

If neither of these options work for you, then contact your hotel and have then arrange a pick-up service for you. This, of course, will be your most expensive option.

Have a safe and pleasant journey.

If I might hijack this thread for a couple of quick questions regarding public transit in Berlin. I know that I can buy a day pass at a vending machine. Do the vending machines have an English option? I also know that tickets must be validated and that there's a hefty on-the-spot fine if they are not. How, exactly, do you have your ticket validated? I speak little German and will be negotiating the U-Bahn by myself, so I'm trying to get most of my questions answered before I leave. Thanks.

I was there last week. Yes, the ticket machines have an English option. The machine to validate tickets is right next to the ticket machine - you insert your ticket & it stamps the date & time on, I assume. We found it most convenient to buy a 72 hour pass (from the machine, using a debit card, c.€19 each) which had the date & time issued on so we assumed didn't need validating (also since it didn't seem to fit in the validating machine !).

We loved Berlin & can't wait to go back - I'd actually rather go back there than Paris.

there are little yellow(?) machines chest high at beginning of platforms and other places where you stick ticket in it and it goes "click"...
validated.

also, from schonenfeld airport you only need berlin AB zone.

if you ACCIDENTALLY buy the wrong ticket.. do not validate it, buy another one and then go to a major metro stop and go to the ticket office ( where you can actually deal with a PERSON) and they will exchange it for the correct one, but can't give the money back.
( i hit BC instead of AB once...too lazy to put on my glasses!)

Thanks Caroline and Linc. I've never been to central Europe and am really looking forward to it.

Thank you to everyone who posted great ideas on transportation from airport to hotel. This board is awesome!

I'm going to do a little post-jacking too! For anyone whose taken the 109 or X9 buses from Tegel, is there anywhere to put a 29-inch upright without pissing off fellow riders?

ttt

Travelitan,

On the X-9 bus there is a double rack space behind the driver for larger pieces. There is also open space opposite the middle door of the bus.

Everybody had luggage, so don't be concerned about annoying anyone.

Do remember that you must exit from the middle doors of the bus, so position yourself accordingly.

You aren't supposed to exit the front doors.

The upcoming stop will flash in colored lights above the driver's head so you can prepare yourself for exiting in advance of reaching your stop.

If you are transfering onto the U-bahn with your luggage----very few stops have escalators down or up from street level. Some do have elevators, which are helpful when carrying heavy pieces.

Also, you must hit the circular lighted button on the doors of the train to make the doors open.

We carried two garment bags and a rollaboard on both the bus, U-bahn and S-bahn and had no complaints or problems.

Just try to position yourself, if possible, out of the way of other travellers.

Yeah, most German buses have that empty space right in the middle designed for strollers and wheelchairs. So if those are absent, feel free to use it for your luggage.

Thank you Georgine and chtier. My hotel is on Fasanenstrasse right off the Ku'damm so the 109 bus stops pretty close. I was just a little concerned about hauling baggage on a city-type bus. Thanks for easing my mind!

We flew into Berlin Tegel on 4 May, and took a taxi to our hotel on Pragerplatz south of the Zoo area. Total cost less than 18 Euro. Better that struggling up stairs with large suitcases!