Sansouci, Potsdam, questions
 

While we're in Berlin I'd like to visit Sansouci in Potsdam but I'm finding the website somewhat confusing. I'm hoping someone can answer my questions here:

• What buildings/gardens actually comprise Sansouci?
• What are the most important things for me to see there?
• I'm not sure what the ticket called 'Sansouci+' includes. Can anyone clarify?
• How long would a non-rushed visit take?
• What's the best way to get from Berlin to Potsdam -- train? bus? We won't have a car.

I'd be very grateful for this information and any other hints you can give me about this.
Thanks
gtg

I can try to answer a few of these, goddesstogo. We took the S-bahn (I think) - it was definitely the train, to Potsdam.

Sansouci is one of the palaces. The tickets to get in to it are timed. We weren’t sure which day we wanted to go, so we didn’t order ahead, but got them at the tourist information office when we arrived in town.

The main things I wanted to see were Sansouci itself and the room where the Postdam conference took place, but we saw several other very interesting places as well.

We spent pretty much the whole day there.

I’m sure others here will give more useful information, but hopefully this is a start.

I also took the train, but you can always check rome2rio.com for your options -- just be sure to check through to the source links, as the main site is not sensitive to seasonal variation in schedules.

I spent a full day there. Whether you will want that much time, and what your priorities are, is something to which I can't speak -- to each his/her own (and vive la difference)!

Enjoy!

Schloss Sanssouci is the name of one of many buildings in the park.
The two notable buildings in my opinion are Sanssouci and the terrace in front and the New Palace. They are more than one mile apart.
In between are various buildings such as a Chinese House, a gaudy Prussian interpretation of a Chinese house.
From Berlin, it is not train or bus. It is a train and a bus.
It gets confusing as there are many ways to do this. I presume you have not looked at the google map of Potsdam? It gets more intuitive if you look at one.
You can grasp in seconds that the trains don't get close enough to Schloss Sanssouci. Rick Steves guide tells you several ways to get there.
If you want to hit Sanssouci first, the train stop is Potsdam. S7 and RE1 go there. From there, there are multiple buses that go to Sanssouci. A timed entry ticket to Sanssouci is essential. They really don't let you linger around inside palace. They sort of make you keep moving inside.
A New Palace timed entry is needed if there is a special exhibit.
If you walked to the New Palace, you have two options to get back to Berlin. Take a bus back to Potsdam, or walk to Park Sanssouci train station and take train back to Berlin. RE1 has hourly train without change or if you change train at Potsdam, the you can take a more frequent RB train to Potsdam and then S7 or RE1 (not all RE1 go to Park Sansouci) back to Berlin.

Per the Sanssouci web-site:
By train: ... either you get off at the stop called "Bahnhof Charlottenhof" (100 meters from the entrance of the park) or at "Potsdam Park Sanssouci" (50 meters from the entrance of the park). The train is leaving Berlin every 30 minutes.
Potsdam Sanssouci Park | arrival description

Sanssouci (without worries)

So now, do you spring for one of those UBahn/SBahn transport cards that cover the trip out to Potsdam? You can easily enter one of the stations and use the machines to get a ticket; multi-language instructions and easy to use. There is NO NEED to get one of those "Welcome" cards unless you plan to use it extensively and even then...

https://shop.bvg.de/index.php/tickets

We took the train to Potsdam from Berlin with one change, a Berlin friend accompanied us there. We are not fond of visiting many palaces but this is quite small. Lots of fantasy. The King stayed here, the Queen across the lake in her own summer palace. Sansouci was the site for a lot of the King’s parties.
The extensive grounds are beautiful. We walked up and bought our ticket when we arrived.
The town is attractive and I could have spent a night there easily.

Touring the Palace didn’t take very long, an hour at most. Our friend waited outside.We spent more time enjoying the grounds.

I spent two nights in Potsdam and it took me all day to see the sights that interested me. This is what I wrote about the tickets in 2015:

I had bought my ticket, good for all the buildings in the park and with a timed admission to Sanssouci, a couple of months ahead of time, but it turned out that I needn’t have bothered. In fact I would have got in five minutes earlier if I had waited, but I don’t know how common that is – there were certainly plenty of people around later on. Although you need an entry time, no one seems to care how long you spend inside. You’re handed an audio guide and left to your own devices.

I thought the Chinese pavilion was a remarkable example of Chinoiserie. I used buses to get around.

You can take the S-Bahn to get to Potsdam. Leaving Potsdam we took a boat to another S-Bahn station, but unfortunately I can't be more precise because it was all arranged by Berlin relatives.

I always love your pictures, Michael.

Thanks.

Wow, thanks everyone -- this is fantastic information! And wonderful pictures, Michael!

I was going to buy tickets online but I think I'll wait till we're there. We'll have computer access or maybe our hotel concierge can do it for us. I'd like to spend just part of the day at Sanssouci and the rest of the day seeing the town and probably having dinner there before returning to Berlin, so we'll likely take the bus back to Potsdam.

I'm still a little confused about the transportation. kja's post indicates that the train is frequent and easy and stops quite near the park entrance but greg's post indicates it isn't that convienent. I'll ask this at the hotel as well.

"So now, do you spring for one of those UBahn/SBahn transport cards that cover the trip out to Potsdam?"
No, I know they're probably a good bargain but our travels are pretty loosey-goosey and we really only make a few firm plans. We walk almost everywhere, take public transportation if it's handy, and take cabs when we're exhausted. We'll make last minute decisions about museums and galleries. It would probably be more cost-efficient for us to buy a card but we just never do (except for my London Oyster card which I still have from 2010 and probably still has pounds on it).

Thanks again, everyone!

We just went to Sans Souci and my relatives purchased the tickets (the grounds are free) at that time, so you do not need to worry about buying them ahead of time. You can schedule your visit at the last minute. If it's raining, it might be better to wait.

There are several S-Bahn stations in Potsdam as greg so aptly describes - I got off at the one for the town center and had a nice walk thru pedestrian streets to the palace - but a bit far for some - maybe 3 km or so -there is also the Sans Soucci Park S-Bahn station that is near a part of the vast park but a long way from palace - but a nice stroll thru park. And there is the mainline Potsdam train station which is way away from the park so take the S-Bahn which does run very frequently.

I also enjoyed the Russian Colony that one Prussian Emperor had built because he was friends with a Russian Czar - it's a russian style village and not far north or northeast from the palace - not that far:

Potsdam Sanssouci Park | Colony Alexandrowka

Those into longer walks can walk from the Russian Colony to the famous Bridge of Spies that once separated East and West Germany and on which spies were traded - and walk onto the Wannsee and hit Peacock Island - an island dotted by follies - really neat and then head for Wannsee S-Bahn station for trains back to Berlin.

I can walk fair distances but not as far as I used to (as I said to my friend just yesterday, we're all outliving our hips and knees) so I have to be judicious. I think I'd rather train closer to the site, where I'll already be walking around, and save some for the walk around Potsdam later in the day.
Very good to know I can wait till practically the last minute.

If talking about waiting till last minute re s-Bahns with a ticket or pass you just jump on any train after cancelling your ticket - just ask for what station or from machines. I too just went to palace and bought tickets but that was several years ago - I do recall having to take my shoes off and put on slippers to do the tour to save the neat flooring.

If you check the web-site I linked in (the web page for Sanssouci -- always a good place to start with questions about how to get somewhere), you'll see information about how to get there from various places by various means, complete with a map. With that and google maps you should be able to figure out your options and come up with a plan.

Thanks, kja. That website was very clear. The one I was looking at was very confusing!

I'm glad it proved useful!
IMO, Sanssouci is a delight -- I hope you enjoy it, too. :)

And don't forget to cancel your own ticket before boarding S-Bahns unless having a pass. No conductors on trains but spot checks for valid - cancelled tickets.

thanks, pal. good to know.

The easiest way to reach Sanssouci palace from Berlin:

Buy a day ticket for zones ABC at you nearest transit stop in Berlin (valid for all your travels in Berlin as well as in Potsdam).
You can buy it from any machine you see in stations, subway stations, even from city bus drivers.
Validate it.

If you wish to focus on Sanssouci palace, your first destination is Potsdam Hauptbahnhof (Potsdam main station).
As Potsdam has more than one station, it's important to get the names right.
From Berlin, Potsdam Hauptbahnhof can be reached both by regional mainline trains as well as by S-Bahn.
The easiest way is by S-Bahn line 7 as it terminates at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof. So you cannot miss the right stop to get off.

At Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, you go up one level (escalator and elevator available) from the S-Bahn platform and follow signs to the main exit to get one level down to the central tram and bus interchange, right in front of the railway station.
Potsdam Hauptbahnhof is a bit confusing as it doubles as a small mall, so take a second to orientate yourself once you've taken the escalator or elevator from the platform.

On weekends April until October, you can take direct bus X15 in the direction of "Schloss Sanssouci" to its terminus.
On any other days, take bus 695 of Bahnhof or Bhf "Pirschheide" to stop "Schloss Sanssouci".

If you feel like visiting anything else, keep in mind that the ABC ticket you bought in Berlin is good also on any tram or city bus in Potsdam.
Attachment 1388
Double-digit lines designate tram routes, three-digit lines are bus routes.

There is also a tourist info at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof - just in case.

Thanks, cowboy. I'm going to print off all the transportation suggestions and take them with me. I'm sure it will all come clear once I'm there.

I found the transportation options extremely confusing, and I actually got bad advice from a Berlin train station ticket seller (even though he was very helpful with every other question I had).

I agree with taking the train to Potsdam Hbf and transfering to the bus. This bus drops you off right in front of San Souci palace. (The more stunning view is from the other side of this drop off, so be sure to walk around).

I was told to take a train from Berlin Hbf to the local San Souci train station. This stop is close to the Neue Palace, but 1.5 miles from the San Souci palace! I missed my timed ticket entry b/c of the combination of the long walk and a late train. I was there on a weekday, and was able to switch my palace tour time.

I also loved the Chinese Pavilion on the grounds.

I very strongly suggest using the excellent Berlin transport system. Yes, when you look at a map of all those U-lines and S-Lines etc., it really does seem intimidating but once you use it I think you'll be happy you did so. The thing seems to be able to take you everywhere and we have used it for years and love it. Fast and dependable and no you DO NOT NEED TO SPEAK GERMAN to use it and as I said upthread the ticket machines are multi-lingual. You can also look at the many U-tube vids (some better than others) for tutorials on how to use the machines.

Enjoy your trip and Berlin.

I seldom take tours but I found a bus tour leaving straight from the train station in Pod. very good..
There is quite a bit to see around Potsdam...
I think I took S- Bahn to Pod. Hbf.

On the was back the bus stoped in town , some of us got off and wondered around for a while.
I took a street car back to the statio.

Dukey, we have a horribly inadequate subway system here and I love being in cities where there are great ones. Best one so far was Tokyo where there are so many lines they're using colours like taupe on the map! And then the whole thing is surrounded by a ring railroad. It's fantastic!
Yes, we will definitely be using the U-Bahn to get around Berlin.
danon, I'm going to look into tours as well.
Thanks!

I did not plan on taking a tour (saw an ad at the Pod. station as I left the train )but I am glad I did.

Btw, agree about TO’s subway system. I always marvel at metro in Madrid - the city with similar
size population .

That thing in Tokyo is wild, I agree, and SO CLEAN

danon, do you happen to remember the name of that tour company?

They don't give tours no more - when I went several years ago tours were mandatory, along with those slippers. And they were informative enough for me - as usual read up on it in some guidebook or buy once at entrance.

Thanks, pal.

They don't give tours no more>

Well they do give audio guides so it is a self-directed tour (from post above - not mine).