Berlin: Transportation

Berlin has three major airports: Tegel, Tempelhof and Schönefeld. You will find that the majority of scheduled and charter flights arrive at Tegel airport, from which Bus #109 runs directly to the Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten (Zoo Station) in the city center. As an alternative, take the #109 bus to Jakob-Kaiser-Platz U-Bahn and transfer to the U-Bahn system using the bus ticket which is valid for the U-Bahn transfer. As well Taxis's cover the distance to Zoo Station in about half the time. Domestic flights mainly land at TempeIhof, which is much nearer the city centre. Bus #119 takes you to Zoo Station in ten to twenty minutes, or U-Bahn line #6 is a short walk away; change at Stadtmitte for Zoo Station.

Schönefeld Airport lies 15 miles from the city. Schönefeld used to be the primary airport for East Berlin and now handles flights mainly central or Eastern European destinations, as well as many charter flights to sun destinations. To get to town from Schönefeld, take bus #171 either to S-Bahnhof FIughafen Schönefeld, where S-Bahn line #9 provides a link to the city centre (via Hauptbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse and Zoo Station), or continue on the #171 to Rudow U-Bahn station and take line #7 into town. Taxis are available 24 hours a day. Traveling by train or taxi usually takes about 30 or 40 minutes.

There are four main train stations in Berlin: trains from the north and west generally arrive at the Zoo Station or Friedrichstrasse; those from the south and east at Lichtenberg or Hauptbahnhof. All stations are connected to the U- and S-Bahn network. International buses mostly stop at the central bus station, west of the centre near the Funkturm; regular #149 buses or the U-Bahn from Kaiserdamm station link it to the city centre, in about fifteen minutes.

Because Berlin is such a large city, sooner or later you'll need to use its transportation system. The U-Bahn, running both under - and overground, covers much of the centre and stretches into the suburbs; trains run from 4 am to between midnight and approximately 12:30 am, an hour later on Friday and Saturday.

Developed before World War II, The S-Bahn system requires occasional renovation. The S-Bahn is far less frequent than the U-Bahn system, but better for traveling long distances in a short amount of time. The bus network covers most of the gaps in the U-Bahn system. In the evenings buses run at intervals of around twenty minutes, although the routes sometimes differ from daytime ones.

In the former East Berlin, the tram network survives from pre-war days, though thankfully the rolling stock is a little more modern. The main tram terminus is Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station. Tickets are available from machines on the trams or from U-Bahn stations.

Tickets

Tickets for the U and S-Bahn system and the bus network can be purchased from the orange ticket machines at the entrances to U-Bahn stations. These take all but the smallest coins, give change and have a basic explanation of the ticketing system in English. Though it's tempting to ride without a ticket, be warned that undercover inspectors frequently cruise the line giving out fines for those without a valid ticket or pass.

Tickets common to all the systems allow you to travel in any two of the three tariff areas; they're valid for two hours, enabling you to transfer across the three networks to continue your journey, and to return within that time on a different route. An short-trip ticket allows you to travel up to three train or six bus stops (one-way only). If you're intending to use the system frequently it's better to buy a day ticket from any U-Bahn station or the BVG office on Grunewaldestrasse, next to Kleistpark U-Bahn station (Mon-Fri 8am-3pm). You can also buy a weekly ticket or a monthly ticket: these allow unlimited travel on the entire system and can provide considerable savings.

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