Getting to Berlin

Berlin is one of the best connected cities in the world, with no less than three airports, arguably the best train service in Europe and buses arriving regularly from all points of the continent. Whichever method of transportation you choose, it will be easy to get to Berlin.

By car

The A10 ring road around the city links Berlin with the rest of the country and greater Europe in every direction. The A2 connects with Hanover and the Ruhrgebeit cities, and the A24 links with Hamburg. Travellers from Munich, Nuremburg and Leipzig can reach Berlin via the A9, while the A13 connects the city with Dresden. Drivers from Frankfurt should use the A12, and anyone coming from Poland should take the A11.

By rail

Germanys rail system is justifiably one of the most efficient in Europe and it connects the city to all parts of the country and beyond. Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Bonn have the best rail connections with Berlin, thanks to high-speed intercity express services. From any of these cities, connections can be made to the rest of Europe and the UK.

Until recently, Berlin had two main train stations: Bahnhof Zoo in the west and Ostbahnhof in the east. Getting between the two parts of the city usually requires taking an S-Bahn link to your local station; however, the newly completed Lehrter Bahnhof megastation in Berlin Mitte is expected to gradually replace the others as the citys central train hub, making connections to all parts of the city much easier. For more information on trains, call: +49 1805 996633.

By bus

Regularly scheduled buses run from over 250 German and European cities to Berlin each day. All arrivals and departures to the city come through the ZOB Omnibusbahnhof am Funkturm in Charlottenburg. Taxi and bus connections are available at the station, and the U-Bahn is nearby.

By air

Berlin has three airports, each of which serve different roles. Berlin Tegel is the largest and busiest of the three, handling most of the flights from the west. Berlin Schoenefeld, once the main airport for East Berlin, mainly receives flights from Asia, Russia and other European countries. Berlin Tempelhof is the citys oldest airport and handles mainly domestic flights and flights to a few European destinations. All three airports are linked to the city centre by bus and the S-Bahn and U-Bahn.

Berlin International Airport

Berlin Tegel, located just eight kilometres from the city centre, is the citys primary airport. Most flights from the west arrive here, although most transatlantic flights will first stop at a major European hub such as Frankfurt. Lufthansa offers direct flights from Washington DC to Berlin, and Delta operates direct flights from New York and Atlanta. British Airways is the most convenient carrier, as they funnel dozens of flights each day from the US and Canada into Germany through London.

Berlin Schoenefeld, located in the eastern part of Berlin, 19kms from the city centre, is used mainly by Russian and eastern European airlines. Recently, a growing number of Asian carriers are using this airport as their arrival hub.

Berlin Tempelhof, located six kilometres from the city centre, handles many of the domestic flights. It also receives several daily flights from Basel, Brussels, Copenhagen and Prague.

The Berlin Tegel terminal has ATMs, currency exchange offices and all the typical facilities a traveller would expect from an international airport. The main terminal has a visitor information desk, open from 05:00 until 22:00, and can provide maps and assistance. All three of the airports share a common information phone number (tel: +49 1805 000186).

Berlin International Airport transportation

Private bus shuttles constantly connect Berlins three airports, making it fairly easy to catch a connecting flight. You can also reach any of the airports by train or bus, which is much cheaper than a taxi fare.

Berlin Tegel is the most convenient airport to the downtown area. The express X9 airport bus operates at 10-minute intervals between the terminal and the Zoo Station in the centre of western Berlin. The 25-minute trip departs from outside the Arrivals Hall. From the Zoo Station, you can connect to anywhere in the city by subway, train or bus. Taxis are also available, though substantially more expensive. If you rent a car, simply follow the signs for the Stadtautobahn into Berlin, where the Halensee exit will lead you to Kurfurstendamm.

Berlin Schoenefeld is the furthest airport from the city centre, but you can catch the S-Bahn train directly to the Zoo Station in the city centre, which takes 55 minutes. You can also take bus number 171 from the airport to Rudow, where you can transfer to the U-Bahn.

Berlin Tempelhof is linked directly to the city centre by the U-6 subway line. You can also take bus number 119 to Zoo Station, but it costs the same.