ESSENTIAL THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BERLIN'S
Essential infomation for Berlin visitors about public transport
14 basic things to know about Berlin's public transport
- First choice for mobility in Berlin: public transport has an excellent network and is the easiest, cheapest and very often fastest way to travel in and around Berlin. You can use buses, trams, subway (U-Bahn), municipal trains (S-Bahn) and ferries.
- Two providers (co-)operate Berlin public transport: S-Bahn Berlin (red) and BVG (yellow). At their respective stations they have their own counters and different ticket machines (usage instructions).
Do not worry: Fare zones, tariffs and tickets are identical. With a valid ticket (see tips 4 & 5) you can use all means of transport in a fare zone. - Three fare zones:
A: city center and S-Bahn ring,
B: areas outside S-Bahn ring to city limits and
C: outskirts of Berlin.
Tickets are only available in the fare zone combinations AB (Berlin), BC and ABC. For an overview see also the route map.
Tip: If you have bought an AB zone day or week ticket and you want to travel to zone C you can use an extension ticket per person per trip (direction). - Four basic tickets to know: Single trip ticket, day ticket, small group day ticket and fare zone extension ticket. Furthermore visitors can choose from five different tourist tickets which include extras such as discounts on fees for attractions. Most known is Berlin Welcome Card in variations of included days. Buy tickets only from machines or the official service points, never from other people talking to you - they are likely tricksters.
Tip: For visitors who need day tickets for more than 4 days a 7-day-ticket is the cheaper option. - Never forget the validation of tickets: Only buying a ticket is not enough. Before or when starting the (first) journey the ticket needs to be time stamped in a ticket validator. At U- and S-Bahn stations the validating machines are near the ticket machines. In trams and buses the ticket machines are in the vehicle, sometimes the validation is already stampe on from the ticket machine.
Tip: If you buy tickets on mobile via the BVG app they are validated automatically. - 60 Euro is the penalty for traveling without a valid ticket. Better pay the fine. Repeating perpetrators can expect that they are filed for a crime act which can end up in problems at border crossing.
- Seven days & 24 hours: Public transport drives around the clock. During night hours several night buses provide the major routes. On weekends subway trains (U-Bahn) operate the whole night.
- Payment by card and cash: Most ticket machines accept credit and debit cards as well as cash (Euro coins and banknotes). Be prepared to pay ticket price cash with exact change in a bus or at older ticket machines in out-of-center districts. Sometimes bus drivers do not have change available which can mean that they deny a passenger without exact price-matching change.
Tip: Tickets can also be bought via app. - Re-check journey and route before travel: Public transport can be affected by technical outages and traffic issues such as closings. Therefore it is recommended to re-check best connection via website or app.
- WiFi access: BVG provides free WiFi (WLAN) at most U-Bahn stations. S-Bahn stations have no WiFi, only major train stations of Deutsche Bahn such as main station (Hauptbahnhof) offer free WiFi.
- Accessibility: Most of Berlin's public transport network is accessible. Most U- and S-Bahn stations have elevators, escalators or minimum ramps. BVG provides a list of faulty lifts at U-Bahn stations; S-Bahn Berlin provides a list of elevator and escalator outages at S-Bahn stations.
- Children under the age of six years can generally travel free of charge if accompanied; between 6 and 14 years old children pay a reduced ticket price.
Tip: Adults who bought a day ticket can take up to three children between the age of 6 and 14 for free. - Luggage and one buggy / stroller can be transported free of charge. Read also further conditions of carriage.
Tip: Travelers who lost / left something in any mean of public transport can contact or visit the central lost property office of BVG and S-Bahn. - Safety: Even Berlin is a safe city visitors are requested to be aware of tricky pickpockets (police brochure) and to avoid falling asleep on public transport.
Using public transport on arrival and for departure
Travelers can use the BVG journey planner to find their best connection. This is also available as app.
Berlin airports are well connected by public transport and provide useful infomation.
Berlin main station ("Hauptbahnhof" / Hbf) as well as the other stations used by Deutsche Bahn are well integrated into Berlin's public transport system. Berlin's main bus terminal ZOB is connected by S-Bahn ring and buses. AB tciket needed.
All major arrival and departure points are marked purple in the map below. Just zoom in and click on stations for names.
Berlin airports are well connected by public transport and provide useful infomation.
- Berlin-Tegel (TXL) is connected by four bus lines. Bus line "TXL" arrives main station in 20 minutes. AB ticket needed.
- Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF) is connected by several train and bus lines. Regional trains are the fastest connection to eastern and western center. ABC ticket needed.
Berlin main station ("Hauptbahnhof" / Hbf) as well as the other stations used by Deutsche Bahn are well integrated into Berlin's public transport system. Berlin's main bus terminal ZOB is connected by S-Bahn ring and buses. AB tciket needed.
All major arrival and departure points are marked purple in the map below. Just zoom in and click on stations for names.
Connections between eastern and western center of Berlin
Important for tourists: The following lines of public transport connect the eastern and western center of Berlin.
- U2: Zoologischer Garten - Wittenbergplatz (KaDeWe) - Potsdamer Platz - Stadtmitte (Gendarmenmarkt) - Alexanderplatz
- S5, S7 (S75) and S9: Zoologischer Garten - Hauptbahnhof (main station) - Friedrichstrasse - Hackescher Markt - Alexanderplatz
- Buses 100 and 200 but also M29 (KaDeWe to Checkpoint Charlie)
- Map of train network (U-Bahn and S-Bahn)
Curiousities and interesting figures about Berlin's public transport
Some uncommon information and curiosities you may not know about Berlin's public transport:
- Public transport in Berlin started in 1825 with horse buses. First electrified trains started in 1902.
- During Berlin's partition the subway lines U6 and U8 were driving through from West-Berlin to West-Berlin under foreign GDR territory. The trains did not stop at the eastern stations, only U6 stopped at Friedrichstrasse. On Nov. 11 1989, only two days after Berlin Wall was opened, subway station Jannowitzbrücke from U8 was opened as border crossing point.
- Between 1989 and 1991 BVG operated a test version of magnet trains, called M-Bahn.
- Every day all public transport vehicles of Berlin drive together nearly 10 times around the equator (appr. 410,000 km).
- Provider BVG is regularly hosting international competitions, e.g. the first European bus driver championship in 2018.
- Did you know that some metro trains of Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, were driving in Berlin before?
Last update: June 8 2019