How to get from the Berlin airport to the city center on the cheap
So your plane has landed in Berlin and you’re ready to start your adventure in Germany’s exciting capital. But before you do, you have one more item to check off your travel list: Getting from the Berlin airport to the city center!
Berlin is serviced by two airports, Tegel Airport in the former west, and Schönefeld in the former east. The good news? Both are easily accessible by public transportation, so there’s no need to shell out €25 to €30 (plus tip) for an expensive taxi ride like you might have to in other cities.
To help you seamlessly get from the airport to where you’re headed in Berlin, we’ve gathered together the following practical tips.
More Berlin budget travel tips
• When to visit Berlin (and which dates to avoid)
• The best budget hotels in Berlin
• How to save on Berlin’s top 10 attractions
Tegel Airport
If you’re flying to Berlin from the United States, you’ll most likely land at Tegel Airport. Located in the former west, Tegel is serviced by four bus lines which run at regular intervals. These are:
TXL JetExpress Bus
This bus takes you the S-Bahn station at Beusselstrasse, which is part of the Ring Bahn that circles around the city. It also stops at Hauptbahnhof, Berlin’s main train station, and Alexanderplatz. At Hauptbahnhof, you can transfer onto the S-Bahn lines S3, S1 and S7. Alexanderplatz is a major transportation hub, with the U-Bahn lines the U-2 (red line), the U-8 (dark blue line), and the U-5 brown line and the same S-Bahn lines as Hauptbahnhof.
Related: How to ride Berlin’s public transit system like a local
X9 JetExpress Bus
This bus takes you to S+U Zoologischer Garten, the transportation hub in former West Berlin. Change here for the U-9 (orange line) and the U-2 (red line) as well as the S7, S1, and S5. “Zoo,” as it’s called by locals, also services around ten different bus lines. If you need the Ring Bahn or the U-7 (light blue line), get off at S+U Jungfernheide.
128 Bus
This bus will take you to the U-Bahn stations Kurt-Schumacher-Platz (U-8) and Osloer Strasse (U-9).
109 Bus
This bus follows the same route as the X9 but makes more stops along the way, so opt for the express X9 if possible.
How long will it take?
Although this will depend on several factors (how many times you need to transfer, traffic, etc.), a trip from Tegel into the city should take you about 20 to 30 minutes if you’re going somewhere in the former west, and 30 to 40 minutes if you’re going somewhere in the former east.
What ticket do I need?
For this ride, you’ll need a regular VBB one-way transportation ticket. Buy a zone AB ticket (2.80 €/1.70 € reduced) if you’re headed anywhere in the city center or a zone BC ticket (3.10 €/2.20 € reduced) if you’re headed to the outskirts of Berlin or Potsdam. Children 5 and under ride free.
Related: Transportation tickets explained (and why you should never go ticketless)
Important tip: Make sure you stamp your ticket in the validation box once you’ve entered the bus. If you don’t do this, you will be a “schwarzfahrer” (black rider), the German word for people who ride public transportation without a ticket. Although you don’t have to show your ticket to transfer to the U-Bahn or S-Bahn, controllers do sometimes make surprise sweeps, and they’re not above fining clueless tourists who didn’t stamp their ticket €60, which will put a dent in your budget, to say the least. Once stamped, your ticket is valid for two hours on any form of public transportation (bus, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, etc.) in one direction. In other words, you can’t use it to go to your hotel, and then ride around in the opposite direction afterward. If you plan on doing this, opt for a Tageskarte (day ticket) instead.
Savings tip
If you plan on staying in Berlin for a while, you may want to purchase a ticket for a longer period, such as a day ticket (zone AB 7.00 €/zone BC 7.40 € per adult, up to three children aged 6 to 14 free) or a 7-day ticket (zone AB 30 €/zone BC 31.40 €/zone ABC 37.50 €). Any culture junkies may also want to consider picking up a Berlin WelcomeCard, which covers transportation as well as free museum entry and other discounts for a specific period of time.
Related: The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive: Is it a good deal?
Where can I buy the tickets?
You have several options here. You can either buy tickets at the ticket desk in the main terminal or at the ticket machine outside of Terminal A where you catch the bus. Ticket machines accept cash and, as of August 2017, now also accept credit cards. However, only chip cards with a pin number work and no AmEx allowed. You can also pay directly on the bus, but only with coins. To save your jetlagged self some grief, you can also buy self-printing day tickets or Berlin WelcomeCards here.
For more information, you can check the official website of Tegel Airport.
A budget airline taking off from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. Photo: neuweiser.
Schönefeld Airport
Located further out of the city in the former east, Schönefeld Airport mainly services discount airlines, like Norwegian, Easy Jet and Ryan Air.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport, aka the “airport that never gets built,” is also located nearby. A larger airport that was supposed to take over for both Tegel and Schönefeld, Berlin Brandenburg Airport was scheduled to open in 2011 — airlines had even sold tickets from this airport in advance. Six years and dozens of scandals later, BBA is still under construction. The latest estimates are a grand opening in 2020, though experts say 2021 is more realistic.
Since BBA is still (maybe) yet to come, you’ll have to get into Berlin from Schönefeld for now. The S-Bahn lines S9 and the S45, which segue into the ring bahn, are an easy five-minute walk from the station. You can also take the express bus X7 to the U-7 station Rudow. The bus stop is located in front of Terminal A. Travel times should take roughly 30 to 40 minutes to the former west and 20 to 30 minutes to the former east.
The same ticket guidelines apply with one important difference: Schönefeld airport is located in zone C, so make sure you buy an ABC ticket if you plan to head into central Berlin!
For more information, check out the official website to Schönefeld Airport.
Public transit in Berlin
For a map of Berlin’s transportation system, including information about the different zones, click here. You can also plan your trip in detail, as well as find out travel times and transportation schedule, by using the BVG journey plan. And read our guide to riding public transit in Berlin like a local before you take off on your trip. Happy travels!
Do you have any tips for getting to and from the airport in Berlin? Share them in the comments below!
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