Berlin Information Sources

Berlin Tourist Information:

Berlin Tourist Information has three major locations in Berlin: Europa Center, close to the Zoologischer Garten station, inside the Brandenburg Gate, and in the basement of the Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz.
Phone: 030-250-025
Website: www.btm.de

A Berlin Welcome Card

The tourist office, S-Bahn ticket offices, and many hotels sell the WelcomeCard. It allows unlimited travel on public transportation in Berlin and Potsdam for €16 (48 hours) or €22 (72 hours). It also gives discounts on many attractions. A spectacular deal is the Schaulust Museum Pass – unlimited entry on three consecutive days to 70 top museums for a mere €15.

Transportation in Berlin

Public Transportation: Berlin has an excellent public transportation network, combining buses, trams, underground (U-Bahn), and commuter trains (S-Bahn) into a single ticket system. Most lines have no services between 1 and 4 am, but some do on weekends, and night buses with restricted schedules run all week. Tickets can be bought from machines (most have English) or from the driver at stops without machines. Tickets must be validated before boarding trains or onboard buses and trams. A Kurzstrecke (three train or six bus stops) costs €1.20. A single ticket costs €2.20 and is valid for two hours in zone AB – transfers, interruptions and round-trip trips are allowed. It is generally worth buying a Tageskarte (unlimited day ticket) at €5.60 should you plan to use the system more than twice. The honor system is generally used, but buses must be boarded in the front and tickets shown after 8 pm.

By Taxi: Taxis have a fairly good reputation but can be pricey. The base rate is €2.50. When going only a short distance – up to 1.2 miles or five minutes, whichever comes first – it costs €3, but only if you tell the driver Kurzstrecke (short distance) when boarding. Taxis can be hailed, but more easily found at stands nears stations or hotels. You can also ask any shop, restaurant, or hotel to call a taxi for you. There are several companies, but Würfel-Funk has a toll free number, 0800-222-2255.

Getting to Berlin

By Rail: Berlin has frequent fast rail links to all major German centers. At least hourly trains are available to Hamburg (1h30), Leipzig (1h30), Dresden (2h), Frankfurt (4h), and Munich (6 to 7 hours). Journey times are steadily shortened as more of the former East German railways are upgraded to the high-speed network. The most dramatic changes in coming years should be on the link to Munich. Zoologischer Garten Station, mostly referred to as “Zoo,” was the main station in West Berlin and still functions in that capacity. Most intercity trains arrive here, although many also continue to the Ostbahnhof. A new Hauptbahnhof (main station) is being constructed at Lehrter, and will no doubt be open by the time you read this.

By Road: Good Autobahnen allow for easy and fast traveling times from all parts of Germany. The AVUS part of the Autobahn to the southwest of Berlin was Germany’s first stretch of Autobahn. Often the cheapest way to reach Berlin is by bus. The Berlin Linienbus, www.berlinlinienbus.de, has a vast network to many parts of Germany and the rest of Europe. The Zentrale Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB), or Central Bus Station, is at the Messe exhibition grounds and convenient to S-Bahn station Witzleben as well as several bus lines.

By Air: Despite being the capital of a united Germany for more than a decade, there still are surprisingly few direct flights to Berlin – most intercontinental flights to Germany still go to Frankfurt. Direct flights from Berlin Tegel to the USA are available on Delta (Newark) and Continental (JFK). Berlin has two airports, sharing the same information line, 0180-500-0186, and www.berlin-airport.de. Most flights from Western Europe arrive at Tegel (TXL), 4.8 miles north of the city. Bus transfers cost €2.20, with X9 taking 20 minutes to Zoo station and TXL 25 minutes to Unter den Linden. Taxis to the center cost around €20. Most other flights, including budget airlines, fly to the less conveniently located Schönefeld (SXF), 11 miles southeast of the City. A free shuttle bus transfers passengers to the nearby railway station, with connections to the center taking around 40 minutes. Often more convenient is express bus SFX, which runs every 30 minutes between 6 am and 8 pm to Wittenbergplatz (near Zoo Station) and Potsdamer Platz. Schönefeld is expanding and from around 2011 will be the only airport in Berlin.

Berlin Sightseeing Tour by Public Bus

Of particular note are bus lines 100 and 200. These were designed with tourists in mind, offering grand views from the top of the double-decker buses. Both routes start at Zoo Station, with Route 100 running through Tiergarten via the Reichstag, past the Brandenburg Gate, down Unter den Linden, across Museum Island, past the Television Tower, and terminating soon after Alexanderplatz. Bus 200 also departs from Zoo Station but runs south of the Tiergarten via the Kulturforum and Potsdamer Platz to join Route 100 at Unter den Linden on Friederichstraße. It continues deeper into East Berlin than does Route 100. Virtually all the sights of Berlin are no more than a short walk from either route.