Berlin Transportation

2 more images

The photos I posted here are the same entrance to the Underground Train or the U-Bahn. If you would like to go around the city, this is the U sign that you have to be aware of. U-Bahn is the main public transit company for the city of Berlin and the most modern subway system in Europe.

Please make sure that you validate (stamped) your ticket before you get on the train.

For more detailed information on the metro system in Germany, please check the website I provided below.

Trains, trams come around every ten min. on the dot. The prices are fairly cheap, you can get day passes or even up too i believe a 3 day pass. Berlin is about 8 times the size of paris so i would advise to get a train pass becasue the train takes you anywhere you would want to go . Anywhere you are in the city you will find a train station within a block or two radius

Here is our very exciting holiday to Berlin! Landed on Schonefeld airport, and Katrin and her husband whom we met here in Barcelona and made instant friend came to fetch us at the airport...what a treat for a big welcome to Berlin!

What an effecient airport, we had too many luggages as we were unloading it from the car, these wonderful nice fellow approached us on his carry on drive parking service cart and drove us all the way from our parking lot on to the entrance of the airport. How we wish there were more of these all over the world in those huge airports....

* U-bahn
The easiest and quickest way to get around Berlin: this is the Berlin underground.
As opposed to, for instance, London, changing stations in Berlin is not a hiking tour. Only a few make you walk a bit; still much shorter than the underground walks in London.

* S-bahn
I didn't have much time to try to understand the schedule of the train system. I popped in and out one or two trains which left for stations I had to be anyway.

* Trams
A nice way to see Berlin, as the trains are, but slower.

* Bus
There're quite a few buses driving around in Berlin. All with stops not too far from eachother. Bus 100 is recommended (especially for your first day in Berlin): getting to know Berlin, from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz. It's often a double bus.

All travel systems use the same ticketing. (see next transportation tip)

At every U- and S-Bahn station, and at the bigger busstops, you can find yellow ticket machines at which you buy your ticket.

I think all is in German, but I'm not sure as I didn't search for an English version.

There're several kind of tickets. For the average tourist, it's best to take a "Tageskarte" (day ticket): 5,60 euro. This ticket is for zones A and B, which is Berlin's city centre. The ticket is valid until 3am next morning.

There's also "Kurzstrecke" which is for three stations only, and "Einzelfahrausweis" with which you can travel within zones A and B for two hours.

The stations in Berlin have a, opposed to for instance London or New York, free entrance, meaning no gates in which you need to put your ticket in order to get through the gate.
Berlin uses the same system as we Dutch do: relying on the trustworthy of the travellers and check in the trains on people without a ticket.

During my four day stay in Berlin, I haven't seen a ticket check once. Still, there's a fine of 40 euro extra if you get caught.

... the city of Berlin, from Tegel Airport

Tegel Airport has about six bus stops, all located directly as you leave the airport.

The bus I took, was bus 109, which takes you from Tegel, via SchloB Charlottenburg to Adenauerplatz (my stop) and further via Kurfustendamm to Zoologisch Garten.
The ride from Tegel to Adenauerplatz was about 20 minutes. I guess to Zoologischer Garten it will be more or less 30 or 35 minutes, depending on day and time.

Tegel is in zone B, so you can use your day ticket (tageskarte) or a "Einzelfahrausweis", which you can use for zones A and B, two hours, back and forth.

This bus takes you from Zoologischer Garten (the zoo - train/bus/U-bahn stations) to Alexanderplatz in former DDR (or the other way round ofcourse), via GroBer Stern (Siegessaule) Reichstag/Bundestag and Unter den Linden.

It's often a double bus, as they have in London, with a nice view over this part of the city of Berlin.