Berlin travel guide

U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses

Berlin is large, so most visitors combine walking with public transport. BVG runs the U-Bahn, trams and buses, and the S-Bahn crosses the city east to west and in a ring. The centre is fare zone A, the rest of the city zone B, and the outskirts, Potsdam and the airport zone C. Bus 100 and bus 300 pass many of the main sights between Alexanderplatz and the Zoo, and trams cover the east of the city.

Tickets and fares

A single AB ticket costs €4.00 and is valid for two hours in one direction with changes. A short-trip ticket for three S-Bahn or U-Bahn stops, or six tram or bus stops, costs €2.80, and a 4-trip ticket €12.40. A 24-hour AB ticket costs €11.20, and a 24-hour small group ticket for up to five people €35.30. For longer stays, the Berlin WelcomeCard combines travel with discounts at more than 170 partners, from €28.50 for 48 hours. Buy tickets from machines, in the BVG app or online, and validate paper tickets on the platform or on board before travelling; inspectors check frequently.

Airport transfers

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) lies south-east of the city in fare zone C, so you need an ABC ticket, which costs €5.00 for a single trip. The FEX Airport Express runs from the station beneath Terminal 1 to Südkreuz in about 14 minutes, Potsdamer Platz in about 19 and Hauptbahnhof in about 23, every 15 minutes from about 4am to 1am; until December 2026 it shares the four trains an hour with the RE20. The S9 S-Bahn runs every 20 minutes through the city via Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof and Zoologischer Garten, and regional trains also call at the airport. Taxis wait outside Terminal 1 and run on the meter; expect around €60 to €70 to the centre.

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Trains beyond the city

Long-distance trains leave from Hauptbahnhof, with many also stopping at Südkreuz, Gesundbrunnen, Ostbahnhof and Spandau. Potsdam is reached by S-Bahn or regional train in zone C, and Leipzig, Dresden and Hamburg are all within about two hours by ICE or Intercity.

Tourist tax

Berlin charges a City Tax, the Übernachtungsteuer, on every paid overnight stay in a hotel, hostel, guesthouse or holiday flat. Since 1 January 2025 it is 7.5% of the net price of the room, excluding VAT and extras such as breakfast; before that it was 5%. Business stays have been taxed since 1 April 2024, and the exemption for stays longer than 21 days ended in January 2025, so almost every paying guest is charged. The accommodation provider collects the tax and shows it on your bill. Changes in 2026 only affected how hotels file the tax, not the rate.