Berlin transportation

When planning a trip to Berlin, be sure to allow yourself enough time to get to know this beautiful city. The public transport system is very efficient nevertheless a good map is highly recommended due to the lack of signs in some larger stations. Berlin is a huge city, so be sure to use the excellent buses, train, tram and underground services and taxis to travel around.

If you plan on using the public transportation a lot and for several days, you might consider purchasing a Tageskarte (Day Card) a weekly pass, or the Berlin Welcome Card, which gets you unlimited travel for 2/3 days plus discounts at many of Berlin's tourist attractions.

Efficient, precise and fast ways to travel are by using the S-Bahn, with trains running every 10 minutes during daytime and every 5 minutes during rush-hour and the U-Bahn (metro). Detailed maps can be found in every station, electronic sings showing the time of the next train, and its directions based on sensors along the lines. During Christmas and New Year holidays as well as in the weekend, U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines run all night. Sometimes offering a picturesque ride, the East Berlin trams are also a good way of getting around.

Maybe the slowest vehicles, but certainly the ones that will take you to every corner of the city are the buses. The favorite bus line among tourists are 100, the double-decker tour buses that cross most of the historic center, and 200, that has mainly the same route, but also including the modern quarters around Potsdamer Platz.Both rides are really enjoyable so try not to miss them. You can find vending machines selling all ticket types on the platforms at every station of the Metro and remember to validate your ticket before you get into any vehicle.

Another great way to tour Berlin is by bike, especially with good weather it is a true delight. Among locals cycling is very popular so you might even find yourself caught up in bicycle traffic once in a while. Though the city has a few steep hills, it offers many bicycle paths and it is certainly worth seeing Berlin this way, getting acquainted not only with the tourist attractions but also the little hidden streets of the city.

Renting a bicycle is always possible; also you can find public bicycles all around the city, which can be unlocked by calling a number on the bicycle with your cell phone. Remember to carry on a map with you, always handy!

Berlin get around