{"id":1765,"date":"2021-01-22T06:36:40","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T11:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelsizerobot.com\/?p=1765"},"modified":"2021-01-22T06:36:42","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T11:36:42","slug":"berlin-transportation-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelsizerobot.com\/berlin-transportation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Transportation in Berlin 101: How to Get Around in Germany’s Capital"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
I’ve been living on and off in Berlin for about five years now. Let’s call it a total of two and a half. One thing I’ve become a master at in this time is navigating around this monstrous city efficiently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Out of all the forms of transportation a city could possibly have, Berlin has all of them. Ok maybe not all<\/strong> of them; I haven’t seen a tuk-tuk driving around lately, but to be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if I did. There is no shortage of ways to get around, no matter if you’re a tourist or a local, you have plenty of options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we’re not only talking about public transportation here, we’re also talking about ridesharing, ride-hailing, ride-pooling, e-scooters, bikes, taxis, and even walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let’s quickly go over some basics, then get into the details on the types of transportation, the pros and cons of each, and the various options you have within each type of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since most of this stuff has been covered to death and is super easy to research, I’ll just go over the basics quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Berlin is big. No, not London or Tokyo big, but it’s big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Split up into three zones, with Zone A being within the Ringbahn<\/a> (the main part of the city, where most visitors won’t go further than,) Zone B, which could be called “Outside of the Center”, and Zone C, which I would call “The Outskirts”:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the most part, you most likely won’t be leaving Zone A as a visitor, except to come in from the airport. Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) is in Zone C. The beloved Tegel Airport (TXL) was closed down in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let’s get into the public transportation system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Public transportation in Berlin is generally very good, and thankfully, a very popular way to get around the city, whether you’re in Zones A, B, or C. The public system is mostly run by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, or BVG<\/a>, as you’ll see it written around town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how I get around Berlin most of the time. Unless I’m in a hurry, too hungover to cope with it, it’s too late, or I’m in a weird area, it’s public transport for me unless it’s nice weather out (in which case I’m bicycling).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: <\/strong>If you get checked by a controller and don’t have a ticket (or it’s not validated), you will get a fine. Currently that fine is at a “no joke” \u20ac60 if you get caught. Playing the “Stupid Tourist” Card is very unlikely to work, so fare-evade at your own risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall the operating hours of public transport is good in Berlin, but there are a few things to note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the weekends from Friday to Sunday, all transportation runs 24 hours (except the U4 and U55, but you probably won’t be using those anyway).<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the week, the S-Bahn and U-Bahn run until about 1-1:30 am and start up again around 4 am. So if you’re at a party and just miss your last train home, feel free to stick around another few hours and head back at 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, you could catch a replacement night bus, which is the same name as the U-Bahn routes except with an “N” replacing the “U” and follows (generally) the same route. That is, the N8 night bus will follow roughly the same route as the U8 when the U8 isn’t in service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trams typically run 24 hours, but make sure to double check where it’s going at night, as sometimes they take an atypical route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have a few options on where you can buy tickets for transportation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In every station and tram, you’ll find a touch-screen ticket machine that says “Fahrkarten”, “Fahrscheine”, or “Fahrausweise”. You can change the language by tapping the little flag icon on the touchscreen. You can pay with cash, some cards, and now even Apple or Google Pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the S-Bahn they’re usually red and look something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the U-Bahn, they’re yellow and look more like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To complicate things even more, the tram ticket machines are on the tram itself and look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these machines will print out any short-term tickets for you. That is, any time period under a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Important Note:<\/strong> You must<\/em> validate your ticket before entering the train, bus, or tram. As I mentioned, if you get controlled and you have a ticket but it’s not validated, you will get fined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are little validation machines usually next to the ticket machines that look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just stick the arrow end of the ticket into the slot and wait for it to stamp your ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, Germany has finally gotten with the times and now allows you to buy tickets on your mobile device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is an official app simply called “BVG” which also gives you decent directions using the public transportation routes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is another app called Jelbi<\/a>, which is owned by BVG but is actually an aggregator of various types of transportation services and mobility services including public, carsharing, personal transport and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each has its own benefits, but if you’re only going to download one, I recommend Jelbi since it offers far more mobility options and has a better UI overall. The only downside is that it can get a bit overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you can buy tickets in many corner shops (called “Sp\u00e4tis” or “Sp\u00e4tkaufs” with a yellow BVG sign out front), or any type of ticket can be purchased at a physical BVG Service Point, which will also be able to offer you longer term tickets if you’re staying for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A single public transportation ticket will work on all forms of Berlin’s transportation network:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a map of the S-Bahn and U-Bahn network in Berlin. Mind you, this does not include the buses, trams, or ferries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, it’s pretty massive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the routes are sometimes changing and you might want more info about buses, trams, night transportation<\/a>, and closures, BVG’s website has all that and more, so I would suggest checking out this page for up-to-date and interactive information<\/a> on routes and closures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ticket you’re most likely going to need is the Berlin AB<\/em> ticket, which lets you travel – you guessed it – within Zones A and B. There is also Berlin BC<\/em> and Berlin ABC<\/em>, but chances are you won’t be needing that unless you plan on moving to the suburbs. I’m convinced they’re only there to confuse tourists into buying a more expensive ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only exception is if you’re traveling to and from Zone C (like from BER, Potsdam<\/a>, or a surrounding lake). If you only have a Berlin AB<\/em> ticket, you’ll need to grab an extension to Zone C only for the time you need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tickets listed are standard and valid in Zones A and B, and for an adult with no discounts unless otherwise noted.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ticket prices have increased for 2020<\/a>. I’ve updated all of the prices below with the new pricing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common types of tickets you’re going to use as a visitor are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can buy those two tickets in bundles of four, which can save you a few Euros. A 4-ticket bundle of the AB single tickets (4-Fahrten-Karte) cost \u20ac9<\/strong>, and it’s \u20ac5.60<\/strong> for the bundle of short tickets. This is definitely a better deal, especially since they did not increase in price for 2020 like the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro Tip:<\/strong> If you have the Monatskarte, instead of bringing a person with you as a guest after 8 pm on weekdays and all weekend, you can bring your bike instead!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Berlin also has some all-inclusive tourist tickets. If you’re here for a few days and want to check out some attractions, all public transport and tickets to attraction are included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, with the WelcomeCard you can get three days of public transportation, a nice map and city guide, and a bunch of discounts to museums, attractions, and tours for \u20ac33. Not a bad choice if you’re strapped for time and want to see a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out the CityTourCard website<\/a> and the Berlin WelcomeCard website<\/a> for more info and options for those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the prices listed above are standard ticket prices for an adult, but there are some extras I want to touch on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That pretty much covers it for public transportation in Berlin. If I missed anything or you have any questions, just let me know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are tons of taxi services in Berlin and you’ll see them all over the streets. For the most part, the metered taxis are safe and won’t rip you off, but as always, be careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most places in the city you can just wave one down if you see it, and there are also various taxi stands around the city. If you’re in a bar, hotel, or restaurant, you can ask an employee to call you a taxi. If you’re wanting to practice your German, ask “K\u00f6nnen Sie mir ein Taxi rufen?”<\/em> or if you’re at a more casual place or most bars, “Kannst du mir ein Taxi rufen?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Taxis should be<\/em> a standard rate. \u20ac3.90 to start, the first seven kilometers are \u20ac2 each, then each additional km should be \u20ac1.50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s a special fare for short trips<\/strong> called a Kurzstrecke <\/em>(short trip, same as the short public transport ticket above). For any trip under 2 km, the fare should only be \u20ac5 flat. Make sure to tell the driver before-hand if you want this fare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can pay in traditional cash, or in many taxis you can now pay with a credit card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a couple main ridesharing (also called ride-hailing) services in Berlin we use on the regular. Sadly, the ride-hailing here isn’t the best. There are often delays and it isn’t quite as inexpensive as other cities when you compare the Ride-Hailing vs. Taxis rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still though, we use them for the convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I suppose there’s no need to introduce Uber, is there? The biggest ride-hailing company in the world is of course, also in Berlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly, they had a really hard time here up until recently. The government didn’t let them operate with their own drivers, so the app only served as a taxi-hailing service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now though, you can use Uber as you’re used to, even though the German government is still making it difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you use my referral code pxh3i<\/strong> you can get $2 off your first 3 rides<\/strong>. Sign up for the discount here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Free Now (which used to be called MyTaxi) is a relatively new service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They tend to be a bit less expensive in general and have better promotions, but their availability is lower, meaning you might have to wait more frequently, and sometimes they won’t even be able to find a driver, which is frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still check them though, as the service is otherwise pretty decent. Sadly I don’t have a discount code for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Download:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the lines of the ride-hailing or ride-sharing services, there are a few players in town who offer this carpooling-type option, which are a less expensive and more economical (albeit slightly less convenient) way of getting around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ride-Pooling involves an app similar to that of Uber or FreeNow, except the driver picking you up in a van also might have other people with them. The route is not direct to your destination (usually), but slightly out of the way so he can pick up or drop off other riders along the route. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a more cost-effective way of getting a semi-private ride and doesn’t involve having one car on the road for every ride, clearing up the streets a bit. Plus, if it’s late and you and the others in the van have had a few drinks, it can be an interesting experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really like this type of service. The only downside is sometimes it can take a little bit longer to get where you’re going, and sometimes you have to walk a block or so to get to the pickup point so the route can stay efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BerlK\u00f6nig is a service run by BVG and is very cost effective. The basic cost is \u20ac1.50 per km, and if you book multiple riders at the same time, it’s the same fare just split between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I write this, all fares within the eastern part of the Ringbahn are only \u20ac4, and if you sign up using my referral code chris5q8<\/strong>, you get \u20ac10 in credit (and so do I – thanks!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just download the app here<\/a> and let me know what you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a very similar service to BerlK\u00f6nig and they have a ton of special offers and are very active in the promo department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They have a loyalty program, a tell-a-friend program, and a bonus program (the more credit you buy the bigger discount you get). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their fleet tends to be very “green”, using electric and hydrogen vehicles to transport you around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the promo code vegmdo<\/strong> when you sign up and we each get a signup bonus. Download the app here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you live in a metro area, you’ve surely noticed all those bikes, small cars, and e-scooters that have been infiltrating our streets for the past couple years. Heck, South Park even did an episode about it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There happens to be a Personal Mobility revolution going on, and Berlin is no exception. In fact, a lot of the companies involved are based in or have offices in Berlin! There’s even a coworking space dedicated<\/a> specifically to people and companies working in the mobility space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you open up an aggregator app like the aforementioned Jelbi, or Urbi<\/a> (who also has an office in Berlin, natch), you’ll find many of those options all in one place. Let’s go over some of the better options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people love them, some people hate them<\/a>. Some people call them Kick Scooters. There’s a lot of controversy over e-scooters’ take-over of Berlin streets, but one thing is for sure; people love to use them (including yours truly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are multiple companies offering these free-floating scooters around Berlin, each competing with the next. The main contenders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typically, all of the e-scooter sharing services work the same; you open the app, find a scooter near you, scan its QR code, then you drive away. Once you’re at your destination, you lock the scooter via the app, payment is made, and you’re done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Naturally, having a 24-hour free-floating scooter service at your fingertips is going to invite drunk riding. I won’t deny I may have taken a few tipsy scooter rides myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One drunk rider even lost his license while he was riding<\/a> – and yodeling – drunkenly through the streets of Erfurt on an e-scooter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Needless to say, be careful out there. Most of the apps will warn you about drunk driving after a certain time of night before you unlock the scooter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When driving these scooters, note that they are limited to 20 km\/h (and will actually brake themselves if you exceed that), and you are supposed to ride them in the same manner as a bicycle – in the bike lane, same laws, same rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, keep in mind that Berlin has lots of cobblestone streets, and they suck<\/strong> to drive scooters on. You will shake yourself silly and maybe fall over, so be careful on cobblestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Different e-scooter companies have different availability and coverage throughout Berlin. They each have “zones” where you’re allowed to drive and park and won’t let you lock the scooter if you’re outside of this zone, while another might have that part of the city open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, I used to live in Schillerkiez, which is right next to Tempelhofer Feld. For some weird reason, Lime had my neighborhood blocked off despite it being very popular, but Tier had my street open. So naturally, I took Tier more often. If I did take a Lime, I had to park it up a few blocks away and walk back home. Since then, Tier has reduced their coverage drastically though, and seems to be focusing much more on central Berlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me give you a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Circ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n voi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is really where the main competition lives. When it comes down to it, there isn’t so much of a difference between the scooters except for availability and pricing (except for some of them offering a drink holder and phone holder, which all else being equal, I would take simply because of that).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s look at all the companies, how much they cost, and what kind of discounts they offer if you use the link or code provided:<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Public Transportation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Operating Hours & Schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where to Buy a Public Transport Ticket?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ticket Machines<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Apps or Mobile Phones<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A Physical Shop<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What Types of Public Transport Will a Ticket Work On?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Zone Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Types of Tickets and Pricing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Guest Pass: This ticket also allows you to bring one other person with you for free after 8 pm on weekdays and all weekend.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nTourist Cards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Extras<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ride-Hailing Services & Taxis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Taxis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Taxi Rates<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ridesharing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Uber<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Free Now<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ride-Pooling <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
BerlK\u00f6nig<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Clever Shuttle<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Personal Mobility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
e-Scooters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How Does it Work?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Safety<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Availability<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
e-Scooter Price & Discount Comparison<\/h4>\n\n\n\n