Trains in Berlin

Re: Trains in Berlin

• stever member

  

  March 2012

  Depends on how long your layover is and which airport you're flying into(there are many). The U-Bahn and S-Bahn can get you all over the place, but Berlin is a gigantic town so it may not be feasible to visit the Brandenburg Gate(in the West) and the Eastside Gallery(main chunk of The Wall left standing).

  If I remember correctly the Eastside Gallery is pretty close to Ostbahnhoff(Eastern Train Station), so if you can get from the airport to there easily you could check it out then race across town to the Brandenburg Gate.

  Like I said, it depends how long you're there for and where you're flying into.
  

  Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml

  Report0 Reply
• Mrs.BFinally member

  

  March 2012

  We actually have a 20 hour layover on our route to Rome.  As of right now, we plan on staying at the Holiday Inn at the airport (Berlin Schonfeld - BER).  Our flight is due to arrive at 10AMish and we depart at 7AM the next morning.  I know we will not have time to do lots as we will have to claim luggage, clear customs, etc. but we definitely want to see the Gate and possibly Checkpoint Charlie's (if we are looking at the map correct, they are close to each other).  My biggest concern is getting on a train to where we need to go and back in one piece without getting super lost . 

  Kim

  Report0 Reply
• Mrs.BFinally member

  

  March 2012

  We actually have a 20 hour layover on our route to Rome.  As of right now, we plan on staying at the Holiday Inn at the airport (Berlin Schonfeld - BER).  Our flight is due to arrive at 10AMish and we depart at 7AM the next morning.  I know we will not have time to do lots as we will have to claim luggage, clear customs, etc. but we definitely want to see the Gate and possibly Checkpoint Charlie's (if we are looking at the map correct, they are close to each other).  My biggest concern is getting on a train to where we need to go and back in one piece without getting super lost . 

  Kim

  Report0 Reply
• hutchsl member

  

  March 2012

  We went to Berlin for the day from Bremen (ok it was a long day). So I am unfamiliar with the airport to train but we got a day pass for the U-Bahn and S-Bahn so we could use whatever transportation we wanted. There are information booths at the train station noted by a white i in a blue circle. They should have maps for the trains and attractions. That is what we used.

  Report0 Reply
• stever member

  

  March 2012

  Mrs.BFinally:

  We actually have a 20 hour layover on our route to Rome.  As of right now, we plan on staying at the Holiday Inn at the airport (Berlin Schonfeld - BER).  Our flight is due to arrive at 10AMish and we depart at 7AM the next morning.  I know we will not have time to do lots as we will have to claim luggage, clear customs, etc. but we definitely want to see the Gate and possibly Checkpoint Charlie's (if we are looking at the map correct, they are close to each other).  My biggest concern is getting on a train to where we need to go and back in one piece without getting super lost . 

  Wow! That is a great layover. You should be more than fine. Have fun!
  

  Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml

  Report0 Reply
• NorticPrincess member

  

  March 2012

  The train system is pretty easy to figure out.  I managed to drop my bags off at my hotel (taxi from the airport - Tegel), get to the train station, buy a pass, and make several changes to get to the convention center after being up for nearly 48 hours without any problems.
  

  Get your pass from the machine and make sure you validate it at the other little machine.   The S-Bahn trains are newer and more open - they tell you the next stops on digital signboards.  Potsdamer Platz is the S Bahn stop we used, then walked up to the Gate (there are closer UBahn stations - google maps shows them - if you click on a station it shows the routes, but you said you were coming in from the new airport it should be on the (S9 to Friedrichstr change trains to Postdamr) or (S 45 to Papestr change to green go to Potsdamr) SBahn line you need a ABC pass (you can get a day pass 6.80 euros pp) to get from the airport into the city.  The other option is to take the connector bus to  UBahn U7.

  There are a few other things to see around there Potsdamr/Gate/Garten.  Stadtmitte is the closest UBahn to Check Point Charlie. The walk between the two isn't bad.

   
  

  
  Cancer sucks.

  Report0 Reply
• traveling turtle member

  

  March 2012

  I'm not sure how much local transport you plan to take while there, but I like to get an all-day ticket when I'm in different/new places and I want to see a lot. The Laender-ticket can be purchased locally (at the train station) and is good for all trains in Berlin and the state of Brandenburg. It's 28 EUR and can be used for up to 5 people traveling together. It's also good for the Regional Trains (RE/RB) so when you are at the airport you can jump on almost any mode of transport and get to the city (the only thing it doesn't work on are the IC/ICE trains). 

  So, if your prices are going to be more than 14EUR pp, it might be worth it. If it's close to 14 EUR then it could still be worth it so you can get on the trains without worrying about buying tickets or that you have the right one. 

  The only thing I'm not sure of is if it works on the U-bahn. When I get the Lander ticket where I live and in Bavaria, they do work on the U-bahn. Not sure for Berlin, though.  Here's info about it: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml

  Report0 Reply