Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BASICS
CITY TRANSPORT
City transport
Berlin's public transport network is well
integrated, e
cient and inexpensive.
The cornerstone of the system is the web
of fast suburban (S-Bahn) and under-
ground (U-Bahn) trains, which are
supplemented on the streets by buses
and trams. All are run by the BVG, whose
network looks complicated at first glance
but quickly becomes easy to navigate.
On board, illuminated signs and announce-
ments ensure it's easy to find the right stop.
Tickets
are available from machines at stations
and on trams, or from bus drivers - but in all cases
be sure to validate them by punching them in a
red or yellow machine when you travel. Apart
from their colour the machines are identical, serve
exactly the same function and are strategically
placed by the entrance of every bus, tram or
platform. Failure to punch your ticket will result in
spot fines.
Information and maps
For more
information
about Berlin's public
transport system, call or check their website (
T
194
49,
W
bvg.de) which has complete listings and
timetables for the U- and S-Bahn systems, plus bus,
tram and ferry routes. There are also transport infor-
mation o
ces at Zoo Station, the Hauptbahnhof,
Friedrichstrasse and Alexanderplatz, where you can
also buy a complete and highly detailed guide to
services, and various souvenirs of the network.
Kiosks on the platforms at most U-Bahn stations
also provide simple free
maps
of the U- and S-Bahn,
trams and some bus services.
Tickets
The same
tickets are valid
for all BVG services,
allowing transfers between different modes of
transport as well as all other public transport
services within the VBB (Verkehrsverbund Berlin-
Brandenburg) system, which includes buses and
trams in Potsdam, Oranienburg and even Regional
Express trains (marked “RE” when operating within
the city limits). Tickets can be bought from the
machines on U- and S-Bahn station platforms. These
take €5, €10 and €20 notes and all but the smallest
coins, give change and have a basic explanation
of the ticketing system in English. Plain-clothes
inspectors frequently cruise the lines, meting out
on-the-spot
fines
of €60 for anyone without a
correct ticket or pass that has been validated by a
red or yellow machine (see above). You can also buy
tickets, including day tickets, directly from the driver
on a bus (change given); if you have a ticket already,
show it to the driver as you board.
The transport network is divided into three
zones
- A, B and C. Basic
single tickets
(
Einzeltickets
)
cost €2.60 and allow travel in Zone A and B. Zone C
covers the outskirts of town and includes Potsdam,
Oranienburg and Schönefeld/BBI airport; a ticket for
zones A, B and C costs €3.20. All tickets are valid for
two hours, enabling you to split a single journey as
often as you like, but can't be used for a return
journey. A
Kurzstrecke
, or
short-trip ticket
, costs
€1.50 and allows you to travel up to three train or
six bus stops (no return journeys or transfers).
Buying a
day ticket
(
Tageskarte
), valid from the
moment you buy it until 3am the next morning,
costs €6.70 for the entire network within zones A
and B, and may work out cheaper, as might the
excellent-value
seven-day ticket
(
Sieben-Tage-
Karte
), which costs €28.80 for zones A and B and
€35.60 for zones A, B and C.
A small
group ticket
(
Kleingruppenkarte
) is
available for a whole day's travel for up to five
Public transport
The
U-Bahn
subway is clean, punctual and rarely
crowded. Running both under- and over-ground, it
covers much of the centre and stretches into the
suburbs: trains run from 4am to around 12.30am,
and all night on Friday and Saturday. Once they
have closed down for the night their routes are
usually covered by night buses - denoted by a
number with the prefix “N”.
The
S-Bahn
system is a separate network of
suburban trains, which runs largely overground,
and is better for covering long distances fast and
effectively and complements the U-Bahn in the city
centre. It runs until 1.30am on weeknights and all
night on Friday and Saturday.
You never have to wait long for a
bus
in the city
and the network covers most gaps in the U-Bahn
system, with buses converging on Zoo Station
and Alexanderplatz. Buses #100 and #200,
between the two, are particularly good for sight-
seeing.
Night buses
mostly run every half-hour
and routes often differ from daytime ones; maps
of the night bus routes can be picked up at most
U-Bahn ticket booths.
Berlin's quiet and comfortable
trams
are found
for the most part in the eastern section of the city,
where the network has survived from prewar days.
MetroBuses
and
MetroTrams
, their numbers
preceded by the letter M, are the core services,
running particularly frequently and all night.
