Flights to Berlin

Contemporary capital of cool

Home to artists of all stripes, Berlin is Europe's cultural capital as well as the capital of Germany. Home to the national parliament, the TV tower and many other attractions, as well as a thriving nightlife, this lively city offers plenty to do day and night.

Best time to travel

Winters in Berlin tend to be bitterly cold, with temperatures often reaching several degrees below zero. Conversely, their summers are several degrees hotter than in the UK, so any time from May to September is ideal for a visit if you want to spend lots of time outside. If you can handle the cold though, December is a wonderful time to visit Berlin, as the Christmas lights are quite spectacular, and there are of course plenty of traditional German Christmas markets selling gluhwein and stollen (traditional German mulled wine and Christmas cake).

Before travelling

Berlin is a very cycle friendly city - with dedicated cycle lanes, wide roads and plenty of flat terrain, many people choose to get around on bikes, which are available to rent fairly cheaply. The cost of living in Berlin is also much lower than in the US, so you can enjoy eating out to a good standard on a budget. Bars and clubs tend to have lower entrance fees than in a lot of other cities as well, so nights out needn't cost the earth.

Local info

Transport from Berlin Brandenburg International Airport to central Berlin is fast and cheap. Take the train, S-bahn (city line), bus or taxi. Catch trains from the airport railway station beneath terminals 1 and 2 or, if landing at terminal 5, regional trains and s-bahn trains go from the nearby terminal 5 station. 

Airport Express and regional trains are fastest into the city. City/suburban lines S9 and S45 (also go from terminal 5) both stop at Ostkreuz, from where there are trains and buses to many other parts of the city and surrounding regions. Please note that there is a separate station near the airport Terminal 5, and only regional trains and S-Bahn trains stop here (no airport express train). Those landing at Terminal 5 should walk to Terminal 5 train station and catch regional trains or s-bahn into the city. Tickets to the city cost from 3,80 Euro.

Buses also leave from the terminals with a journey time from around 30 minutes and ticket prices starting from 2.70 Euros. Take bus number X7 or 171 to Rudow and change for the underground there if heading to the southern districts. 

The underground network in Berlin is a quick and convenient way to travel between attractions but be sure to validate your tickets at the machines around the stations before you travel, or you could have to pay a fine. Once your ticket is validated, check how long you can use it for, as tickets do expire after a couple of hours. It's worth investing in a Berlin Welcome Card, which includes a travelcard valid on all public transport as well as offering 50% off the entrance fee for many popular attractions.

Airport Berlin Brandenburg BER

The new airport Berlin Brandenburg was officially opened on 31st October 2020. The airport uses the IATA-Code BER, which prior to the new airport's completion was used to designate all Berlin airports (most recently these included Tegel and Schönefeld).

Germany‘s capital, Berlin, now only has one international airport to be used for all flights operating in the region of Berlin and Brandenburg.
Due to its location in central Europe, all important European destinations as well as the large airports in eastern Europe are within easy reach of Berlin Brandenburg Airport. There are plans to expand further to also include lucrative intercontinental routes.

Berlin Brandenburg is expected to become Germany's third largest airport after Frankfurt and Munich, as well as being an important hub for German and international airlines.

Berlin Brandenburg International Airport is the most modern airport on the European continent, it carries the name of Willy Brandt, the former Chancellor of the German Federal Republic and also former mayor of Berlin.

Flughafen Tegel (TXL) in the northwest of the capital has been replaced by the new airport and, after its closure on 7.11.2010, will only be used to operate any flights if the need occurs for 6 months after this date. After this, housing projects as well as other developments will be constructed on the airport grounds.

The former airport Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF) is now integrated into Berlin Brandenburg airport and will from now on be Terminal 5.

• URL: Official website
• Parking: Parking for 10,000 vehicles is available. At Terminals 1 and 2, these are divided into five modern multi-storey parking lots and three ground-level parking areas. At Terminal 5, one paking lot and three outdoor areas. Free short-term parking spaces for pick-ups and drop-offs are available at both Terminal 1/2 and Terminal 5.
• Nearby cities: Berlin (0 km), Potsdam (26 km)
• Directions by car: Airport road off the A113 highway or the B-96a (both with airport exits).
• Stations: The airport train station under the terminal is served by the Airport-Express and the RE-7, RE-9, RB-14, RB-22 as well as the urban train lines S-Bahn S-9 und S-45.

Location

Berlin Brandenburg Airport is located about 20 km from the center of Berlin in Schönefeld/Brandenburg, southeast of the city of Berlin.

The airport is easy to reach by car using the airport exit on the A113 highway as well as being connected to the B96.

Passengers arriving by train also have a direct connection to the airport. The stations "Terminal 1-2" and "Terminal 5" are located under the new building and connected to the Airport Express FEX, regional trains RE7, RB14 and RB22, and S-Bahn (city trains) S9 and S45. There are also a number of express and other local bus services operated by the local public transport provider, BVG.

Passengers with longer stopovers at the airport will find a number of hotels and pensions on the airport grounds – one of these is the newly constructed Steigenberger Hotel in the Airport City, close to the airport terminal.