Berlin / The verdict
Berlin airport to the city: which way?
Take the FEX Airport Express: EUR 5 gets you to Potsdamer Platz in about 19 minutes and Hauptbahnhof in about 23, every 15 minutes from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. If you are staying around Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße or Kreuzberg, take the direct S9 instead.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Berlin story
Berlin is a big, scruffy, endlessly layered city: imperial boulevards and Museum Island in Mitte, the Wall's scars and Cold War relics in between, and neighbourhoods like Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg that feel like separate towns. It does not do storybook pretty; what it offers instead is depth, space and a creative energy most capitals lost years ago.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: FEX Airport Express train (runner-up: S-Bahn S9)
Take the FEX Airport Express: EUR 5 gets you to Potsdamer Platz in about 19 minutes and Hauptbahnhof in about 23, every 15 minutes from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. If you are staying around Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße or Kreuzberg, take the direct S9 instead.
Go if
- You land during normal hours and want the fastest ride to Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz or the west center
- You are staying near Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Museum Island or Kreuzberg, where the S9 runs direct
- You want one EUR 5 ticket that covers the train, the S-Bahn and any onward U-Bahn or bus connection
Skip if
- You land after the FEX stops around 1 a.m., when a taxi from the airport is the simpler call
- You are three to five people with heavy bags, where a roughly EUR 58 metered taxi or pre-booked car splits well
- You are staying near a U7 stop south of the center such as Rudow or Neukölln, where the X7 express bus is the better fit
The options
FEX Airport Express train Go
Most arrivals; the fastest rail link to Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz and the west center, and to onward long-distance trains.
Good
- About 14 minutes to Südkreuz, 19 to Potsdamer Platz and 23 to Hauptbahnhof.
- Every 15 minutes from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m.; until December 2026 the FEX and RE20 share that four-trains-an-hour pattern.
- The same EUR 5 VBB ABC ticket covers the ride plus onward U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus transfers for 120 minutes.
Watch out
- It stops only at Südkreuz, Potsdamer Platz and Hauptbahnhof, so Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstraße stays need a change.
- Every 15 minutes still means up to a 15-minute wait when you just miss a train.
- Fares are checked: one traveler had his ticket checked on the regional train in, and the penalty is EUR 60.
S-Bahn S9 Go
Stays around Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Museum Island, Friedrichshain or anywhere on the east west S-Bahn spine, including Spandau.
Good
- Runs direct to Treptower Park, Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße and Hauptbahnhof with no change.
- Same EUR 5 ABC ticket, with departures every 20 minutes.
- It continues west to Zoologischer Garten, Charlottenburg and Spandau.
Watch out
- It stops at many more stations, so it is much slower than the FEX to Hauptbahnhof.
- Every 20 minutes is the thinnest frequency of the airport rail options.
Taxi or pre-booked transfer It depends
Groups of three to five, travelers with heavy luggage, late arrivals, and anyone staying far from a rail station.
Good
- Door to door with no changes and no luggage on stairs.
- Berlin.de estimates about EUR 58 from Alexanderplatz and EUR 63 from the Ku'damm area, plus a EUR 1.50 surcharge on journeys from BER.
- Berlin sets taxi tariffs officially, so every metered cab charges the same rates day and night.
Watch out
- More than ten times the train fare for a solo traveler.
- Metered means the price floats with traffic.
- Berlin.de notes drivers need not accept every card, and a Berlin resident reports airport taxis taking longer routes and charging extra for suitcases.
Berlin taxi tariffs (Berlin.de)Check fixed-price transferspartner site
Express bus X7 or X71 plus U-Bahn Skip
Travelers staying along the U7 south of the center, such as Rudow or Neukölln; most city stays should take a train instead.
Good
- Covered by the same EUR 5 ticket, so it is no more expensive than the trains.
- The X7 leaves every 5 to 10 minutes for U-Bahn Rudow.
- The X71 adds a second airport bus every 20 minutes via Rudow to U Alt-Mariendorf.
Watch out
- For the center it adds a change at Rudow to the U7.
- Luggage goes down to the U-Bahn and through a change instead of riding one train in.
- It ends at U-Bahn Rudow on the city's southern edge.
| Criterion | FEX Airport Express train | S-Bahn S9 | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | Express bus X7 or X71 plus U-Bahn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official price | EUR 5 (VBB ABC single) | EUR 5 (same ticket) | About EUR 58 to Alexanderplatz on the meter | EUR 5 (same ticket) |
| Time to the center | About 19 to 23 min | Slower, with many stops | Depends on traffic | Change at U Rudow |
| Where it lands | Südkreuz, Potsdamer Platz, Hauptbahnhof | Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Zoo, Spandau | Your hotel door | U-Bahn Rudow, then U7 stations |
| Frequency | Every 15 min with the RE20, about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. | Every 20 min | On request | X7 every 5 to 10 min |
| Changes for Mitte | None for Hauptbahnhof, one for Alexanderplatz | None on the east west spine | None | One at U Rudow |
| What to watch | Fares are checked; EUR 60 penalty | Slower to Hauptbahnhof | Metered fare; carry some cash | Change at Rudow for the center |
What it costs
- VBB single ticket, fare zone ABC (airport to city): €5 (required for BER because the airport sits in zone C; valid 120 minutes in one direction with changes; reduced fare EUR 3.50). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- VBB single ticket, fare zone AB: €4 (not valid to or from BER; useful once you are inside the city). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- 24-hour ticket, zone ABC: €12.90 (covers the airport ride plus a full day of city transport; reduced fare EUR 8). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- 24-hour ticket, zone AB: €11.20 (for days spent inside the city after the airport trip). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi BER to Alexanderplatz, meter estimate: €58 (about EUR 63 to the Ku'damm and Zoo area, plus a EUR 1.50 surcharge on journeys from BER; EUR 6 per person surcharge in large taxis for groups of five or more). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Riding without a valid ticket, VBB penalty fare: €60 (validate paper tickets before boarding). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 5 traveler reports (Mar 2025 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- A forum regular recommends the train to Hauptbahnhof as a direct, convenient route even for evening arrivals, with a short taxi from there.
- A Berlin resident calls public transport by far the cheapest way to the airport and the city railways the most reliable.
- A video walkthrough shows the ticket machines and platform signs at the airport station step by step.
What people complain about
- A first-time arrival found no train signs after leaving arrivals and had to ask information staff twice to find the station.
- A video walkthrough of the route calls the airport confusing for first-time visitors.
- A Berlin resident reports airport taxis taking longer routes and charging extra for suitcases, and touts in the terminal who overcharge heavily.
- Forum members note Berlin taxis run on the meter with no set airport fare.
- One visitor had his fare checked on the airport train and found the upper deck of the regional train was first class.
How to do it right
- Decide by destination first: Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz and the west center point to the FEX; Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße and Friedrichshain point to the S9.
- Follow the signs to the airport station on level U2 under Terminal 1; from Terminal 2, go via arrivals level E0 and follow the signs.
- Buy a EUR 5 ABC ticket at the station machines or in the BVG or VBB app; the airport is in zone C, so an AB ticket is not valid.
- Validate paper tickets before boarding; the penalty fare is EUR 60, and one traveler had his ticket checked on the airport train.
- For the S9, board toward Spandau; for the FEX, board toward Hauptbahnhof; both leave from the airport station under Terminal 1.
- The FEX runs from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m.; outside those hours check the VBB journey planner for night service, or take a taxi.
The trap to avoid
Buying an AB ticket for the airport run. The center of Berlin is AB, but BER sits in zone C, and the EUR 4 AB ticket does not cover the trip. Fares are checked on the airport trains and the penalty is EUR 60; the ABC single is EUR 5. The same wrong-zone mistake happens with the Berlin WelcomeCard, whose AB version cannot be extended to the airport with a connection ticket.
Why this verdict
The rail answer is split in two, and both halves are strong. The FEX Airport Express runs from the station under Terminal 1 to Südkreuz in about 14 minutes, Potsdamer Platz in about 19 and Hauptbahnhof in about 23, every 15 minutes from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. For anyone heading to the west center or catching a long-distance train it is the default, and a forum regular suggests it even for evening arrivals: ride to Hauptbahnhof, then take a short taxi.
The S9 is the other half. It is slower and runs every 20 minutes, but it goes direct to Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof and on to Zoo and Spandau. For stays on that east west spine, skipping a change is worth more than the saved minutes. Both cost the same EUR 5 on a VBB ABC ticket.
The main friction travelers describe is finding the train. One first-time arrival found no train signs after leaving arrivals and had to ask information staff twice, and a video walkthrough of the route calls the airport confusing for first-timers. Follow the signs to level U2 under Terminal 1. Fares are checked: one visitor had his ticket checked on the regional train in, and the penalty is EUR 60.
The taxi is a depends on group size and hour. Berlin’s official example fares are about EUR 58 to Alexanderplatz and EUR 63 to the Ku’damm, plus a EUR 1.50 surcharge on journeys from BER, at the city’s fixed tariff. For three to five people that can rival four train tickets, and it is the fallback once the FEX stops around 1 a.m. A Berlin resident warns of airport taxis taking longer routes and of touts in the terminal who overcharge, so use the official rank.
The express buses are the skip for city stays. The X7 runs every 5 to 10 minutes but ends at U-Bahn Rudow, so reaching Mitte means a change to the U7. It wins only for stays along that line south of the center.
Timing and tickets
Buy the ABC ticket, not AB: the airport sits in zone C and an AB ticket is invalid on the airport run. Validate paper tickets before boarding. If you will ride transit all day, the EUR 12.90 ABC 24-hour ticket beats two singles plus a day of city rides; if you are picking up a Berlin WelcomeCard, only the ABC version covers the airport.
Book or check times
Getting to and from BER (official airport page)FEX line page (VBB)S-Bahn Berlin tickets and pricesBerlin taxi tariffs (Berlin.de)
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Questions
What is the fastest way from BER to the city center?
The FEX Airport Express: about 14 minutes to Südkreuz, 19 to Potsdamer Platz and 23 to Hauptbahnhof, every 15 minutes from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. Until December 2026 it shares that four-trains-an-hour pattern with the RE20.
Which ticket do I need for the airport train?
A VBB ABC ticket at EUR 5. The airport is in zone C, so the EUR 4 AB ticket is not valid. The ticket covers FEX, S9, regional trains and onward U-Bahn, bus and tram changes for 120 minutes in one direction.
Is there transport late at night?
The FEX runs from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. Outside those hours, check the VBB journey planner for S-Bahn and night bus connections, or take a taxi, which in Berlin charges the same official tariff around the clock.
How much is a taxi from BER to the center?
Berlin.de estimates about EUR 58 to Alexanderplatz and EUR 63 to the Ku'damm and Zoo area, plus a EUR 1.50 surcharge on journeys from BER. All Berlin taxis use the same official tariff; groups of five or more pay EUR 6 per person in a large-capacity taxi, and drivers need not accept every card, so carry some cash.
Should I take the S9 or the FEX?
Match it to your stay. The S9 runs direct to Treptower Park, Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof and onward to Zoo and Spandau every 20 minutes. The FEX is much faster but stops only at Südkreuz, Potsdamer Platz and Hauptbahnhof.
Do I need to validate my ticket?
Yes, paper tickets must be stamped in the small validators before boarding; app tickets are validated on purchase. Riding unstamped counts as riding without a ticket and the penalty fare is EUR 60.
Pack for it
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