Getting to downtown Berlin from Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt (BER) is easiest by Airport Express train (FEX). S-Bahn trains are useful for East Berlin, while U-Bahn U7 plus bus X7 work well for Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and West Berlin. Direct trains go to Potsdam. All downtown public transportation options use the same cheap ABC ticket.
Taxis and private airport transfers are convenient when traveling with luggage or late at night.
Public Transportation at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Berlin Brandenburg International Willy Brandt Airport (BER) replaced Berlin Tegel (TXL) and Berlin Schönefeld (SXF) airports as the only airport serving the capital of Germany. All flights depart and arrive at Berlin Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 — Terminal 5 is permanently closed.
All public transportation options at Berlin Airport stop only at Terminal 1. It is a 5-minute, mostly covered walk to Terminal 2.
The official name of the train station in the basement of Berlin Airport is Flughafen BER.
Berlin Airport Transportation: Quick Guide
All downtown Berlin ↔ Berlin Airport public transportation options cost the same — a standard ABC ticket. Select whatever service is best for your destination:
- Airport Express Trains (FEX): fastest to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz & Südkreuz. Trains every 15 minutes.
- S-Bahn: best to East Berlin, slower but direct to Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt & Friedrichstraße. S-Bahn S9 runs every 20 minutes.
- U-Bahn: easy access to Berlin’s extensive metro network, but requires a short bus ride (X7) between Berlin Airport and Rudow U7. Very high frequency (every 5 to 10 minutes). Also works late at night.
Start your transfer from Berlin Airport to central Berlin only by FEX, S9, or bus X7, unless you have a very good reason not to. Any other train may add unnecessary complications.
→ Plan journeys at BVG — avoid multi-transfer suggestions whenever possible!
A private transfer directly to your destination is comfortable, especially late at night and when traveling with luggage, but it will never be cheaper than the train.
The Berlin Welcome Card is a good tourist option that includes transportation and discounts to major sights.
Berlin public transportation ticket prices in 2026: €4 for AB and €5 for ABC tickets.
Trains at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER)
Trains are the best transportation option for most passengers traveling from Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER). The frequent Flughafen Express Trains (FEX) are the fastest to downtown and most parts of Berlin. The direct S-Bahn trains are a good choice for destinations in eastern Berlin. The U-Bahn requires an easy bus transfer, but it is very frequent.
Intercity trains are not a good option to Berlin, as ABC tickets are not valid, but very handy to destinations such as Rostock and Dresden.
Airport Express Trains (FEX) at Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg (BER)
In 2026, the new routing of the Berlin Airport Express trains (FEX) is usually the fastest and best option for traveling from the Airport to downtown.
The Flughafen Express (FEX) trains connect the airport and Berlin Hauptbahnhof central station four times per hour in 23 minutes. En route, the FEX trains stop only at Potsdamer Platz and Südkreuz. All three stations have excellent transfer connections to other parts of Berlin.
- See Fast Airport Express Trains (FEX) from Berlin-Brandenburg Flughafen (BER) for more information on the routes, stations, and transfers.
S-Bahn Trains to Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg (BER)
Two S-Bahn trains from Berlin Brandenburg International Airport provide easy access to the eastern suburbs of Berlin, which are not directly served by the Airport Express trains. Both S-Bahn trains depart from the airport every 20 minutes:
- S9 trains run from Berlin Airport via Ostkreuz to Spandau. S9 trains run right through central Berlin and stop at the traditional Stadtbahn stations. To Alexanderplatz, the direct S9 may be a better choice than the faster FEX that requires a transfer.
- S85 trains run from Berlin Airport on the old East Berlin train route to the northeast of Berlin. It may be a good option to Prenzlauer Berg and Schönhauser Allee.
- See S-Bahn Trains at Berlin Airport for more details.
The S-Bahn trains stop at both Flughafen BER (Terminal 1-2) and S Schönefeld station (previously SXF and Flughafen BER Terminal 5, which is now permanently closed). Should you use the wrong stop, simply take the next train; the fare is covered by an ABC ticket.
U-Bahn Trains from Berlin Airport
The closest U-Bahn (metro) station to Berlin airport is Rudow on line U7. A simple bus connection is available between Flughafen BER and Rudow U-Bahn train station.
Buses X7 and X71 (N7 at night) provide a 10-minute ride between Berlin Brandenburg Airport and Rudow to bring passengers to the Berlin metro system. During most of the day, buses and U-Bahn trains operate every five minutes. U7 provides a useful service to many travelers and is worth considering if the final destination is close to a U-Bahn station rather than one of the main S-Bahn stations.
- See also Travel by Bus and U-Bahn from Berlin Airport for a more detailed description. To many parts of Berlin, the U-Bahn is a better option than it may appear at first.
High-Speed Deutsche Bahn Trains to Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER)
The number of long-distance ICE, ICE, and EC trains stopping at the airport remains dismally low. The direct intercity trains to Dresden and Rostock are convenient, but run only a few times per day.
IMPORTANT: In contrast to previous rules, regular Berlin ABC public transportation tickets are no longer valid for travel on IC trains between Flughafen BER and Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
Buses to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
A few bus services to Berlin Brandenburg Airport are worth noting as they provide useful services to parts of Berlin where using the trains will require detours and transfers.
Routes that are likely to be of use to some foreign travelers include:
- Bus X7 — airport to Rudow U-Bahn station in 10 minutes — every 5 to 10 minutes.
- Bus X71 – airport to Rudow U-Bahn station, Johannithaler Chaussee, and the U Alt-Mariendorf — three times per hour.
- Bus 164 to Köpenick (depart only from S Schönefeld).
- BER2 to Potsdam — (express bus surcharge!)
(Bus X7 and X71 no longer stop at Schoenefeld (bei Berlin) on the way to BER T1-2. Use the S-Bahn train between Schoenefeld S-Bahn station and Berlin Airport — walking is not an option.)
- See also By Bus and U-Bahn to Berlin Brandenburg Airport for a more detailed description of available bus services.
Travel to Potsdam from Berlin Airport
Travelers going to Potsdam with its lovely palaces, including Sans Souci from the time of Frederick the Great, can bypass traveling to downtown Berlin. Regional train RB22 goes directly from Flughafen BER to Potsdam. (The Airport Express (FEX) trains are a more frequent alternative but require transfers in Berlin.) The more expensive Airport Shuttle Express Bus BER2 also goes directly to Potsdam several times per day.
- See Transportation to Potsdam from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) for more details.
Transportation from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in 2026
All public transportation options from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to downtown Berlin require an ABC ticket — €5 in 2026. Many further deals and passes offer savings.
- The Airport Express (FEX) trains or S-Bahn S9 trains are the best option for most travelers.
- The U-Bahn train plus bus X7 is worth considering for destinations not close to an S-Bahn station.
- Use direct trains or buses to Potsdam (City) from Berlin Airport.
- 🚖 Check private transfer prices — direct and convenient when traveling late night or with luggage.
Note: Berlin Airport train routes and schedules changed drastically from mid-December 2025 — some guide still have outdated information.
[BER Terminal 5 (previously Schönefeld SXF) closed permanently — all airport transportation stop only at Terminal 1; short walk to Terminal 2.]
About New Berlin Brandenburg Airport BER
Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI / BER) was in planning (and construction) for many years. The airport is right on the border between the two German states, Berlin and Brandenburg, which explains the inclusion of the latter in the airport name.
Berlin Airport (BER) replaced both Tegel Airport (TXL) in West Berlin and Schönefeld Airport (SXF) in East Berlin. Tempelhof Airport (THF) in West Berlin closed already several years earlier.
The IATA code for Berlin Brandenburg International Airport is BER, previously used as the code for the whole Berlin area. Willy Brandt was added by the state governments to honor the former West Berlin mayor and West German chancellor. Like most other German airports that honor persons, the full name will probably be used very rarely in practice. (BBI was used in the planning phase until it became clear that the small airport Biju Patnaik in India has no intention of giving up its IATA code.)