Trains generally provide the easiest, fastest, and cheapest public transportation to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) but for some travelers buses and the U-Bahn trains are also useful.
Getting to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt Flughafen (BER) is usually easiest on the Airport Express and other trains. However, occasionally buses and the U-Bahn train are also attractive, especially when traveling to the southern and western suburbs of Berlin including Rudow, Alt Mariendorf, Steglitz, and stops on the U-Bahn line U7 such as Neukölln, Hermannplatz, and even Spandau.
The cost for buses and trains to the airport is the same – usually, an ABC ticket is required (€3.80) or a BC ticket (€3.50) if staying to the south of the center of Berlin. Only express bus BER1 has its own fare structure.
Most buses stop at both BER Terminal 1-2 and BER Terminal 5. Only get off at Terminal 5 (the old Schönefeld SXF) if that really is the correct terminal — the departure gates here are K, L, M, and Q — all others are at Terminal 1-2.
Long-distance buses, such as Flixbus, provide cheap transportation from Berlin Airport to many destinations in Germany and Poland but not to downtown Berlin itself.
By U-Bahn Train U7 to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Plans to connect Berlin’s new airport with the U-Bahn metro train network were dropped for financial reasons. However, U-Bahn station Rudow on line U7 is a mere 12-minute bus ride from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and a very good option for many travelers.
From Berlin Brandenburg Airport, buses X7 and X71 provide a connection to U Rudow every five minutes during most of the day. The bus ride is only around 12 minutes (7 minutes from Terminal 5) with U-Bahn trains departing every five minutes as well. (Use bus N7 at night – twice per hour.)
U-Bahn line U7 cuts several wide s-cures through Berlin on its way from the south to Spandau at the northwest of the city. Traveling all the way from Berlin airport to Spandau by bus and U7 takes 1h15, only 15 minutes more than the less frequent direct trains.
For many other stops the traveling will be significantly faster using U7. Major stops on U-Bahn U7 line with important transportation connections include amongst others (minutes from Radow) Johannisthaler Chaussee (6), Neukölln (13), Hermannplatz (18), Mehringdamm (23), Yorckstraße (26), Kleistpark (28), Bayerischer Platz (30), Fehrbelliner Platz (34), Adenaurplatz (37), Wilmersdorfer Str (38), Jungfernheide (44), Jakob-Kaiser-Platz (45), and Rathaus Spandau (57).
U-Bahn line U7 operates from around 4 am to midnight and longer hours on weekends.
Express Bus Airport Shuttle BER1 from Steglitz
The Airport Shuttle BER1 provides an hourly service between Steglitz Rathaus and Berlin Airport Terminal 1-2. Although convenient as a direct service, it is pricy at €11.30 (or BC ticket plus €8 surcharge) for the around 45-minute journey. Regular trains do not take much longer but require at least one transfer. Buy tickets directly from the driver.
Taking Bus X71 to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Bus X71 is a new service that should provide a useful service to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport for travelers from Alt Mariendorf, Johannisthaler Chaussee, and Rudow.
Several further buses will be available from Berlin Brandenburg Airport but these are only of interest to local travelers. Long-distance and intercity buses, Flixbus, provide cheap transportation directly from the airport to many destinations in Germany and Poland.
For most travelers, and especially foreign tourists, the Airport Express and regional trains to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and the city center provide the easiest transportation from Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
Transportation to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Public transportation from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Berlin generally requires an ABC ticket — €3.80 in 2022. Many further deals and passes are available to travelers.
- Public Transportation Options to Berlin Airport
- By Train to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (Airport Express / S-Bahn)
- By Bus and U-Bahn Trains to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Public Transportation to Berlin Airport BER Terminal 5 (previously Schönefeld SXF)
- By Train or Bus from Potsdam to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Prebook Berlin Airport Private Shuttle Transportation at Suntransfers
- Check train schedules at German Railways / Deutsche Bahn or BVG