Getting around Berlin
It’s no exaggeration to say that Berlin has an excellent public transport network. The S-Bahn and U-Bahn (the two forms of metro), together with trams and buses, reach each point of the city. As Berlin stretches out over a large area, you’ll for sure have to rely on the system. Thanks to the huge networks of S-Bahn and U-Bahn, all directions in the centre are perfectly connected to any other place where you possibly would like to go. Even if you have to get out of the centre, there are plenty connections, although buses might run less frequently than within the main areas. Part of the network has been modernised for the World Cup of 2008, as has the main train station. It is important to know that the area of greater Berlin has been divided in three areas: A (the centre), B (the first ring), and C (the second ring). You’ll have to buy a ticket, according to your departure and arrival point. Prices between the tickets AB, BC and ABC differ.
U-Bahn and S-Bahn in Berlin
These stand for Unterbahn (Undergroud) and Stadtschnellbahn respectively. The network is dense and metros run very often. Don’t be surprised to see students (or homeless people) drinking beer on the metro, as it’s very common to bring some on your way to a party. As a ride from one side of the city to another can take a while, there will be time enough to finish it.
Walking and biking in Berlin
Within the very centre, there are some places where you take lovely walks. What about a stroll along the river Spree or a walk on Unter den Linden? In both areas, many attractions are not too far from each other. When you prefer to join the Berliners and go by bike, make use of the public bike rental system: take a bike in one of the stations and drop it off at your destination. Of course, you also can hire a bike at a private rental for a couple of days or take part in guided tour.
From the airport to the city centre of Berlin
Berlin has two airports: Tegel (TXL) and Schönefeld. Tegel is located closer to the city, but is less easily connected. To get to Tegel, take the U-Bahn to Kurt-Schumacher-Platz (U6) or Jakob-Kaiser-Platz (U7). From there, bus lines 109 and 128 serve the route to the airport. This will take around 30/45 minutes and a regular AB public transport ticket. For a quicker connection, you can take the direct bus from JetExpressBus TXL to the main station or Expressbus X9 to the station Zoo, which only stops at the principal stops. Of course you also might consider a cab. In case you arrive to Schönefeld, its probably the best to take a metro, as both the metro lines S45 and S9 are covered by the metro stop at a couple of hundred of meters of the airport. Be aware here that you’ll have to get a ticket that covers zone C. There are also several buses leaving directly from the terminal or from the S-Bahn station. Moreover, there is an express bus leaving from the Südkreuz station.