berlin

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Left S-Bahn Centre At a bus stop Right Exploring Berlin by Velotaxi
Getting Around Berlin
U-Bahn
The Berlin U-Bahn, or
underground railway, has
one of the largest networks
in Europe, providing
the fastest and most
convenient means of
getting around the city.
There are ten U-Bahn lines
each sporting their own
colour. The U-Bahn runs
from 5am to 1am; at
weekends lines U1 and
U9 run throughout the
night. The station
indicated on the platform
is the final destination of
the train. d BVG customer
service (030) 194 49
S-Bahn
The S-Bahn or Stadtbahn
(city railway) has
15 lines, connecting the
centre with the suburbs,
They run at 5- to 10minute
intervals. Many
lines share tracks so you
will need to pay attention
to indicator boards.
d Information S-Bahn • Bhf.
Alexanderplatz • 7am–9pm
Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm Sat,
Sun • (030) 29 74 33 33
Buses
Berlin has a dense
network of bus routes.
The famous yellow
double-decker buses
operate mostly in the
centre. Bus lines have
three-digit numbers,
except for express services,
which have twodigits
or a preceding “X”.
After midnight, many
routes provide night services.
When boarding the
bus, you may use the
back door (which opens
when a button is pushed)
until 8pm. Afterwards
you may board the bus
only at the front, and you
will have to present your
ticket to the driver.
d BVG customer service
(030) 194 49
Tickets
Tickets for U- and S-
Bahn trains and for buses
in Berlin are available at
all stations and bus stops
as well as from bus
drivers. Berlin is divided
into three zones: A, B
and C. The best value for
money is a day ticket at
€6.10, which is valid until
3am the following day and
covers all three zones. A
single journey, costing
€2.10, is valid for unlimited
travel for two hours.
A “Kurzstrecke” (short
distance) counts as up to
three U- or S-Bahn
stations or six bus stops,
and costs €1.20. Children
under 14 years pay a
reduced rate; those under
six travel free. You have
to stamp your ticket in a
red machine in the station
or on the bus before
starting the journey.
d BVG customer service
(030) 194 49
Trams
Trams – operating
only in the eastern part
of the city – are part of
the same network (BVG).
Taxis
There are taxi stands
all over Berlin. It is not
always easy to hail a passing
taxi. The basic
Public transport information: www.vbbonline.de
starting price is €2.50, and
a further €1.02 is charged
per km (2/3 of a mile). A
short-distance tariff also
exists: if you hail a taxi in
the street, you can travel
for up to 2 km (1 mile) for
€3. d Taxi: (030) 26 10 26,
(030) 55 12, (030) 21 01 01.
Car Hire
You can hire a car from
any of the large operators
on production of a valid
driving licence, passport
and credit card; some only
accept customers aged 21
years or over. There are car
hire places at all airports
and in central Berlin.
d Avis: (06171) 68 18 00;
Europcar: (0180) 580 00;
Hertz: (01805) 33 35 35;
Sixt: (030) 212 98 80
Velotaxis
An unusual way to
explore Berlin is by velotaxi
– a bicycle rickshaw.
These can be found in the
city centre (from April to
October only).
Bicycle Hire
There are several bike
hire places in town.
d Bicycle station Bhf. Friedrichstr.
• Map K4 • 8am–8pm
Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm Sat, Sun
• (030) 20 45 45 00
Berlin on Foot
It can be rewarding
but exhausting to explore
Berlin on foot. You should,
however, make sure you
stroll along Ku’damm and
Unter den Linden. Take
particular care when
crossing the cycle paths,
which are marked in red.