Schonefeld Airport-change to zone C and other Berlin, Germany Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: From the 1st of April Schonefeld Airport has been changed to zone C for public transport, so make sure you have the correct ticket.
If you are not very good with the ticket machines there is a shop in airport which sells tickets. As you exit the custom hall in terminal A, into the main concourse, turn left, the shop is newsagents which has a BVG sign outside. If you decide to catch the Airport Express into town, remember this is an ordinary service and not a special train. There is a real time notice board of the train services in the covered walkway on the route to the station.

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Website: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Start
Other Contact: http://www.berlin-airport.de/EN/

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: I thought the public transport system in Berlin was going to be complicated but its simple compared to London. I found the ticket machine at Schoenefeld Airport and after few goes managed to get the choice of ticket I required. Most visitors only require a ticket for zones A & B but if you want to visit some of the sights out of town such as Potsdam you will need zone C as well. The machines I used only took notes up to 20 euros. Having obtained the required ticket you need to validate it when you first use it. On the buses you enter via the front door and show the ticket to the driver, this is not required for the trams where the driver is locked in the cab. In 2 weeks I saw the ticket inspectors strike 4 times. They are not just men in their 20’s who look the business, who are inspectors, I also saw a groups of men and women in their 50’s & 20’s checking tickets, so be warned they accept no excuses. At the smaller S Bahn Stations you can have trains on different routes on the same lines and the indicators boards do not always work. At the larger stations you may have to check for the correct platform. The underground is easier and with a more frequent service but sometimes the train does not go to the end of the line, so always check. As the different underground lines tend to run in different tunnels you sometimes have to walk some distance when changing trains. On the upside is an easy system once you get use to it, with a fast frequent service and in 2 weeks I can say it never felt like you were packed in like a sardine, seats being available more often than not.

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Website: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Start

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: I first spotted the Berlin Hi-Flyer from the roof of the Reichstag and thought it similar to the tethered balloon I had seen in Budapest. I later saw it more close up when I went to Wilhelmstrasse but it was not flying on that day because of weather conditions. This is one of the largest helium balloons in the world that carrys you in a gondola 150 metres above the ground giving uninterrupted views of the city. It can carry up to 30 people at a time and the normal adult fare is 19 euros though there are reduced tickets.
The Balloon is sited at the corner Wilhelmstraße and Zimmerstraße.

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Phone: +49 (0)30 22 66 788-11
Website: http://www.air-service-berlin.de/index.php5?page=190-11-0-1-1-2-3&lang=2

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: If you fancy something different and feel lazy you should try one of the numerous boat trips that ply the rivers and lakes around Berlin. Most sell food & drink onboard whilst you look at the city from a different angle. It’s a great opportunity to take photos and a commetary may be provide though probably only in German.

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Website: http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/sightseeing/e_si_stadterkundungen_schiff.php

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: I had heard about the new Hauptbahnhof and decided to break my journey and give the station a visit. First some statistics, it is the largest crossing and two level station in Europe. The glass platform roof is 400 metres long and contains 11,800 glass panes each weighing 100kgs each. The station has 14 platforms on 2 different levels with some 1,100 passing through each day. Unfortunately the station will not be connected to the rest of the U-Bahn system. My first impression of this huge station is, its so clean, sterile and being so huge easy to get lost. Its more like being in a shopping mall with its numerous shops and restaurants than a railway station, As I stood on the platform waiting for my S-Bahn train a ICE train pulled into the station. On the next platform was a train going to Russia, the carriages looked about 50 years old, I’m not sure if it was surpose to look like the Orient Express or it was just old carriages.

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Website: http://www.hbf-berlin.de/site/berlin__hauptbahnhof/en/start.html

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: During my travels around Berlin I have made extensive use of the excellent public transport system. Because of where I have stayed I have used the U2 line the most. It is a fascinating line with main line stations like Alexanderplatz that connects to the whole system though the station is spread out with lots of stairs. Potsdamerplatz with its modern buildings and again it connects to various parts of the system. Some of stations are modern with good facilities and other can best be described as tired. Two unusual stations are at Mohrenstrasse the walls are lined with facing stone taken from Hitler’s Reich Chancellery when it was destroyed. At Klosterstrasse the station has walls lined with tiles that depict the history of Berlin’s Transport system and includes an old tram at one end of the station.

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