Public transport (BVG) in Berlin and other Berlin, Germany Transportation Tips

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: * U-bahn
The easiest and quickest way to get around Berlin: this is the Berlin underground.
As opposed to, for instance, London, changing stations in Berlin is not a hiking tour. Only a few make you walk a bit; still much shorter than the underground walks in London.

* S-bahn
I didn't have much time to try to understand the schedule of the train system. I popped in and out one or two trains which left for stations I had to be anyway.

* Trams
A nice way to see Berlin, as the trains are, but slower.

* Bus
There're quite a few buses driving around in Berlin. All with stops not too far from eachother. Bus 100 is recommended (especially for your first day in Berlin): getting to know Berlin, from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz. It's often a double bus.

All travel systems use the same ticketing. (see next transportation tip)

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: At every U- and S-Bahn station, and at the bigger busstops, you can find yellow ticket machines at which you buy your ticket.

I think all is in German, but I'm not sure as I didn't search for an English version.

There're several kind of tickets. For the average tourist, it's best to take a "Tageskarte" (day ticket): 5,60 euro. This ticket is for zones A and B, which is Berlin's city centre. The ticket is valid until 3am next morning.

There's also "Kurzstrecke" which is for three stations only, and "Einzelfahrausweis" with which you can travel within zones A and B for two hours.

The stations in Berlin have a, opposed to for instance London or New York, free entrance, meaning no gates in which you need to put your ticket in order to get through the gate.
Berlin uses the same system as we Dutch do: relying on the trustworthy of the travellers and check in the trains on people without a ticket.

During my four day stay in Berlin, I haven't seen a ticket check once. Still, there's a fine of 40 euro extra if you get caught.

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Website: http://www.bvg.de

'Mode': TO
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: ... the city of Berlin, from Tegel Airport

Tegel Airport has about six bus stops, all located directly as you leave the airport.

The bus I took, was bus 109, which takes you from Tegel, via SchloB Charlottenburg to Adenauerplatz (my stop) and further via Kurfustendamm to Zoologisch Garten.
The ride from Tegel to Adenauerplatz was about 20 minutes. I guess to Zoologischer Garten it will be more or less 30 or 35 minutes, depending on day and time.

Tegel is in zone B, so you can use your day ticket (tageskarte) or a "Einzelfahrausweis", which you can use for zones A and B, two hours, back and forth.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: This bus takes you from Zoologischer Garten (the zoo - train/bus/U-bahn stations) to Alexanderplatz in former DDR (or the other way round ofcourse), via GroBer Stern (Siegessaule) Reichstag/Bundestag and Unter den Linden.

It's often a double bus, as they have in London, with a nice view over this part of the city of Berlin.

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