Berlin airport transfers

Put your energy into finding the coolest new bar in Berlin, rather than how to get from A to B, when you pre-book an airport transfer.

There’s so much going on in Germany’s capital that you won’t want to spend a second longer in the city’s airports than necessary. Whether you opt for a shuttle, a minibus, a private car or, even, a limousine, an airport transfer will be waiting for you on arrival, ready to take you to your accommodation.

Berlin currently has two airports, Schönefeld Airport (SXF) and Tegel Airport (TXL). Schönefeld Airport is south east of Berlin, around a 40-minute drive away via the A113, while Tegel Airport is north-west of the city, around a 35-minute drive away.

There’s a railway station in Schönefeld Airport with regional and S-Bhan trains running to Berlin’s centre. You can also get buses to Berlin and the surrounding area. While airport transfers are likely to be more expensive than public transport, think about your journey in advance and consider whether the speed and ease of being picked up then dropped at your door is worth a bit extra. If you’re with the kids and can’t travel light, or if you know you end up falling out with your other half over map reading, the ease of airport transfers is hard to beat.

If price is your priority, you may be considering hopping on a public bus or, to speed the journey up from Tegel, a bus then the S-Bhan. But why not keep things simple and consider a cheap shuttle service direct to your door, which you will share with other travellers? A speedy shuttle service, with a maximum of four stops, is another option if you’re time pressured.

If ease is what you’re after, consider booking a private transfer – a car if you’re in a couple or a minibus for a larger group, where the more passengers you travel with, the cheaper the price per head is likely to be.

Private transfers will allow you to budget and pay for your ride before you’ve even left your house, eliminating the hassle of haggling with a taxi driver and queuing up when you come out of the airport.

To get the best deal for you, use a service such as TravelSupermarket’s airport transfer comparison tool so you can see all of the options and what they cost side-by-side. Then sit back and look forward to your exciting city break.

• Currency: Euro (€)
  
  
• Language: German
  
  
• Key phrase to learn:  Wo ist die nächste U-Bahnhof? (Where is the nearest U-Bahn station?)
  
  
• Time difference: Berlin is one hour ahead of London
  
  
• Average flight time: Two hours
  
  
• International phone code: 49
  
  
• Pan-European emergency services number: 112
  
  
• Public holidays:  New Year’s Day (January 1), Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday), Easter Monday (Monday after Easter), Labour Day (May 1), Ascension Day (40 days after Easter), Pentecost Monday (50 days after Easter), German Unity Day (October 3), Christmas Day (December 25).
  
  
• Link to FCO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany