Berlin BER to city centre: FEX, S-Bahn, taxi

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) lies in Schönefeld, just outside the city boundary, about 25 km by road south-east of Alexanderplatz. The station Flughafen BER is directly below Terminal 1, so you walk from arrivals to the platforms in a few minutes. The short answer: take the FEX Airport Express if your hotel is near the main station (Hauptbahnhof), Potsdamer Platz or Südkreuz. Take the S-Bahn S9 if you are staying around Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße or in the east of the city, and a taxi if you arrive late with small children or as a group.

Berlin BER to the city centre: the options

Times: FEX to the main station according to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, S9 to Alexanderplatz according to visitBerlin, the city's tourism organisation, taxi as pure driving time to Alexanderplatz based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic. On the motorway and in the city at rush hour, allow about a third more.

FEX Airport Express: the fastest way

The FEX (Flughafen-Express) runs from BER without stops in the suburbs to Berlin Südkreuz, Potsdamer Platz and the main station. According to the airport, it takes about 14 minutes to Südkreuz, 19 minutes to Potsdamer Platz and 23 minutes to the main station.

• Frequency: the airport and DB Regio state a train every 15 minutes. Until December 2026, the airport notes that the FEX and the hourly regional train RE20, which takes the same route, together provide four services an hour.
• Hours: according to the airport, from about 4:00 in the morning until about 1:00 at night.
• Platforms: the FEX leaves from the station below Terminal 1 (level U2). From Terminal 2, follow the signs from the arrivals level.

The main station is a good hub: from there the S-Bahn runs east to Friedrichstraße and Alexanderplatz and west to Zoologischer Garten, and the U5 goes to Museum Island and Unter den Linden.

S-Bahn S9 and S85: slower, but direct to the east and Mitte

The S9 runs from BER via Adlershof, Ostkreuz and Alexanderplatz to Friedrichstraße, Zoologischer Garten and on to Spandau. According to visitBerlin, the ride to Alexanderplatz takes about 44 minutes; trains run every 20 minutes. The S85 also starts at BER every 20 minutes and runs via Adlershof to the north of Berlin.

The S-Bahn is slower than the FEX, but it is the better choice if your hotel is in Friedrichshain, near Ostkreuz or Alexanderplatz, or along the S-Bahn ring, because you save a change at the main station.

Two hourly regional lines also serve BER: RB24 and RB32 run via Ostkreuz, where you can change to the S-Bahn ring.

Tickets: Berlin ABC

BER lies in fare zone C, so a normal Berlin AB ticket is not enough. For the trip into the city you need an ABC ticket, and the same ticket is valid on the FEX, the S-Bahn, regional trains, buses and the U-Bahn. According to DB Regio (as of October 2026):

• Single ticket Berlin ABC: €5.00, reduced €3.50.
• 24-hour ticket Berlin ABC: €12.90, reduced €8.00 – worth it if you go on by U-Bahn or bus the same day.
• 24-hour small-group ticket ABC: €37.70 for up to five people.
• Season tickets AB: holders only need a zone C extension ticket. The Deutschlandticket is valid on the FEX and the S-Bahn.

Tickets are sold at the machines in the terminal and at the station, and in the BVG, S-Bahn and VBB apps. Buy and validate paper tickets before you board: on the FEX you cannot buy a ticket on the train.

Buses: to the U-Bahn and at night

The express buses X7 and X71 connect BER with the U-Bahn station Rudow (U7), according to the airport about every 5 to 10 minutes; the X71 also runs to Alt-Mariendorf (U6). This is useful if your hotel is in Neukölln or Kreuzberg along the U7.

At night, when the trains run less often, the night bus N60 goes from BER to Alexanderplatz every 30 minutes, according to the airport, and the N7 goes to Rudow and on to Spandau.

Taxi and transfer

Taxis wait outside Terminal 1. Without traffic the drive to Alexanderplatz is about 25 km and takes about 30 minutes; at rush hour on the motorway and in the city it can take considerably longer. The fare is metered; for one or two people the FEX is clearly cheaper.

A pre-booked transfer is worth it for families who need child seats, for groups or for a late landing. Airport transfers in Berlin^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel near the main station, Potsdamer Platz or Südkreuz: the FEX.
• Hotel near Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße or in Friedrichshain: the S9, or the FEX and then the S-Bahn from the main station.
• Hotel in Neukölln or Kreuzberg: the X7 to Rudow and the U7.
• Night arrival: the N60 to Alexanderplatz, or a taxi.
• Small children, a lot of luggage, group: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

If you come from outside the EU, for example from the UK, set up mobile data before you land so you can buy the ticket in the app straight away – a travel eSIM for Germany^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

The FEX runs to BER from the main station, Potsdamer Platz and Südkreuz; the S9 from Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstraße. Plan the 23 or 44 minutes plus a buffer, and check the VBB journey planner for construction work, which in Berlin often changes S-Bahn routes at weekends. If you have already checked out and fly in the evening, you can use luggage storage in the centre^* (Radical Storage).

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in Berlin.

Berlin trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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