By Air in Berlin

By Air

Major airlines serve western Berlin's Tegel Airport after a first stop at a major European hub (such as Frankfurt). Massive Tempelhof Airport is an example of fascist architecture and is used by smaller airlines for flights within Europe. Eastern Berlin's Schönefeld Airport is about 24 km (15 mi) outside the downtown area and is used principally by charter and low-budget airlines. The three airports share a central phone number.

Information

Central airport service (0180/500-0186. www.berlin-airport.de).

Airports & Transfers

Tegel Airport is 6 km (4 mi) from the downtown area. The express X9 airport bus runs at 10-minute intervals between Tegel and Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten (Zoo Station), the center of western Berlin. From here you can connect to bus, train, or subway. The trip takes 25 minutes; the fare is EUR 3.10, or an additional EUR 1 if you already have a regular metro or bus ticket. Alternatively, you can take Bus 128 to Kurt Schumacher Platz or Bus 109 to Jakob Kaiser Platz and change to the subway, where your bus ticket is also valid. Expect to pay about EUR 15 for a taxi from the airport to the western downtown area. If you rent a car at the airport, follow the signs for the Stadtautobahn into Berlin. The Halensee exit leads to Kurfürstendamm.

Tempelhof Airport is linked directly to the city center by the U-6 subway line. From Schönefeld Airport a free express shuttle bus leaves every 10-15 minutes for the S-bahn station (a 10-minute walk). The system is a bit clumsy here. Look carefully for the DB office, which is upstairs to your right after you initially descend into the station. Buy an Einzelfahrt EUR 2.10 ticket (AB zone) from here or from an S-bahn platform vending machine (no credit cards) to get you into town. This ticket is good for both the S-Bahn and the Airport Express train, which runs about every half hour from a track that has no vending machine. To take the Airport Express, look for a small dark-blue sign at the foot of the stairs leading to its platform. Bus 171 also leaves Schönefeld every 20 minutes for the Rudow subway station. A taxi ride from the Schönefeld Airport takes about 40 minutes and will cost around EUR 35. By car, follow the signs for Stadtzentrum Berlin.