Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [114]
Their vehicles are not the latest models and may have more dents than amenities, but prices are hard to beat at local independent Das Hässliche Entlein (Map; 0180-343 3683; www.die-ente.de, in German; Lietzenburger Strasse 29; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri). Daily rentals start at €15, including full insurance, VAT and unlimited kilometres; new cars start at €20. Make reservations as early as possible because they only have a smallish fleet.
If you get ‘Harley hunger’, head to Classic Bike (Map; 616 7930; www.classic-bike.de; Salzufer 6; Tiergarten). Daily (24-hour) rates range from €70 to €135.
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Train
Berlin is well connected by train to other German cities, as well as to popular European destinations, including Prague, Warsaw and Amsterdam.
The futuristic Hauptbahnhof (central train station) has great infrastructure, but with five floors of tracks and services it can be confusing. North- and southbound trains depart from the bottom floor, while east- and westbound trains, as well as the S-Bahn, run from platforms on the top level. Buy tickets in the Reisezentrum (Travel Centre) located between tracks 14 and 15 on the first upper floor (1F) and first lower floor (B1). The latter also has a Euraide desk Click here.
The left-luggage office (€4 per piece per 24 hours) is behind the ReiseBank currency exchange on the first upper level, opposite the Reisezentrum. Lockers are hidden on the lower level of the parking garage accessible near the Kaiser’s supermarket on the first lower floor. Other services include a 24-hour pharmacy, a Berlin Infostore tourist office Click here, a supermarket and other stores open daily from 8am to 10pm. The TXL bus to Tegel airport leaves from Europaplatz (exit north entrance).
While all long-distance trains converge at the Hauptbahnhof, some also stop at other stations such as Spandau, Ostbahnhof, Gesund-brunnen and Südkreuz. Of these, Ostbahnhof has the second-best infrastructure.
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GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airports
SCHÖNEFELD
Schönefeld airport is served twice hourly by the AirportExpress train from Bahnhof Zoo (30 minutes), Friedrichstrasse (23 minutes), Alexanderplatz (20 minutes) and Ostbahnhof (15 minutes). Note that these are regular Regionalexpress (RE) or Regionalbahn (RB) designated as Airport Express trains in the timetable. There are more frequent S9 trains, but the service is slower (40 minutes from Alexanderplatz, 50 minutes from Bahnhof Zoo). The S45 line goes straight to the trade-fair grounds.
Trains stop about 400m from the terminals, which are served by a free shuttle bus every 10 minutes. Walking takes about five to 10 minutes.
Buses 171 and X7 link the terminals directly with the U-Bahn station Rudow (U7) with onward connections to central Berlin. The fare for any of these trips is €2.80.
Budget about €35 for a cab ride to central Berlin.
TEGEL
Tegel is connected to Mitte by the JetExpressBus TXL (30 minutes) and to Bahnhof Zoo in Charlottenburg by express bus X9 (20 minutes). Bus 109 also serves the western side of the city but is slower and useful only if you’re headed somewhere along the Kurfürstendamm (30 minutes). Tegel is not directly served by U-Bahn, but both bus 109 and X9 stop at Jakob-Kaiser-Platz (U7), the station closest to the airport. Any of these trips cost €2.10.
Taxi rides cost about €20 to Bahnhof Zoo and €23 to Alexanderplatz.
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Car & Motorcycle
Driving in Berlin is more hassle than it’s worth, especially since parking is hard to find and expensive (about €1 to €2 per hour), so we highly recommend you make use of the excellent public transport system instead.
Central Berlin (defined as the area bounded by the S-Bahn rail ring) is a restricted low-emission zone, which means all cars entering it need an Umweltplakette (emission sticker). Click here for details on how to obtain one.
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Public Transport
Berlin’s public transport system is run by BVG ( 194 49; www.bvg.de) and consists of the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, regional