Germany Guide
Berlin
Arrival
Berlin's two international airports ( 
www.berlin-airport.de ) both lie within easy reach of the city centre via its cheap and efficient public transport system; the furthest is only 25 minutes by train from the Hauptbahnhof where trains from all over Europe converge. Tegel airport is just northwest of the city centre, Schönefeld, south of the city. Plans to build one large airport at Schönefeld – Berlin Brandenburg International (BBI) – to replace both are afoot, due to open in 2011. From Tegel, several buses head into the city, but the frequent TXL bus (daily 5am– midnight; every 15–20min) to Hauptbahnhof (25min) and Alexanderplatz (35min) is generally the most useful. Schönefeld has its own train station, from where the Airport Express train takes 25 minutes to reach the Hauptbahnhof. The S-Bahn from Schönefeld takes about forty minutes (4.30am–11pm), but is more frequent and serves more stops; all tickets are valid on either service. Lines at the ticket machines in the underground passageway can usually be avoided by using identical machines on the platform. Given the frequency and efficiency of public transport, taxis are hardly worthwhile, but typical rates into the centre from Tegel and Schönefeld are €20 and €35 respectively. Public transport tickets are valid on the entire system of trams, buses and suburban and underground trains, so it's usually worth buying a ticket for the duration of your visit on arrival – to cover the journey from the airport and inner-city journeys.
Long-distance trains arrive at the swanky Hauptbahnhof, which has late-opening shops and all the other facilities you'd expect. Many services will also stop at other major stations such as Bahnhof Zoo, Alexanderplatz and the Ostbahnhof. A train ticket to Berlin may well include use of zones A and B of the city's public transport system; check with the conductor or ticket office.
Most long-distance buses stop at the Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof or ZOB (central bus station), Masurenallee, Charlottenburg, west of the centre, near the Funkturm. Several local buses, including the frequent #X49 service, Kaiserdamm U-Bahn and Westkreuz S-Bahn stations link it to the city centre. If arriving by car, your likely approach from the west will be the A2 Autobahn, but from any direction you'll meet the Berliner Ring (A10), a circular motorway around the city which is well worth following round to the right side of town rather than deal with inner-city traffic.