Hiring a bike in Berlin
- Bike sharing: Nextbike has thousands of bikes across the city, to be picked up and returned at stations or, depending on the area, in the street. According to berlin.de, the price is about €1 per quarter of an hour, with a daily cap. Other operators, such as Lime, offer bikes and electric-assist bikes, with a per-minute price shown in the app before unlocking.
- Hire by the day or weekend: several bike hire shops, particularly near the main station and Alexanderplatz, rent city bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes; allow from a few euros to a few tens of euros a day, depending on the model. Compare offers and check what the price includes (lock, helmet, deposit).
- Guided bike tour: several agencies run guided tours of 3 to 4 hours, often in English, sometimes in French; see our guide to guided tours in Berlin.
The rules to know
- Cycle paths: ride on the cycle path when it is marked with a blue sign; otherwise the road is allowed. The pavement is off limits to adults. Children up to 8 years old must ride on the pavement.
- Lights: front and rear lights are compulsory from nightfall; hire companies fit them on their bikes.
- Helmet: it is not compulsory, but it is recommended, especially for children.
- Electric bikes: electric-assist bikes up to 25 km/h, 250 W, are bikes like any other: no plate and no licence. On cycle paths they follow the same rules.
- Lights and priorities: red lights apply to bikes; cycle paths often have their own signal.
- Alcohol: riding a bike while drunk is an offence, as in a car.
- Trams: cross the rails as close to a right angle as possible, because wheels get stuck in the grooves.
- Car doors: keep a metre of margin next to parked cars, whose doors can open.
Bikes, U-Bahn and S-Bahn
Bikes are accepted on the S-Bahn, the U-Bahn, trams and ferries, with a bike ticket (Fahrradkarte) added to your passenger ticket; the price is on bvg.de. On buses, only folded bikes are allowed. On crowded trains, staff can refuse a bike; avoid the rush hours. For all ticket types, see our guide to transport in Berlin.
Recommended routes
- The Tiergarten and the government district (easy, 5 to 8 km): cross the Tiergarten on its paths, pass the Victory Column, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, then follow the Spree.
- The Mauerweg: the path of the former Wall, about 160 km long, goes all the way around former West Berlin; it is signposted and can be ridden in sections. The section from Bernauer Straße to the East Side Gallery is the most visited. See our guide to following the Berlin Wall.
- Tempelhofer Feld (easy, 6 to 8 km): the old airport runways are a large flat space without cars; bikes are allowed only on paved surfaces. See the Tempelhofer Feld page.
- The Grunewald and the lakes (easy to moderate, 10 to 25 km): take the S-Bahn with your bike to Nikolassee or Grunewald, and ride on forest tracks towards the Schlachtensee and the Havel. See the Grunewald forest.
- Treptower Park and the Spree (easy, 8 to 12 km): from the East Side Gallery to Treptower Park, the path runs along the Spree.
Safety and anti-theft tips
Berlin has a lot of bike theft: always lock the frame and a wheel to a fixed point with a solid U-lock, even for a hire bike. Avoid leaving your bike outside overnight in busy districts. Cycle paths are sometimes damaged or blocked by pedestrians or delivery vehicles: ride slowly at junctions, and keep a hand near the brake. For pickpockets, see our guide to scams to avoid in Berlin.
Should you hire a bike for a short stay?
For a weekend, the U-Bahn and walking are enough for the centre. Cycling becomes a real pleasure as the stay gets longer, for the parks, the lakes and the Mauerweg, and a shared bike lets you link Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg without waiting for trains. See our programmes Berlin in 3 days and Berlin in 4 days.
