Berlin public transport: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, bus and tickets

Berlin is a sprawling city, and you will inevitably use public transport to get between Museum Island, Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg and the airport. The network is dense and reliable: underground (U-Bahn), urban rail (S-Bahn), tram, bus and even a few ferries, all covered by the same VBB fare tickets. BVG runs the underground, trams and buses, while S-Bahn Berlin runs the urban trains. This guide explains the fare zones, which ticket to choose for your stay, validation (do not forget it), the sightseeing bus lines, the night network, cycling and taxis. Prices are those observed in October 2026, together with the increases already announced for January 2027.

The network: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus

The U-Bahn, recognisable by its yellow trains, has nine lines, from U1 to U9. It serves most central districts: the U2 links Alexanderplatz with Potsdamer Platz and City West, the U5 runs along Unter den Linden to the central station (Hauptbahnhof), and the U1 skirts Kreuzberg and crosses the Oberbaumbrücke to Friedrichshain.

The S-Bahn

S-Bahn train on the Ringbahn at Südkreuz station

The red and ochre S-Bahn complements the underground over longer distances. The Ringbahn (lines S41 and S42) circles the centre, and the east-west line runs through Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof and Zoologischer Garten. The S-Bahn also takes you to BER airport, Potsdam and Oranienburg.

Trams and buses

Yellow M10 tram on a turning loop

Trams mainly run in former East Berlin: Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain. Line M10 links the central station with Warschauer Straße through Prenzlauer Berg, and the M1 heads north from Hackescher Markt. Buses cover the rest of the city; lines marked with an M (MetroBus, MetroTram) are the most frequent.

Fare zones A, B and C

Berlin fares are based on three zones:

Zone A: the centre, up to and including the Ringbahn.
Zone B: from the Ringbahn to the city boundary.
Zone C: the surrounding area, about 15 km around Berlin, including Potsdam and BER airport.

You buy a ticket for zones AB or ABC (the BC zone was abolished on 1 January 2026). An AB ticket covers almost every sight. You need an ABC ticket for BER airport, for Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace, or for Oranienburg and the Sachsenhausen memorial. Children under 6 travel free; from 6 to 14 inclusive, they pay the reduced fare.

Which ticket to choose

The single ticket and the Kurzstrecke

The single ticket (Einzelfahrausweis) is valid for 2 hours in the zones purchased, in one direction: changes and breaks are allowed, but not return trips or round trips back to the starting point by another route. The Kurzstrecke (short trip) covers 3 S-Bahn or U-Bahn stations, changes included, or 6 tram or bus stops, without changing. The 4-trip ticket (4-Fahrten-Karte) brings the AB fare down to €3.10 per trip.

The 24-hour ticket and the group ticket

The 24-hour ticket (24-Stunden-Karte) allows unlimited travel for 24 hours from validation, not just until midnight. At the regular AB or ABC fare, it includes up to three children aged 6 to 14 and one dog. The 24-hour small group ticket (24-Stunden-Karte Kleingruppe) covers up to 5 people: from three adults upwards, it is cheaper than three 24-hour tickets.

The end of the 7-day ticket

The 7-day ticket (7-Tage-Karte) has not been sold since 1 January 2026: the VBB scrapped it, along with annual passes. For a stay of several days, compare 24-hour tickets, the Berlin WelcomeCard and the Deutschlandticket.

The Deutschlandticket

The Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month. It is a monthly, personal, digital subscription valid on all local transport and regional trains in Germany, including Berlin's U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses, zone C included, but not on IC and ICE long-distance trains. It pays off for a stay of a week or more, or if you plan regional train trips; remember to cancel it if you do not want it to renew the following month.

The Berlin WelcomeCard

The Berlin WelcomeCard combines transport in zone AB or ABC with discounts at more than 170 venues. It includes up to three children aged 6 to 14. The WelcomeCard + Museumsinsel version, from €62, adds free entry to the open museums on Museum Island.

Ticket	Validity	Price (October 2026)
Single ticket AB	2 hours	€4.00 (reduced €2.50)
Single ticket ABC	2 hours	€5.00 (reduced €3.50)
Kurzstrecke	3 U/S stations or 6 tram/bus stops	€2.80 (reduced €2.10)
4-trip ticket AB	4 trips	€12.40
4-trip ticket ABC	4 trips	€16.80
24-hour ticket AB	24 hours	€11.20 (reduced €7.40)
24-hour ticket ABC	24 hours	€12.90 (reduced €8.00)
24-hour small group AB (up to 5 people)	24 hours	€35.30
24-hour small group ABC (up to 5 people)	24 hours	€37.70
Deutschlandticket	1 month, all of Germany	€63.00
Berlin WelcomeCard AB / ABC	48 hours	€28.50 / €34.50
Berlin WelcomeCard AB / ABC	72 hours	€39.50 / €45.50
Berlin WelcomeCard AB / ABC	6 days	€58.50 / €63.50
Bicycle ticket AB / ABC	2 hours	€2.70 / €3.30

Prices observed in October 2026 on the BVG, S-Bahn Berlin and Berlin WelcomeCard websites (WelcomeCard also available for 4 and 5 days).

Increases announced for January 2027

On 24 September 2026 the VBB announced an average increase of 3.72% from 1 January 2027. The AB single ticket stays at €4.00, but the ABC single ticket rises to €5.20, the Kurzstrecke to €2.90 and the AB 4-trip ticket to €13.20. The Deutschlandticket will go from €63 to €66.80 a month. For other tickets, check the price when you buy if you travel in 2027.

Buying and validating your ticket

Tickets are sold at machines in stations and on platforms, at machines on board trams, at BVG sales points, and in BVG's ticket app (BVG Ticket-App); the BVG Fahrinfo app plans your journeys. On buses, the driver sells single tickets, Kurzstrecke and 24-hour tickets, cashless payment only. A digital ticket costs the same as a paper one.

The key point: a paper ticket bought from a machine must be validated (entwerten) before your journey, in the yellow or red validators on platforms or in vehicles. A ticket bought on board a bus is already valid. In the app, the ticket must be active before you board. There are no ticket barriers on the Berlin underground: nothing stops you, but an unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket.

Inspections and fines

Plain-clothes inspectors check tickets regularly. Without a valid ticket, or with an unvalidated one, you pay an increased fare of €60 (erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt). On the S-Bahn, the fine is paid on the spot by card; otherwise you are given a payment notice. Zone mistakes (an AB ticket to the airport, for example) are penalised in the same way.

Buses 100 and 200, a sightseeing tour on the cheap

Line 100 double-decker bus near the Brandenburg Gate

Two ordinary bus lines double as a guided tour, with a simple AB ticket:

Bus 100: from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz in about thirty minutes, via the Memorial Church, the Victory Column, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden and the Lustgarten.
Bus 200: from Zoologischer Garten to Prenzlauer Berg, via Kurfürstendamm, the Philharmonie, Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, the Nikolaiviertel, Alexanderplatz and Volkspark Friedrichshain. BVG runs double-decker buses on this line.

Go upstairs and sit at the front: the view is best there. With a 24-hour ticket, you can hop off and back on as often as you like.

The night network

At weekends, on Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday nights, the U-Bahn runs all night. On weeknights, night buses whose numbers start with N replace the underground lines. Tickets are the same as by day, with no surcharge.

Bikes, e-scooters and taxis

Bikes and e-scooters

Berlin is flat and has plenty of cycle lanes. Bikes are allowed on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and trams, in marked carriages and space permitting (wheelchairs and pushchairs have priority), with a bicycle ticket, but not on buses. For shared bikes and e-scooters, BVG's Jelbi app brings together several operators and public transport.

Taxis and ride-hailing

Berlin taxis are ivory-coloured. The fare includes a €4.30 base charge, then €2.80 per kilometre up to 3 km, €2.60 from 3 to 7 km and €2.10 beyond. The Kurzstrecke flat fare of €6 covers up to 2 km, only if you hail a moving taxi in the street (not at a rank or by phone); ask for it before setting off. Card payment carries no surcharge. Uber and Bolt also operate in Berlin.