Berlin Hotels

There are few direct flights to Berlin; you will usually be routed there through a larger hub like Frankfurt or Amsterdam. Buses, however, connect Berlin with most European cities, and the train system is characteristically efficient.

Berlin abounds with ways to navigate its streets. Unlike many major cities, it's friendly to both cyclists and pedestrians, and its U/S Bahn is a model of efficiency. Buses are slow, but comfortable. In the eastern sections of the city you can take sleek new trams. Driving is possible, but probably not advisable considering the plethora of public transport options.

There are hardly any direct flights to Berlin from overseas (London and New York are among the exceptions) and, depending on the airline you use, you're likely to fly first into another European city like Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris or London and catch a connecting flight from there. Departure tax is included in the price of an airline ticket purchased in Germany.Berlin has three airports. Tegel (TXL) primarily serves destinations within Germany and Western Europe. Schönefeld (SXF) mostly operates international flights to/from Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The third airport is the central but tiny Tempelhof (THF)in southern Kreuzberg, which handles mostly shorter domestic and regional hops. It became famous as the main landing strip for Allied airlifts during the Berlin blockade of 1948-49 It's expected to close in late 2007. Berlin's three airports can all be reached by train or bus, which will save you stacks on taxi fares. Tegel is connected twice hourly to the Mitte district by the JetExpressBus TXL and the Charlottenburg or northern Wilmersdorf districts by bus X9 or 109. Schönefeld airport is served by the AirportExpress train from any major central train station, including Bahnhof Zoo, Alexanderplatz and Ostbahnhof. The S9 leaves more frequently from the same stations. Alternatively, bus 171 or express bus X7 can take you to Rudow U-Bahn station with connections to central Berlin on the U7. Tempelhof is served by the U6 (get off at Platz der Luftbrücke) and bus 119 from Kurfürstendamm via Kreuzberg.

Berlin is well-connected to the rest of Europe by long-distance bus. Most buses arrive at and depart from the ZOB (Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof), the central bus station, in Charlottenburg, opposite the stately Funkturm (radio tower).

The German train system is justifiably known as the most efficient in Europe and connects Berlin with the rest of Germany and other European countries. The sparkling new Hauptbahnhof opened in May 2006 and is the hub for the majority of long-distance, intercity and regional trains arriving in Berlin. Regional services also stop at other central stations, such as Bahnhof Zoo in the western city centre (for destinations to the west of Berlin) and Ostbahnhof in the eastern centre.

Driving is another option: the A10 ring road links Berlin with other German and foreign cities in every direction, including the A11 to Szczecin (Stettin) in Poland; the A12 to Frankfurt /Oder; the A13 to Dresden; the A9 to Leipzig, Nuremburg and Munich; the A2 to Hanover and Magdeburg, and the Ruhrgebiet cities, and the A24 to Hamburg.

The F10, which shuttles between Kladow and Wannsee, makes for quite a scenic trip, and you can use regular public transport tickets to board it. Ferries operate hourly all year, weather permitting, usually from about 09:00 to sunset.

The U/S Bahn is the most efficient way to travel around Berlin. There are 10 U-Bahn and 13 S-Bahn lines which operate from 04:00 to just after 24:00, except at weekends and around public holidays when service continues through the night on all lines except the U4. Places further afield are served by the Regionalbahn (RB) and Regionalexpress (RE) lines.

Berlin's buses are rather slow, but comfortable. Bus stops are marked with a large 'H' and the name of the stop. Drivers sell tickets and can give change. The next stop is usually announced or displayed on a digital board. Push the button on the handrails to signal to the driver that you want to get off. Night buses operate from around midnight until , running at roughly 30-minute intervals. Normal fares apply.

The rickety trams of Berlin's past have been replaced with sleek new versions. They operate only in the eastern sections of the city; about 30 lines crisscross the entire eastern half of Berlin.