Berlin is a large, sprawling city, and sooner or later you'll need to use its efficient, if expensive, public transport system. The fastest part of this is the
S-Bahn , which shares with mainline trains the distinctive elevated tracks which cut right through the heart of the city. There are also some underground stretches in the centre, while in the outskirts it runs at ground level. As its name implies, the
U-Bahn , whose stations are generally much closer together, is predominantly an underground system, but also has some elevated track. Free coloured
maps of Berlin's
Schnellbahnnetz (the entire network of S-Bahn, U-Bahn and mainline trains) can be picked up from the cubicle outside Bahnhof Zoo, and from the kiosks on station platforms.
Buses cover most of the areas which cannot be reached by train, and also provide handy linkages: #100 and #200, which run between Bahnhof Zoo and Alexanderplatz, are particularly useful for sightseeing purposes. Eastern Berlin's
tram network survives from prewar days, and has been extensively modernized in the last few years.
Tickets and passes
Tickets are valid on all forms of transport within the system, including regional mainline trains, and can be bought from the orange-coloured machines at the entrances to all U- and S-Bahn stations, and from manned kiosks at the larger stations. The network is divided into three tariff zones which are colour-coded on maps, and journeys which entail travelling in all three are slightly more expensive than others.
Single tickets ( Normaltarif ) cost DM3.90/¬1.95 and are valid for two hours, though journeys of up to three train stops or six bus stops are covered by a Kurzstrecke , or short-trip ticket, priced DM2.50/¬1.25). It's usually better to invest in a day-ticket ( Tageskarte ), costing DM7.80/¬3.90 for two zones, DM8.50/¬4.25 for three zones. You can also buy a seven-day ticket ( Sieben-Tage-Karte ) for DM42-52/¬21-26, depending on the zones through which you travel, or a monthly ticket ( Monatskarte or Umweltkarte ) for DM105-130/¬52.50-65. A premium monthly ticket ( Umweltkarte Premium) , costing DM120-150/¬60-75, allows unlimited travel through all three tariff zones and for one adult and up to three children to travel with you free after 8pm, all day Saturday and Sunday and on public holidays. Note that, although monthly tickets offer considerable savings, their validity commences on the first of each month, not on the date of purchase. Another option, available from tourist offices and hotels as well as ticket kiosks, is the Berlin Welcome Card , which costs DM35/¬17.50 for three days, giving unlimited travel across the system for an adult and up to three children, plus reduced entry to many museums and attractions.
