About
Metro
U-Bahn & S-Bahn (Metro)
Berlin’s outstanding public transport system has a combination of underground (U-Bahn) and elevated (S-Bahn – Schnellbahn or ‘fast railway’) trains. They are technically run by two different companies – BVG for the U-Bahn while the S-Bahn is its own master – but their operation is apparently seamless and they have a common ticketing system. A standard two-hour trip in the main AB zone costs €2.10. A day pass is €6.10 and a pass for the whole month (Monatskarte) will set you back €70. The system operates on the honour principle, with only random ticket checks made, but you need to make sure to validate (Entwerten) your ticket. There are small boxes on posts – either yellow or red – with timestamps at the ends of each platform for this. The U-Bahn has nine lines for excellent coverage throughout the city. Trains are safe, fairly well maintained and usually on time. Some routes have service through the night. The S-Bahn has two major routes in the city: the main east-west corridor that is also used by long-distance trains through the centre, and an outside ring all the way around Berlin. Other routes travel to destinations past the city outskirts into Brandenburg, such as Potsdam. You’ll find a journey planner for the U-Bahn and S-Bahn at the back of the book.
Berlin’s outstanding public transport system has a combination of underground (U-Bahn) and elevated (S-Bahn – Schnellbahn or ‘fast railway’) trains. They are technically run by two different companies – BVG for the U-Bahn while the S-Bahn is its own master – but their operation is apparently seamless and they have a common ticketing system. A standard two-hour trip in the main AB zone costs €2.10. A day pass is €6.10 and a pass for the whole month (Monatskarte) will set you back €70. The system operates on the honour principle, with only random ticket checks made, but you need to make sure to validate (Entwerten) your ticket. There are small boxes on posts – either yellow or red – with timestamps at the ends of each platform for this. The U-Bahn has nine lines for excellent coverage throughout the city. Trains are safe, fairly well maintained and usually on time. Some routes have service through the night. The S-Bahn has two major routes in the city: the main east-west corridor that is also used by long-distance trains through the centre, and an outside ring all the way around Berlin. Other routes travel to destinations past the city outskirts into Brandenburg, such as Potsdam. You’ll find a journey planner for the U-Bahn and S-Bahn at the back of the book.
