Berlin is huge but it is well served by the public transport system. If you arrive by car, you may consider parking it during the conference and use the excellent bus, tram, train (the “S-Bahn”) and underground (the “U-Bahn”) services to get around. Berlin uses a zone system, but you are unlikely to need to go beyond zone A and B, except on trips to Potsdam or to the Schönefeld Airport (SXF). This is a very large area. The public transport system (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus, tram, regional rail) uses a common ticket.

Ticket Prices

Standard tickets (€ 2.40 for A and B) are valid for any travel within two hours of validation, in a single direction, within the appropriate fare zones. There is no limit to transfers. For a single journey you can buy a cheap Kurzstrecke for €1.40, but this is only valid for 3 stops on the U-Bahn or S-Bahn (six stops by bus or tram); no transfers are permitted.

Several options are available for unlimited travel. Prices listed here are only for zones A and B: prices for A, B, and C cost marginally more. Check the machines for the actual prices:

• Single Ticket Berlin AB: € 2.60, ABC (incl. Potsdam): € 3.20, reduced: € 1.60, ABC: € 2.30.
• Quadruple card 4 Fahrten Karte (4 single trips AB bought at once for a reduced price) € 8.80, reduced: € 5.60.
• AB Tageskarte (day card): € 6.70, ABC Tageskarte (incl. Potsdam): € 7.20.
• AB 7-Tage-Karte (7-Day-Ticket): € 28.80, ABC 7-Tage-Karte (incl. Potsdam): € 35.60.

• The Berlin WelcomeCard is available in 8 different versions: tariff zone AB only Berlin: € 18.50 / 24.50 / 31.50 for 2 / 3 / 5 days, tariff zone ABC Berlin, Potsdam and the surrounding area: € 19.90 / 25.90 / 35.90 for 2 / 3 / 5 days. Free travel with all methods of public transport for 48 hours, 72 hours or 5 days from the day of purchase; save up to 50% on more than 200 tourist and cultural highlights; Handy guide in pocket book format with insider tips and tour suggestions; City plan for Berlin and Potsdam and a Network plan for public transport. You can order the Berlin WelcomeCard in various sales points (berlin airports, main station, Hotels or online).

• The Berlin WelcomeCard Museum Island : valid for 72 hours in the tariff zone AB: € 34, ABC: € 36 plus free admission to all museums on the Museumsinsel of Berlin (Old National Gallery, Old Museum, Bode Museum, New Museum and Pergamon Museum). A folded leaflet with inner city map and an overview of the S-Bahn and U-Bahn railway networks of Berlin is included. Buy the CityTourCard Museumsinsel in hotels, at the main station (Hauptbahnhof, Südkreuz, Zoologischer Garten, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße), berlin airports or online.

Purchasing Tickets

All tickets are available at vending machines at U- and S-Bahn platforms. English and other European languages are available. Payment is mostly by local bank cards, coins and banknotes. Ticket machines may not take banknotes bigger than 10 euros. If you need assistance most larger stations have staffed ticket counters where you can ask questions and buy tickets. Buses will accept cash, and make change for tickets. Hotels may sell tickets as well.

Journey Planner

The Route planner of the BVG is excellent!

U-Bahn & S-Bahn network map

Taxi

Taxi services are also easy to use and a bit less expensive than in many other big European cities. If you ask for a short trip (“Kurzstrecke”), as long as it’s less than 2km and before the taxi driver starts the meter running, the trip normally is cheaper, € 4. This only applies if you flag the taxi down on the street, not if you get in at a taxi rank.

Taken from wikitravel.org