Berlin

Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL)

Location

The airport is situated five miles (8km) northwest of the centre of Berlin.

Getting to the city

The most convenient and cost effective way to get to and from the airport is by bus. Buses connect with the subway and overground train stations. Taxis are readily available outside the airport terminals on both levels.

Time

GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October).

Car rental

Vehicle hire companies represented at the airport include Budget, Avis, Hertz, Europcar, National and Sixt.

Airport Taxis

Taxis are readily available outside airport terminals A, C, and E. Avoid touts and unlicensed taxis. Private hotel shuttle services to and from Berlin-Tegel Airport are also available.

Facilities

Facilities include banks, bureaux de change, ATMs, a post office, business centres and baby rooms. There are several shops, including duty-free, and a selection of restaurants. Disabled facilities are good; travellers with special needs should contact their airline in advance.

Parking

There are a number of parking lots at Berlin-Tegel Airport, all within easy walking distance of the terminal building. Short-term parking costs €6 for the first hour up to a maximum daily charge of €44. Long term parking is also available.

Website www.berlin-airport.de

The airport terminals are all connected by walkways.

Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF)

Location

The airport is located 11 miles (18km) from Berlins city centre.

Getting to the city

Train: The airport express train station is a short (400 metre) walk, along a covered footpath, from Terminal A. The Airport Express train takes just half an hour to reach the main railway station in Berlin, known as Hauptbahnhof. The train tickets use the same ticketing system as the buses in Berlin. Passengers need to pick how many zones they will be travelling through and the ticket price is adjusted accordingly. A trip from Schönefeld Airport to central Berlin will cost €2.10. The Airport Express Train is the fastest train from the airport into the city. It runs every 30 minutes, from 5am until 11pm. S-bahn trains are also available from the airport station, but they are slightly slower than the express train.

Taxis: Taxis can be found on both the lower and upper levels, but mainly on the lower level outside Terminal A. The trip into central Berlin takes between 20 and 30 minutes and generally costs about €15.

Bus: Taking a bus from Schönefeld Airport into Berlin is the best way to get into town. Fares are determined according to the number of zones you pass through in order to arrive at your destination. There are two zones (zones A and B) between Schönefeld and central Berlin. Tickets into town cost €2.10 and they can either be bought at the ticket vending machine inside the terminal or on the bus. The express airport buses (BCG) run the most frequently and are generally the best buses to catch between the airport and central Berlin. BCG Jet Express Bus No. X9 as well as BVG Jet Express TXL Bus and BVG buses No. 109 and No. 128 all make the trip from the airport into Berlin. During the week buses tend to run between 4:30am and 12:30am at 30-minute intervals with more buses during the peak hours of the day. On weekends buses run less frequently.

Time

GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in April).

Car rental

Renting a car is a great way to explore Berlin and the surrounding countryside. Car rental operators at Berlin Schönefeld Airport include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt; or why not hire a motor home from Motorhomes CC-Mobile? The rental operator's desks are in front of Terminal A in the pavilion.

Airport Taxis

Taxis: Taxis can be found on both the lower and upper levels, but mainly on the lower level outside Terminal A. The trip into central Berlin takes between 20 and 30 minutes and generally costs about €15.

Facilities

Money and communications: Schönefeld Airport is well equipped with ATMs, banks, a post office and money exchange facility.

Luggage: The lost and found desk is easy to find and is located in Terminal A on the ground floor. A baggage storage facility is available in parking garage P4 at a cost of €2 per day for small bags and €4 per day for larger bags.

Conference and business: The airport lounges, particularly the Hugo-Junkers Lounge, have fax, Internet, photocopying and printing services. For businesspeople wishing to make use of conference facilities, head to the Airport Conference Centre Berlin Schönefeld, which is located 0.6 miles (1km) from the terminal. The conference centre can also be booked via the airport's website.

Other facilities: The tourist information office is a great place to start your trip to Berlin. The Schönefeld Airport also has VIP services and lounges as well as baby changing room facilities and wheelchair access.

Wifi: wifi is available throughout the airport. Costs vary depending upon which service provider you prefer. Simply open your browser and the airport's wireless webpage will load and give you the service provider options. Many of the airline lounges offer free wifi access.

Information: The airport's information desk is located in Terminal A on the ground floor. The staff is friendly and speaks German and English. There is also a tourist information desk located on the same floor with multilingual staff and pamphlets outlining major tourist attractions and events in Berlin. The information desk staff is also great when it comes to dispensing information about the best routes to and from the airport into central Berlin.

Shopping: A well-stocked duty-free shop is not all the Schönefeld Airport has to offer in terms of shopping. The airport has a modest number of souvenir shops as well a couple of outlets selling sunglasses, clothing and fashion accessories.

Food and Drink: Whether it's coffee, a burger or a pint of Guinness, the Schönefeld Airport has something to tickle all taste buds. Terminal A has the largest variety of food and drink outlets including an Irish pub, a small 24-hour bakery, a Burger King and a couple of restaurants serving German food. There is a Segafredo coffee outlet in front of Terminal D and a bistro in the departures area. Terminal B's options are slim with the only restaurant available being a small diner.

Parking

Short and long-term parking is available at the airport.

Departure tax

None.

Website www.berlin-airport.de/EN/index2.php

Although the airport has four terminals (A, B, C and D) the airside part of the concourse is all joined so the terminals are only important when checking in. Terminal C is only used on special occasions and the rest of the terminals are within easy walking distance of one another.