How to Get from Berlin Schoenefeld Airport to the City Centre?

Berlin Schoenefeld International Airport (SXF) is much further from Berlin's city centre than Tegel Airport. The distance from Schoenefeld Airport to Hauptbahnhof Central Station is 25 km and tit akes 40 minutes by taxi, 35 minutes by express train and 45 minutes by underground. Here is all the information you need to get from Schönefeld Airport to downtown Berlin by bus, shuttle, metro or taxi.

Travel from Schoenefeld airport to the city centre by underground (S-Bahn) and express train (20-25 min, 3,40€)

The fastest means of public transport to Alexanderplatz, Hauptbahnhof or Zoologischer Garten is the RE7 or RB15 express train. The metro / S-Bahn / express train station is located at the airport exit, 3-4 minutes walk from terminal A or B. All you have to do is walk straight down the tunnel (or just follow the people).

To get from the airport to Hauptbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse or Zoologischer Garten

The RE7 or RB14 express train is direct from Schönefeld airport and takes exactly 21 minutes to Ostbahnhof, 22 minutes to Alexanderplatz, 26 minutes to Friedrichstraße, 28 minutes to Hauptbahnhof, 35 minutes to Zoologischer Garten and 40 minutes to Charlottenburg.

The RE7 leaves every hour from 4:45 to 22:45, as does the RB14 from 5:03 to 23:03. So there is a shuttle train every 30 minutes to downtown Berlin.
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If you can't take the express train, there is also the S-Bahn S9 metro which leaves every 20 minutes, the last one leaving at 1:17am (and all night on Saturdays). It stops at all stations and therefore takes longer: 35 minutes to reach Alexanderplatz and 43 minutes to reach Berlin Hauptbahnhof.

To get to Potsdamer Platz from the airport

Take the express train or metro S9 to Friedrichstrasse and then take the S1 in the direction of Wannsee. Potsdamer Platz is located 2 stations after Friedrichstrasse.

To go from the airport to Neukölln or Kreuzberg

Take the S45 which will take you to the stations of S-Bahn Neukölln, Hermannstraße, Tempelhof or Südkreuz in 25 to 30 minutes. The last S45 subway leaves at 11:45 p. m. To get to Kreuzberg, you can make a change at station S Neukölln and then take the U7 to Kottbusser Tor.

Ticket: zone ABC (Schoenefeld is in zone C)
Price: 3,40€

What you need to know: You can buy your ticket at the automatic ticket machine located in the S-Bahn station at Schönefeld Airport. To avoid the queue: there is a vending machine in terminal A of the airport! Be careful because these machines do not accept VISA cards! (only MAESTRO cards) The same applies to the metro and most places in Berlin.

The bus ride from Schoenefeld airport to the city centre (50-55 min, 3,40€)

The 171 bus is direct and the travel takes exactly 28 minutes. He leaves every 20 minutes on average, the last one leaving the airport at 12:30. It connects U Rudow station in 13 minutes, S+U Neukölln in 35 minutes, Sonnenallee in 40 minutes and Hermannplatz in one hour.

The X7 bus is a shuttle bus that only connects the airport to the U Rudow subway station. It leaves on average every 10 minutes. Then you will have to take the U7 metro to Neukölln or Kreuzberg. After 0:30 am, it is replaced by the N7 which drives all night long. One departure every 30 minutes.

The advantage of the bus is that it leaves directly from the exit of the terminal A / B of the airport. But it takes longer than the S-Bahn. If you arrive late, it's the only means of transport that travels all night.

Travel to downtown Berlin from Schoenefeld Airport by taxi (35-40 min, 45€) - or by Uber

Taxis are located just outside the A-B terminal and will allow you to reach the centre in 35 to 40 minutes, usually for 40 to 45€. Plan cash as they do not accept Visa cards. If you are travelling with children, ask the person in charge of managing the taxi line to bring you a taxi with a baby seat.

Our tip: Write the name of the street you want to go to because German names are sometimes difficult to pronounce (and to understand for your interlocutors).

If you travel with EasyJet or Ryanair airlines, chances are you will arrive at Schoenefeld Airport (SXF Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg).

Map of Schoenefeld Airport in Berlin