A Guide to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

For decades, “which Berlin airport?” was a real question. It no longer is. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) opened in 2020 and replaced both Tegel and Schönefeld, so every commercial flight into the German capital now arrives at one hub, south-east of the city. The journey to the centre takes about 35 to 45 minutes by road, or around 30 minutes on the airport express train.

That single-airport simplicity is new for Berlin, and it catches out returning visitors more than first-timers. This guide covers what changed, the honest way into the city, and how a pre-booked chauffeur pickup works at BER.

One Airport at Last, on the Other Side of Town

If your mental map of Berlin still features Tegel, redraw it. Tegel sat north-west of the centre; BER sits 25 to 30 kilometres to the south-east, on the site of the old Schönefeld airport, just over the city boundary in Brandenburg. For hotels in the western districts (Charlottenburg, the Ku’damm) the airport journey is now materially longer than it was in the Tegel years, and travellers who remember a 20-minute hop should budget double.

The layout is straightforward. Terminal 1 is the main building and handles most traffic; Terminal 2, a smaller building nearby, opens as passenger numbers demand. The old Schönefeld terminal did duty as “Terminal 5” for a while but has been retired from passenger service. As ever, check your terminal with your airline on the day and pass it to your driver.

Getting Into Berlin: Trains, Roads and a Spread-Out City

BER is connected to the rail network from a station underneath Terminal 1, and the connections are decent. The FEX airport express reaches Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes; S-Bahn lines (the S9 and S45) trundle further into the city’s east and south at a slower pace; regional trains add more options. For a solo traveller with light luggage heading somewhere near a station, the FEX is a fair choice and we will not pretend otherwise.

The complication is Berlin itself. This is one of Europe’s most spread-out capitals: the city covers a vast area, the centre is really several centres, and a great many hotels and offices sit nowhere near the airport rail lines. A 30-minute train ride becomes an hour-plus journey once you add the transfer to a U-Bahn or a taxi at the other end.

Option	Typical time	Ends at
FEX express train	About 30 min to Hauptbahnhof	A station, then onward
S-Bahn (S9 / S45)	40 to 50 min depending on stop	A station, then onward
Taxi from the rank	35 to 50 min by road	Your address, metered
Pre-booked chauffeur	35 to 50 min by road	Your address, price fixed

By road, the A113 runs from the airport towards the centre, feeding the city ring. About 35 to 45 minutes to Mitte is the honest normal figure; the western districts take longer, and the peaks add real time. A pre-booked Berlin Brandenburg transfer differs from the rank in the way that matters: the car is confirmed before you land and the price was fixed at booking, so the traffic on the A113 is our problem rather than yours.

Two Berlins, One Airport: Government and Startup Traffic

BER serves two distinct business populations, and they travel differently.

The first is official Berlin. The federal government quarter, the ministries and the embassies generate steady delegation traffic: travellers with fixed appointment times, colleagues in tow and zero tolerance for an improvised airport run. For this pattern, our corporate transportation service is the standard answer: a screened, English-speaking chauffeur, an S-Class or V-Class as the party requires, and invoicing that a department can process. We provide driving only and work alongside any client-appointed security team.

The second is startup Berlin. The city is continental Europe’s venture capital hub, and its founders’ travel looks different: late flights, changed plans, a pitch meeting in Mitte at nine and a flight out the same evening. What that traveller needs is flexibility with a fixed price, which is precisely what pre-booking with free flight tracking provides: land late and the pickup moves with you, extend the day and we requote honestly. For a full day of meetings across this sprawling city, an hourly chauffeur often beats four separate rides.

How a Chauffeur Pickup Works at BER

Booking is one exchange: flight number, passenger count, destination. You receive a fixed price and a confirmation, and that price does not change for delays, traffic or a late runway queue.

We track the flight free of charge, so the pickup follows the aircraft. Your chauffeur waits in the arrivals area of your terminal with a name board, takes the luggage and walks you to the car. If plans change mid-journey (a different hotel, an added stop in Potsdam), tell the chauffeur and we requote rather than improvise charges.

Beyond Berlin

BER’s south-eastern position is awkward for Charlottenburg but convenient for everywhere south: Potsdam and its palaces are about 40 minutes by road, Leipzig and Dresden roughly two hours each. We quote these as single fixed-price journeys, and multi-city German itineraries (Berlin, then Leipzig, then a flight home from Frankfurt) run with the same chauffeur throughout, as part of our chauffeur network across Europe. For the neighbouring hubs, our guides to Munich Airport and Vienna Airport cover the same ground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which airport does Berlin use now?

Just one: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which opened in 2020 and replaced both Tegel and Schönefeld. All commercial flights to Berlin now land there. If you last flew into Tegel, note that BER sits on the opposite side of the city, to the south-east, which changes the journey to most destinations considerably.

How far is BER from central Berlin?

Roughly 25 to 30 kilometres south-east of the centre, next to Schönefeld. By road, allow about 35 to 45 minutes to Mitte in normal traffic via the A113, and more in the peaks. The FEX airport express train reaches the Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes, with S-Bahn lines covering more of the city at a slower pace.

Is the train or a car better from Berlin Brandenburg?

For a solo traveller to somewhere near a station, the FEX or S-Bahn is the economical choice and works well. Berlin is a spread-out city, though. If your destination is in the western districts, away from the rail lines, or you carry real luggage or colleagues, a car door to door is the more predictable option at a similar overall time.

How does a chauffeur pickup work at BER?

Book with your flight number and destination. We track the flight free of charge, so the pickup follows the actual landing. Your chauffeur waits in the arrivals area of your terminal with a name board, takes the luggage and walks you to the car. The price is fixed at booking; delays and traffic change nothing.

Which terminal will I arrive at BER?

Terminal 1 is the main building and handles most flights; Terminal 2 is a smaller building nearby that opens as capacity demands. The old Schönefeld building served for a time as Terminal 5 but is no longer in passenger use. Check your terminal with your airline on the day of travel, and give it to your driver when you book.

Can SilverDrive drive me from BER to Potsdam, Leipzig or beyond?

Yes. BER’s southern position puts Potsdam about 40 minutes away, with Leipzig and Dresden both realistic road journeys of around two hours. We quote one fixed price for the full route before you fly, and for multi-city German itineraries the same chauffeur stays with you for the whole booking.

Book Your Berlin Brandenburg Transfer

Berlin finally has one airport; give it one plan. Send us the flight number, the passenger count and the destination (Mitte, the government quarter, or a city two hours south), and you get back a fixed price, a confirmed car and a pickup that follows your actual landing. Book your BER transfer, or put your team’s Berlin travel on account via our contact page.