The Schönefeld Airport Express runs into central Berlin from the railway station on the perimeter of the airport complex.  You can walk there, get a free lift on a golf buggy (if there’s one going spare) or take the number 171 bus, which runs every 10 minutes (except from 1 – 4 a.m.) and is free as far as the station

RE train in Berlin

Once at the station, take the ramp or steps down to the underpass and follow the marks on the ground to the platform for services into the city.

The Airport Express is a joint venture between the airport and the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn). 

Departures are usually from platform 7. 

Trains carry the nos. RB 22, RB 24 (RB = Regional Bahn), RE 4 or RE 5 (Regional Express) and run every 30 minutes from 4.54 a.m. to 9.27 p.m. and then hourly until 11.27 p.m., making the following stops:

-         Kalrshorst

-         Ostbahnhof

-         Alexanderplatz

-         Friedrichstrasse

-         Zoologischer Garten

-         Spandau

Friedrichstrasse is the main station for the central ‘Mitte’ area of Berlin, while Zoologischer Garten is likely to be your stop if you’re heading for the city’s former centre in old West Berlin.

Journey times are approx.:

Ostbahnhof	20 mins
Alexanderplatz	25 mins
Friedrichstrasse	30 mins
Zoologischer Garten	35 mins

The Airport Express also runs the return route throughout the same operating hours, running every 30 minutes for all but the first and last hour of the day, when just one train runs.

Airport Express timetable

There are ticket machines on platforms 11 and 13.  You can use the same ticket on the Airport Express as for all other forms of the Berlin public transport system.