About IFA Berlin
IFA Berlin is one of the world's best-known consumer electronics and home appliance shows, held each September at the exhibition grounds under the Funkturm. It mixes trade days with public visitors and draws international press.
When is IFA and what kind of crowd should you expect?
IFA usually opens in early September and runs for five or six days, including a weekend. Weekdays are dominated by retailers, manufacturers and press; on Saturday and Sunday the public pours in, many with children. Late summer heat and the outdoor areas around the Funkturm mean that long walks between halls are tiring, so being dropped at the right gate matters more than at a winter fair. Other dates on the grounds: trade fair calendar.
How long does the taxi from BER to the IFA grounds take?
Allow 35 to 50 minutes on a normal weekday morning outside the 7:30 to 9:30 peak, and up to 70 minutes if you land into the commuter rush. September is back-to-school time in Berlin, so traffic is heavier than in August. Your driver follows the A113 and the A100 to the Funkturm junction, where bridge rebuilding narrows the approach. Weekend mornings are lighter on the motorway, but the side streets around Messedamm fill up from 10:00. More on the route: BER to Messe Berlin.
Which entrance suits you?
- North, Masurenallee – under the Funkturm, close to the classic halls; busiest at weekends.
- East, Messedamm – often quicker to reach for a short stop.
- South, Jafféstraße – near CityCube, where many IFA press and conference sessions take place.
Name the gate in your booking, and your driver heads straight for it.
Camera bags, demo units and the boot
Content creators and journalists travel with tripods, lighting cases and laptop bags; exhibitors carry demo units. A standard taxi boot takes two large suitcases plus a carry-on. If you have more, choose a larger vehicle when booking. Families coming for the public weekend can add a child seat in the same booking.
Hotels within easy reach
The streets around Kurfürstendamm and Savignyplatz are the natural base: 10 to 15 minutes by taxi to the grounds, longer at closing time. See hotels on Ku'damm and City West. Staying further east, say in Friedrichshain, is fine too, but budget 30 to 40 minutes each way and avoid crossing town between 17:00 and 19:00.
What to tell your driver
Put the hall or meeting point into the booking, not just "IFA". If you are heading to a press event in CityCube first and your hotel later, book two legs rather than asking the driver to wait. Arriving on a delayed flight? Your flight number lets the driver follow the landing time, and the meeting point at BER is in your confirmation. Paying online in advance also means no card terminal hunting at the kerb when the halls are packed.
Leaving IFA at the end of the day
At 18:00 the trade visitors leave; at weekends the public streams out at the same time. The Masurenallee rank is then besieged. A pickup booked 30 minutes after closing at the east or south gate is usually calmer. For a flight the same evening, leave at least 75 minutes for the run to BER. Opening hours: IFA website ↗.
