About Taxi to Berlin stations & ZOB
Berlin's long-distance rail network forms a cross with stations at its ends: Südkreuz in the south, Gesundbrunnen in the north, Ostbahnhof in the east and Spandau in the west. Long-distance coaches use the ZOB central bus station by the radio tower in Westend.
Why a taxi to the station instead of the airport train?
The airport train reaches some of these stations directly, but with several suitcases, a pushchair or a tight connection, changing platforms twice can cost more time than it saves. A pre-booked airport taxi drives to the entrance closest to your platform. The total price for the vehicle is known before you confirm, so you can plan the connection without watching a meter. A general comparison is on taxi vs train.
Südkreuz: the closest long-distance station to BER
Allow 25–40 minutes. Südkreuz has two sides: the eastern forecourt at Hildegard-Knef-Platz with the taxi rank, and the western exit on General-Pape-Straße, which is calmer in the rush hour. Both lead to the same platforms; the glass hall connects the upper ring-line level with the lower long-distance tracks. Many ICE services towards Leipzig and Munich stop here, so it is often the better choice than the Hauptbahnhof when you come from the airport.
Ostbahnhof: east side, near the Spree
Usually 25–45 minutes. The main entrance and the taxi rank are on the street Am Ostbahnhof, on the side facing the Spree. On concert evenings at the nearby Uber Arena, the surrounding streets fill up; plan an extra quarter of an hour. Rail and S-Bahn alternatives are compared in our Ostbahnhof guide.
Gesundbrunnen: trains to the Baltic and the north
Expect 35–55 minutes, as the station lies on the far side of the city centre. The reception building on Hanne-Sobek-Platz faces Badstraße; the Gesundbrunnen-Center shopping mall is attached on the other side. Several trains towards Stralsund, Rügen and Rostock begin or end here, and some long-distance services to the south also start at Gesundbrunnen, so you get a seat more easily than at stations further along the route.
Spandau: ICE to Hamburg and Hanover
The longest ride on this page, typically 45–70 minutes through the city or round the northern ring. ICE trains to Hamburg and Hanover stop at Spandau, which is handy if you are staying in the west. The station has an entrance towards Klosterstraße, where the Spandau Arcaden mall and the Rathaus Spandau U-Bahn stop are, and one towards Seegefelder Straße to the north. More about the district is on the Spandau page. If you are staying in Charlottenburg or Spandau anyway, boarding the ICE here is more relaxed than at the Hauptbahnhof.
ZOB: the central coach station by the radio tower
Long-distance coaches to Poland, Scandinavia and across Germany leave from the ZOB on Masurenallee, opposite the exhibition grounds. From BER, plan 35–55 minutes via the city motorway. The coach bays are numbered; tell the driver to stop at the forecourt on Masurenallee, from where the departure boards are visible. During large trade fairs at the Messe, traffic around the radio tower is heavy. Coaches do not wait for late passengers, so allow at least two hours between landing and departure.
For the Hauptbahnhof
The central station has its own page, with entrances and nearby hotels: BER to Hauptbahnhof. Not sure which station suits your connection? Check the timetable for your train's first stop in Berlin; it is often an outer station, and the drive there is shorter.
