About BER to Szczecin & Poznań
Szczecin is the largest city in north-western Poland, with a port on the Oder and the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle. Poznań, between Berlin and Warsaw, is known for its colourful Old Market Square and one of Poland's biggest trade-fair grounds.
How far is it from BER to Szczecin and Poznań?
- Szczecin (Stettin) – around the eastern Berlin ring onto the A11, across the border at Pomellen/Kołbaskowo and on the Polish A6 into the city: roughly 150 to 170 kilometres, usually two hours.
- Poznań (Posen) – the A12 east to Frankfurt (Oder), across at Świecko and on along the Polish A2: about 270 to 290 kilometres, three to three and a half hours.
- Frankfurt (Oder) – the border town on the A12, around 90 to 100 kilometres and just over an hour.
- Świnoujście (Swinemünde) – about 200 to 230 kilometres, roughly three hours.
Crossing the border: what to keep at hand
Poland and Germany are both in the Schengen area, but temporary checks have been carried out on this border repeatedly in recent years. Keep your passport or national ID card in the cabin, not packed in a suitcase in the boot, and have visas or residence permits ready if you need them. Checks at the motorway crossings can add waiting time, especially on Friday afternoons. Travelling with children who are not your own? Carry a signed consent letter from the parents.
No złoty, no meter, no surprises
Hop into a cab at the BER rank and say "Poznań", and you are on a long cross-border meter ride whose final amount you only see at the destination. With a pre-booked ride you see the total for the vehicle before you confirm and pay online, so you need neither euros in cash nor złoty on arrival. Parts of the Polish A2 towards Poznań are tolled; whether the toll is included in the total is stated in the offer, so check this before you book. The booking confirmation serves as your record for expense claims. More on the differences is on our taxi versus pre-booked car page.
Szczecin and Poznań: where you get out
In Szczecin many hotels sit near the Wały Chrobrego terraces above the Oder, the Old Town or the Philharmonic; the driver needs the hotel name because Polish street names are easy to confuse. In Poznań the Old Market Square is a pedestrian zone, so the car stops on the surrounding streets. Visitors to the Poznań International Fair, right next to the main station, should name the entrance from their trade-fair ticket. Business travellers to company sites in the outskirts should add the gate or building.
Frankfurt (Oder): the border town
Frankfurt (Oder) is home to the European University Viadrina, whose students commute daily across the city bridge to Słubice on the Polish bank. Through traffic uses the motorway crossing at Świecko, but for addresses in Słubice the town bridge is more direct. Tell your driver which side of the river you are going to.
Świnoujście: two routes to the Baltic
The spa town at the mouth of the Świna can be reached either via Szczecin and the Polish expressway or across the German part of Usedom via Anklam or Wolgast and the border at Ahlbeck. A road tunnel under the Świna now connects both halves of the town, so ferry queues are no longer an issue for car travellers. Ferries to Sweden also depart from Świnoujście. Bring the exact address of your sanatorium or apartment block, as many buildings on the promenade look similar.
For all routes see the long-distance overview; groups travel more comfortably in a minibus.
