Arrival by coach
Coaches are a popular form of transport for people visiting Berlin, and not just for school trips, bowling excursions and senior citizen outings. They are affordable, reliable and comfortable. With a number of coach stations all over the city, you can head straight to your desired location. National and international coach services to Berlin arrive and depart at the central bus station (ZOB) in the Charlottenburg district, opposite the ICC International Congress Centre. Some coaches also stop at Ostbahnhof and Südkreuz, offering good connections to the railway.
Berlin Environmental Zone
The city centre of Berlin is designated as an "environmental zone". This means that only vehicles that comply with certain emission standards and display a sticker with the corresponding emission group are allowed to drive there. Currently, the green environmental sticker is mandatory for almost all types of vehicles. Even buses registered abroad are subject to this obligation and must meet the green sticker standards.
Travelling by bus is not only cheap and convenient, but also environmentally friendly. Find more tips about sustainable Berlin here.
Scheduled coach tickets: Here is a selection of long distance buses in Germany
FlixBus With more than 1,000 connections across Germany, this network of coach (long-distance bus) companies operating under the FlixBus name offers lots of flexibility for travellers.
Free wifi, on-board toilets and snacks are as much a part of the experience as the low ticket prices and the opportunity to make a small contribution to climate protection. You can catch the FlixBus in Berlin at the central coach station (known as the “ZOB”) in Charlottenburg and at Südkreuz. Tickets are available online and through travel agencies.
Eurolines is an association of European bus companies. The route network is correspondingly large and includes 700 destinations in 32 countries. Tickets are available in Germany online or at sales points in Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Ulm.
Eurolines' ticket centres are located in main railway stations or their immediate vicinity. Other travel agencies such as DER or the travel centres of Deutsche Bahn also sell Eurolines tickets.
Regiojet is a Czech bus company and offers three connections to Berlin, with stops in Prague, Dresden, Hanover, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Oslo, among others. On Regiojet buses, you can use the free wifi (but only on Czech territory) and the integrated entertainment panel. There is also a range of snacks and drinks. In addition, the buses are equipped with power sockets and magazines. You can book tickets online.
The bus stop in Berlin is centrally-located near Berlin main station, affording travellers simple connections to the long-distance train services of Deutsche Bahn. A trip that includes travel on both an IC Bus and a train can be completed using a single, combined ticket. Tickets are available for purchase at bahn.com and at DB Travel Centres.
BlaBlaCar Bus: The carpooling provider BlaBlaCar also offers cheap long-distance buses to and from Berlin. Stops in the capital are at the main railway station, the Berlin Cathedral and Berlin Brandenburg BER Airport.
Arrival in Berlin: The Central Bus Station (ZOB)
The Central Bus Station Berlin (ZOB) is used exclusively for long-distance bus travel. The ZOB has 35 stops and is used by long-distance bus services within Germany and throughout Europe as well as by coaches.
The ZOB is located directly at the radio tower (Funkturm) and thus in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition grounds. The station is well connected to Berlin's public transport network. The underground station Kaiserdamm (U2) and the S-Bahn station Messe Nord/ICC (S 41/42/S46) are only a few minutes' walk away. The bus lines M49, 139 and 218 also run directly to the ZOB.
You may also continue your journey within Berlin by taxi. If you want to drive yourself, you can rent a car from a car rental company or try carsharing in Berlin.
The ZOB also has a luggage storage and left-luggage office, a waiting hall and a supervised car park. In addition, snack bars, restaurants and a newspaper kiosk provide refreshments for those waiting.
Arrival by bus at Ostbahnhof
Ostbahnhof in the Friedrichshain district is the second major bus station in Berlin. It is located to the east of Alexanderplatz, right next to the long-distance and S-Bahn stations. So you can change trains or S-Bahn trains directly here. You can reach the main station in about 10 minutes with the S-Bahn lines S5, S7 and S75.
Here you will find a travel centre, Deutsche Bahn information, lockers as well as restaurants, bakeries, press and book shops, and numerous other shops.
Other bus stops in Berlin
Some long-distance bus providers also stop directly at BER Airport, Südkreuz station or Alexanderplatz. From all stops, you have good connections to public transport. Use the local transport network in Berlin.
Tip: With the Berlin WelcomeCard you can travel for free on buses, trams, underground and S-Bahn trains and also get discounts at over 180 attractions.
