Getting around Berlin by public transport (BVG, S-Bahn and VBB tickets)

Berlin's fare area is split into three zones:

• Zone A is the inner city up to and including the S-Bahn ring (Ringbahn).
• Zone B runs from the ring to the city boundary.
• Zone C covers the area around Berlin, roughly 15 km beyond the city limits, including Potsdam and the BER airport.

Tickets are sold for AB or ABC. An AB ticket covers every journey within the city limits, so most residents only ever need AB. You need ABC (or an AB ticket plus an extension ticket) when you go out to zone C, for example to BER or Potsdam.

If you already hold an AB ticket, the extension ticket (Anschlussfahrausweis) adds one trip into zone C. In 2026 it costs €2.40; for a 24-hour AB ticket there is a matching 24-hour extension for €5.60.

Prices below are the VBB fares valid from January 2026 (regular fare, reduced fare in brackets). Reduced fares are for children aged 6 to 14; children under 6 travel free.

• Short trip (Kurzstrecke): €2.80 (€2.10). Up to three S-Bahn or U-Bahn stations, changing only within the S-Bahn and U-Bahn network, or up to six tram or bus stops without changing. No breaks or return trips.
• Single ticket AB: €4.00 (€2.50). Single ticket ABC: €5.00 (€3.50). Valid for 120 minutes in one direction; you can change and interrupt the trip as often as you like within that time, but return and round trips are not allowed.
• 4-trip ticket AB: €12.40 (€7.40), four single tickets at a discount. There is also a 4-trip short-trip ticket for €7.80.
• 24-hour ticket AB: €11.20 (€7.40). ABC: €12.90 (€8.00). Unlimited trips for 24 hours from validation.
• 24-hour small group ticket AB: €35.30, for up to five people travelling together.
• Monthly ticket AB (Monatskarte, VBB-Umweltkarte): €113.00. It runs for one month from any start date you choose and is transferable.
• Monthly subscription AB (VBB-Umweltkarte im Abo): €81.30 per month.
• Deutschlandticket: €63 per month, nationwide local and regional transport, subscription only.
• Berlin-Ticket S: €27.50 per month for AB, for people who receive certain social benefits and hold a Berlin entitlement.

Prices for 2027. The VBB has published new fares from January 2027, still subject to official approval (as of 24 September 2026). Among them: the single ticket AB stays at €4.00, the single ticket ABC rises to €5.20, the short trip to €2.90, the 24-hour ticket AB to €11.50 and the monthly ticket AB to €117.20. Separately, the federal states' transport ministers decided on 30 September 2026 that the Deutschlandticket will cost €66.80 per month from 1 January 2027. Check the VBB price list before you buy in the new year.

• First days or occasional trips. Single tickets, a 4-trip ticket or a 24-hour ticket.
• You travel most days. At 2026 prices the Deutschlandticket (€63) costs less than 16 single AB tickets and much less than a monthly AB ticket, and it also works in every other German city and on regional trains. For most residents it is the default choice.
• You want to share or take people along. The VBB-Umweltkarte is transferable, so someone else can use it on a day you do not. On weekday evenings from 20:00 and all day on weekends, public holidays, 24 and 31 December, it also lets you take up to four people along, of whom only one may be older than 14. The Deutschlandticket is personal and does not allow this.
• Students, trainees and school pupils usually have their own products (semester ticket, trainee and school tickets). Check what your university, school or employer offers before you buy.

• Apps. BVG offers the BVG Fahrinfo app (journey planner with ticket sales) and the BVG Ticket app; S-Bahn Berlin has its own app, and the Jelbi app combines public transport with sharing services. Phone tickets are valid from the moment you buy them or from the start time you select, so they do not need stamping.
• Ticket machines stand on S-Bahn and U-Bahn platforms and in trams.
• On buses you can buy tickets from the driver, but only cashless, with a contactless bank card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or a BVG prepaid card.
• Customer centres of BVG and S-Bahn Berlin sell all tickets and subscriptions.

Paper tickets bought in advance, including each strip of a 4-trip ticket, are not valid until you stamp them. Use the small validators (Entwerter):

• on S-Bahn and U-Bahn platforms, before you board the train;
• in buses and trams, as soon as you get on.

Check that the date and time were printed. Tickets bought on board a bus or tram, and phone tickets, are already valid. If a validator at your station is broken, tell the staff straight away; inspectors only accept this if you report it yourself before they ask.

Inspectors check tickets on all lines. If you have no valid ticket, have not validated it, or cannot show it, you pay an increased fare (erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt) of €60 under the VBB conditions (2026), or double the normal fare if that is higher.

• If you cannot pay the full amount on the spot, you can pay €10 and receive a payment request for the rest. The open amount is due within 14 days; each written reminder adds a fee of at least €5.
• You can pay or handle the case online through BVG's EBE portal, using the number printed at the top of the receipt.
• Forgot your subscription card? If you hold a valid personal subscription or time ticket and prove it within one week, the charge drops to €7. This does not apply to transferable tickets.
• Personalised tickets such as the Deutschlandticket are only valid with an official photo ID, so carry one.

Deliberately riding without paying can also be prosecuted as a criminal offence (Erschleichen von Leistungen, section 265a of the Criminal Code), separately from the penalty fare.

Berlin runs a night network. At weekends the U-Bahn runs through the night. On the nights from Sunday to Friday, night buses N1 to N9 replace the corresponding U-Bahn lines U1 to U9 once trains stop, and other night bus lines marked with an N cover further routes. BVG's night network map also shows which S-Bahn, MetroTram and MetroBus lines run at night; download it from the BVG network maps page. Night buses also serve the BER airport.

• Prams, wheelchairs and luggage travel free.
• Bikes are allowed on the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and regional trains where there is space, through the doors marked with a bike symbol. Prams and wheelchairs have priority, and there is no guaranteed right to take a bike. Buses do not take bikes, except the night buses N1 to N9 when there is room. You need a bike ticket for your zones (2026: single AB €2.70, 24-hour AB €5.90, monthly AB €14.60). Only some personal tickets for trainees, school pupils and students include a bike in Berlin; the VBB-Umweltkarte and the Deutschlandticket do not. A fully folded folding bike counts as hand luggage.
• E-scooters (electric kick scooters) are not allowed in U-Bahn stations, U-Bahn trains, trams or buses. S-Bahn Berlin permits them only under conditions it publishes, so check before you travel.
• Dogs. With a single, 4-trip or short-trip ticket you need a reduced-fare ticket for each dog. With a 24-hour ticket, a monthly or subscription ticket, or a Deutschlandticket inside the VBB area, one dog travels free; further dogs need a reduced ticket. Dogs must wear a lead and a muzzle unless they are small and carried in a closed container. Guide and assistance dogs always travel free.

According to BVG, 86% of U-Bahn stations can be reached without steps, all buses have ramps, and all tram lines run accessible vehicles. S-Bahn Berlin reports that 161 of its 168 stations are barrier-free; it publishes current lift and escalator outages. If you need help boarding an S-Bahn train, use the first door at the front so staff can bring a ramp.

• VBB-BAV (barrier-free alternative transport). If a lift is broken or a station has no step-free access and you cannot continue your trip because of a disability, call 030 25 41 44 44. Staff look for an alternative route and, if there is none, arrange a suitable taxi to a nearby accessible station at no extra cost; your normal ticket stays valid. It replaced BVG's former Muva service, which ended in February 2026.
• VBB Bus and Train Guide Service (Begleitservice): free personal assistance from your door to your destination; book on (030) 346 49 940.

BER is in zone C, so you need an ABC ticket (2026: €5.00 single) or an AB ticket plus a €2.40 extension ticket. The Deutschlandticket covers all of the following:

• the FEX airport express between BER and Berlin Hauptbahnhof, which uses the normal VBB fares;
• S-Bahn trains (including the S9) and several regional train lines;
• express buses X7 and X71 to U Rudow on the U7, which run very frequently;
• night buses when trains stop.

Use a journey planner for the current lines and times; services change with timetable updates and engineering works.