Transportation to Berlin

Getting to Berlin for #WCEU

Whether you plan to travel to Berlin by plane, train, and automobile, we have guidance, directions, and special discounts for you.

By plane

Berlin is serviced by two airports: Berlin Tegel (TXL) in the north and Berlin Schönefeld (SXF) in the south. There are flights to and from 150 destinations in 56 countries.

• From Europe: There are direct flights from most major cities, including Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Brussels, Budapest, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris, Sofia, Stockholm, Vienna, Zagreb, Zurich and many more, with  round-trip tickets costing less than €100. Most major airlines fly to Tegel, and most low-cost airlines fly to Schönefeld.
• From North America: There are direct flights from New York (JFK and EWR); and starting  summer 2019, there will be direct flights from Philadelphia (PHL) and Toronto (YYZ).

• From the Middle East: There is a direct flight to and from Doha (DOH).
• From  Asia: There are direct flights to and from Beijing (PEK) and Singapore (SIN).

If you fly to Berlin from other destinations, you need a connecting flight via a European airport such as London (LHR), Amsterdam (AMS), Zurich (ZRH), Frankfurt (FRA), or Munich (MUC).

Lufthansa, the official airline group of WCEU 2019, is offering a special worldwide discount to all attendees. To take advantage of this offer, you must:

• Select a flight or flights on Austrian, Brussels, Eurowings, Finnair, Lufthansa, SWISS.
• Start your journey as early as 13 June 2019 and finish by 29 June 2019.
• Book one-way or round-trip/return tickets before 22 June 2019.

Note: Pop-ups must be enabled in your browser or the booking platform will not open.

To begin searching/booking flights:

1. Go to: www.lh.com/event-flight-booking.
2. Scroll down to Event Code.
3. Enter DEZQWFJ, and select Proceed to Booking. This takes you to a WordCamp Europe 2019 page on Lufthansa.com that displays flights with the discount applied or even better promotional fares. Eurowings customers should follow the alternative link, then continue to step 4.
4. Enter the origin and destination airports, dates of travel, and class to begin your search.
5. Explore prices for Economy or Business class and/or select your preferred flights to book and pay.

Be aware that the discount, which is between 3-10 percent, varies greatly by route, dates of travel, and time of booking. You may find a better price on other websites, and we encourage you to experiment and comparison-shop before committing to booking flights.

Transfers to Berlin city centre and venue

Tegel (TXL)

Tegel is closer to the city centre but not to the Estrel venue.

• Public transportation – Travel time is between 45-60 minutes. Take the TXL to Beusselstrasse or X9 bus to Jungfernheide, transfer to S41 and get off at Sonnenallee. Walk 350 meters (two blocks) to Estrel. Ticket costs 2.80 euros.
• Taxi – Travel time is approximately 20-30 minutes to the Estrel venue, depending on traffic, and estimated cost is 43 euros.

More info on public transport tickets and taxi cabs at: Getting around Berlin.

Schönefeld (SXF)

Schönefeld is farther from the city centre but closer to the Estrel venue.

• Bus – Travel time is 50 minutes. Take 171 to Sonnenallee/Saalestr. and walk 350 meters (two blocks) to Estrel. Ticket costs 2.25 euros.
• Train – Travel time is 30 minutes. Take RB14 Nauen to Ostkreuz, transfer to S41 and get off at Sonnenallee. Walk 350 meters (2 blocks) to Estrel. Ticket costs 3.40 euros.
• Taxi – Travel time is approximately 15-20 minutes to the Estrel venue, depending on traffic, and estimated cost is 29 euros.

More info on public transport tickets and taxi cabs at: Getting around Berlin.

Car rental/hire

Should you be renting/hiring a car and driving to the WCEU venue from TXL or SXF, follow the directions given at: Location & Directions to Estrel.

By train

Deutsche Bahn operates most trains in Germany.

The majority of  trains stop at the central station, ‘Berlin Hauptbahnhof’, arriving above ground at ‘Berlin Hbf’ or underground at ‘Berlin Hbf (tief)’.And high speed and fast trains (ICE and IC) will not only stop at the central station, but often also at Spandau, Gesundbrunnen, Ostbahnhof, or Südkreuz.

From major cities, there is usually a train to Berlin about once an hour.

Getting to the Estrel venue:

• If your train stops at Südkreuz, get off here,  transfer to the ‘S-Bahn’ S42, and get off after three stops at Sonnenallee station. Walk 350 meters (2 blocks) to the Estrel venue.
• If your train does not stop at Südkreuz, get off at Ostbahnhof or Hauptbahnhof,  transfer to the S-bahn’ train S3, S5 or S7, get off at Ostkreuz, then transfer to S41, and get off at Sonnenallee station. Walk 350 meters (2 blocks) to the Estrel venue.

S-bahn trains run frequently, usually every 5 minutes, and late into the night. Schedules can be found via navigation apps such as Google Maps.

Train Tickets

Tickets can be as low as €19.90 for a single trip within Germany and €39.90 from destinations outside Germany. These  tickets are limited, so book early.

• Regular priced tickets (Flexpreis / Flexible fare) can be used with any train on the booked day or, sometimes, a range of dates around that day.
• Low-price tickets (Sparpreis / Savings fare) are typically bound to a specific train/connection.

Deutsche Bahn has extended a special discount to all WCEU attendees. To take advantage of this “special event ticket” offer:

1. Use these links.
   DE for German: https://vat.db-app.de/certify?event=649&language=de
   EN for English: https://vat.db-app.de/certify?event=649&language=en
2. Select whether you want to book a one-way outbound/return journey or both.  
3. Enter your origin train station.
4. Select a destination train station from the dropdown:
   Berlin Sonnenallee (Venue)
   Berlin Ostbahnhof
   Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
5. Enter your dates of travel, number of people traveling, and other preferences.
6. Search.
7. Select the ‘Veranstaltungsticket’ tickets in 1st class or 2nd class.
8. Select a seat – Included in 1st class; optional in 2nd class.
9. Complete personal/billing details to book and pay.

A confirmation with “online ticket” PDF is sent to the email address you indicated. It is possible to exchange or cancel the ticket at the bahn.com website, if your plans change.

Deutsche Bahn requests that special event tickets be accompanied by an official event ticket, so you must print out the WordCamp Europe ticket confirmation email or show the email that you are attending/volunteering if asked for it. More info at: Event Tickets FAQ. 

By automobile

Knowing a bit about the German autobahn and being familiar with the Berliner ring and rules of the Environmental Zone in Berlin is helpful if opting to drive to WordCamp Europe. We’ve also provided recommended routes and parking information.

Autobahn

The German autobahn (highway/motorway) is safe, well maintained and, despite rumours, not a race track! Yes, some stretches  have no speed limit, but for safety it is best to follow the recommended speed of 130 km/h.

Environmental Zone

The Environmental Zone, or low-emission zone, is the inner city of Berlinsurrounded by the S-Bahn train system lines S41 and S42 that cars may only enter with a verified  green sticker.

The Estrel venue is outside this zone, so you do not need a green sticker.

However, If you intend to travel inside the Berlin Environmental Zone with your car, first check that your vehicle is eligible and then purchase a green sticker. If your car only qualifies for a yellow or red sticker, you are prohibited from entering the Environmental Zone with this vehicle.

It is easy, reliable, and inexpensive to travel around Berlin using public transport. More info at: Getting Around Berlin.

Berliner Ring

Greater Berlin is encircled by autobahn  A10, which is called the Berliner Ring. From whichever direction you approach Berlin, you will end up on  A10.

Getting to the Estrel venue

Most will use Google Maps or another navigation app to find their way to the Berlin city centre or Estrel venue, but we provided these directions in case you would like local guidance.

• From the north (Scandinavia via Hamburg or ferry ports Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock, Stralsund) via A24, you will enter A10 at “Dreieck Havelland.” As you are on the direct opposite side of the ring to the venue, you may choose either direction on the Berliner Ring.

• From the east via Frankfurt (Oder) or Poland via A12, you will enter A10 at “Dreieck Spreeau” and should follow signs for “Potsdam.”
• From the south east (Dresden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Balkans) is to stay on A13 and cross A10 Berliner Ring.
• From the south west (Leipzig, Bavaria, Switzerland, Italy) will enter A10 via A9 at “Dreieck Potsdam.” Follow directions above in the second bullet for “Frankfurt (Oder).”
• From the west (Hannover, the Netherlands, Belgium) via A2, you will enter A10 at “Dreieck Werder.” Follow directions above in the second bullet for “Frankfurt (Oder).”

Inside Berlin

Once at “Schönefelder Kreuz,” where A13 from the south east crosses the Berliner Ring, head onto A113 and get off at exit 26 “Grenzallee” in the direction of A100.

Turn right at the end of the exit onto “Bergiusstrasse,” and turn left  at “Haberstrasse.” Go to the end of “Haberstrasse,” turn left at “Neuköllnsche Allee” to get back to “Grenzallee.” This detour is  caused by road work on A100.

Turn right onto “Grenzallee” and then left onto “Sonnenallee.” The Estrel venue is on your right.

Parking

The Estrel venue has  450 spaces in the underground parking lot. There is also an outdoor, uncovered parking lot across the street with 225 spaces at Sonnenallee 228. These are the charges for both:

First come, first served – no reservations.

Street parking is limited and best suited if only visiting for a short time (1-3 hours).

*Note: The Estrel venue gave us a different rate of 15 euros daily rate for the outside parking lot at Sonnenallee 228 on 10 June, so we’re unsure if they need to update their website. The underground parking garage prices are as above.