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Bustourismus
© visitBerlin, Foto: Lukas Spörl

Arrival by coach

The coach is a popular means of transport to Berlin. Favourable, safe and comfortable. Many bus parking spaces allow flexible boarding and alighting. Most bus routes to and from Berlin lead to the central bus station (ZOB) in the Charlottenburg district, opposite the exhibition grounds.

Environmental badge for coaches

Like all vehicles travelling in Berlin city centre, coaches must also have the green environmental badge and comply with the green badge standard. Travelling by coach is therefore not only cheap and convenient, but also environmentally friendly. Find more tips for your sustainable trip to Berlin here.

More information for bus drivers

Liner bus tickets: Travelling to Berlin with these long-distance bus companies

Gendarmenmarkt mit Blick auf den Deutschen Dom
© visitberlin, Foto: Philip Koschel

FlixBus: With over 1.000 connections across Germany, the network of bus partners under the name FlixBus offers a great deal of flexibility. Free Wi-Fi, toilets and snacks on board are just as much a part of the service as the option to make a small contribution to a climate protection project in addition to the low-cost ticket. Tickets are available both online and from travel agencies.

Regiojet is a Czech bus company and offers a connection between Prague and Berlin, with a stopover in Dresden. In the buses of Regiojet you can use the free WiFi and the integrated entertainment panel, depending on the type of bus. There is also a range of snacks and drinks. The buses are also equipped with power sockets and magazines. You can book tickets online.

BlaBlaCar Bus: The carpooling provider BlaBlaCar offers long-distance buses to and from Berlin. Stops in the capital can be found at the main railway station and the ZOB. 

Arriving in Berlin: The Central Bus Station (ZOB)

Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin
© visitBerlin, Foto: Dirk Mathesius

The Central Bus Station Berlin, or ZOB for short, is used exclusively for long-distance coach travel. The ZOB has 35 stops and is used by long-distance buses and coaches within Germany and throughout Europe.

The ZOB is located directly at the Funkturm and therefore in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition centre. The station is well connected to the Berlin's public transport network. The Kaiserdamm underground station (U2) and the Messe Nord/ICC S-Bahn station (S 41/42/S46) are just a few minutes' walk away. Bus routes M49, 139 and 218 also run directly to the ZOB. A taxi stop allows you to continue your journey within Berlin by taxi. If you want to drive yourself, you can hire a car from a car hire company.

Car sharing in Berlin

The ZOB also has a luggage storage, a waiting hall and a supervised car park. Snack bars, restaurants and a newspaper kiosk also offer refreshments and catering for those waiting.

More about the ZOB

Arriving by bus at Ostbahnhof

Connection to the S-Bahn: View from the Warschauer Brücke at Ostbahnhof at sunset
Connection to the S-Bahn: View from the Warschauer Brücke at Ostbahnhof at sunset © visitberlin, Foto: Philip Koschel

The Ostbahnhof in the Friedrichshain district is the second largest bus station in Berlin. It is located to the east of Alexanderplatz, right next to the long-distance and S-Bahn station. You can therefore change directly to the train or S-Bahn here. You can reach the main station in about 10 minutes with the S-Bahn lines S5, S7 and S75. 

You will find a travel centre, a Deutsche Bahn information desk, lockers, restaurants, bakeries, press and book shops, as well as numerous other shops.

More about Ostbahnhof

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 a good connection to the Local 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 receive discounts at over 180 attractions.

Berlin WelcomeCard

Environmental zone Berlin

The city centre of Berlin is designated as an "Environmental zone" (Umweltzone). 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 badge is mandatory for almost all vehicle types. Even buses registered abroad are subject to this obligation and must fulfil the standards of the green sticker.

Information on the environmental zone