Getting Around Berlin
Berlin has more than one business centre. The government district lies in the bend of the Spree: the Reichstag, the Federal Chancellery on Willy-Brandt-Straße and the parliament buildings that form a bridge across the river. Berlin Hauptbahnhof is close by, so a delegation that comes by train starts its day a few minutes from its appointments. Add the train and its arrival time to the booking, and the car is scheduled for that arrival.
The exhibition grounds under the Funkturm are in the west, about 10 km from the Brandenburg Gate, 20–25 minutes by car. They have 160,000 m² of hall space in 26 connected halls, and the CityCube next to them holds up to 11,000 congress participants on three levels.
For a day of meetings that moves between the ministries, an office in Charlottenburg and the Messe, book by the hour: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
The inner city within the S-Bahn ring, about 88 km², is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone) open only to vehicles with a green sticker. Send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop.
Airport Transfers in Berlin
Berlin has a single commercial airport. BER opened in October 2020 in Schönefeld, Brandenburg, south-east of the city, and serves both Berlin and Brandenburg. From the centre it is 25 km, 35–45 minutes. Flights use Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, a short walk apart; Ryanair is the main airline in Terminal 2, so give your terminal in the booking and the car goes there.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is 173 km away, 2 hours to 2 hours 40 minutes, and Dresden Airport 184 km, 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes. They come into question only if your flight lands there. The right one depends on your airline and route.
Book with your flight number. For an arrival, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pickup to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur. For a departure from Berlin, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: 35–45 minutes from the centre, longer at rush hour and in the weeks of the big fairs. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pickup time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Cross-Border Travel from Berlin
Potsdam is 35 km south-west, 40–55 minutes, near enough for a meeting at the Hasso Plattner Institute or an afternoon at Sanssouci between two days in Berlin. Leipzig is 189 km south, 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes, and Dresden 191 km, 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes. Leipzig's trade-fair grounds have five halls with 111,300 m² under cover, and the ICC in Dresden holds up to 6,000 delegates. Hamburg is 290 km north-west, 3 hours 5 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes. With the booking running from the hotel to the office in the other city, there is no change of train, and the bags stay in the boot the whole way.
Poland is the nearest neighbouring country. Szczecin is 151 km north-east, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes. A drive to Szczecin is one reservation, with the same chauffeur and car from start to finish, with no change of vehicle at the border.
Germany has notified the European Commission of temporary checks at its internal land borders, including the border with Poland. Carry the travel documents your nationality and itinerary require.
Groups & Congress Travel in Berlin
Berlin's year has a few fixed peaks. The Internationale Grüne Woche opens the fair calendar at the Messe in January. The Berlinale film festival takes over cinemas and hotels in February, ITB Berlin brings the travel trade to the grounds in March, and IFA fills the halls at the start of September. In one of those weeks a delegation may need cars for guests on different flights, a hotel shuttle to the CityCube and an evening event in Mitte.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If the delegation lands on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For a group that moves together, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats; the vehicle is matched to the load.
Book early for January to March, early September and late November. Local vehicles and drivers are booked up early in those weeks. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
