The network of local transport in Berlin consists of 1703 kilometres of bus lines, 190 kilometres of tramlines and 479 kilometres of S and U-Bahn tracks. The extended system of U and S-Bahns, buses and trams will take you easily, safely and cheaply to any sight or attraction.The companies Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), an institution under public ownership, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, Verkehrsbetriebe Potsdam GmbH (ViP) and other organisations are all partners of the Verkehrsverbundes Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB - Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association). The German states of Berlin and Brandenburg and the rural districts of Brandenburg are combined in the largest German transport association by area.
The largest portion of the local transport services are provided by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe BVG, the largest communal transport company in Germany. The newly formed BVG started work on 1st January 1929. This means that this year BVG is celebrating (quietly and without a fuss) its 80th birthday. BVG takes Berliners and their guests to their destination, by bus, U-Bahn, tram and ferry . All together, with reference to their performance, BVG's vehicles "circle" the globe around 5800 times - that works out as 18 times a day.

Every year, BVG alone transports around 906 million passengers; that is equivalent to more than 2.4 million people a day. The second biggest transport service provider in Berlin is S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, a subsidiary as 100% subsidiary of the DB Mobility Logistics AG. S-Bahn Berlin provides more than 40 percent of the capital's transport services in local public transport, with its 15 lines, transporting more than 1.3 million passengers a day. Together, Berlin's transport companies serve a metropolitan area with 3.4 million inhabitants in an area of operations of almost 1000km².

BVG and the S-Bahn Berlin not only ensure the mobility of Berliners and the city's visitors: they also guarantee a significant part of the quality of life in the city. Commuters, tourists from all over the world, young people going out in Berlin's "Szene" in the evening, senior citizens, passengers on excursions just looking for relaxation - all use the public transport, without which Berlin would be unthinkable.
So that Berliners and their guests keep using buses and trains, the local public transport system is being made continuously more attractive. This includes both the successful improvement of choice and services and high environmental standards. For example, BVG buses run on sulphur-free diesel and use filters which practically eliminate emissions of carbon monoxide and soot particles.

Berlin's local transport in brief:

• 11 U-Bahn lines with 173 stations. Overnight on Fri/Sat, Sat/Sun and before bank holidays, 8 lines run every 15 minutes. On other nights, the U-Bahns are replaced by buses, which follow the course of the U-Bahn lines as far as possible. These lines are called N1 to N9. So the N1 replaces the U1 during the day, for example, the N2 the U2 etc.
• 15 S-Bahn lines with 166 stations. In addition the S-Bahns run overnight on Fri/Sat, Sat/Sun and before bank holidays. A number of lines run beyond the city limits of Berlin.
• 9 MetroTram lines, which run 24 hours.
• 13 tram lines
• 7 MetroBus lines, which run 24 hours.
• 196 bus lines, including 65 which run every 30 minutes throughout the night.
• 6 ferries, including 3 which operate all year round.
• All lines are part of the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg. There are good value tariff offers for visitors to Berlin.
• A large number of stations and vehicles have disabled access.
• Overnight there are 50 connection points with secured connections. Large numbers of the facilities and vehicles are under CCTV surveillance.
• With the exception of the ferries, the stops are announced. The overwhelming majority of vehicles also have displays showing the stops.

The Berlin Tourist Information is looking forward to your visit!

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