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travel & transportation

Getting to (Freie Univeristät) Berlin

getting to berlin

Freie Universität Berlin has declared a climate emergency in 2019 and is committed to attaining climate neutrality by 2025. Therefore, we would like to encourage you to consider travelling to #ESIL2025 in a climate-friendly way.

getting to berlin by train

  • During daytime there are a large number of direct international connections to Berlin, in particluar from/to Amsterdam (6:30h), Basel/Bern (7:20h), Bratislava (8:30h), Budapest (11h), Graz, Paris (8:00h), Prague (4h), Vienna (8:20h), Warsaw (5h) and Zurich (8:30h). Additionally, there are a number of convenient international connections with only one transfer.

    • from Brussels via Cologne (6:30h)

    • from Straßbourg via Mannheim/Karlsruhe/Frankfurt (6:30h)

    • from Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and Lyon via Frankfurt (12:15h/10:15h)

    • from Kopenhagen via Hamburg (7h)

    • from Ljubljana, Villach and Salzburg via Munich

    • from Bologna, Verona and Innsbruck via Munich

 

  • Tickets can be purchased from the Deutsche Bahn here. Note, that the high-speed line between Hamburg and Berlin will be undergoing a general refurbishment in summer/autumn 2025, which will increase journey times via diversion routes by 45 minutes.

  • Additionally, there are several direct overnight trains to Berlin from/to Amsterdam, Basel, Bratislava, Brussels, Budapest, Graz, Kopenhagen, Paris, Prague, Stockholm, Straßbourg, Vienna and Zurich. For a list of the respective operators and ticketing platforms, see here.


getting to berlin by plane

Following the closure of Tegel in November 2020, Berlin has only one airport - Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) - located 25 km south-east of Berlin. There are direct flights to many European cities, but the range of flights is somewhat narrower than you would expect from a capital airport, partly because no airline has a hub here.

arriving in berlin

getting from train stations to Freie Universität Berlin

If your train also calls at Berlin Südkreuz or at Berlin Spandau, it is recommended that you disembark at these stations (whichever comes first) to reach Freie Universität Berlin more efficiently. Otherwise (and to get to the city center) disembark at Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central station).
 


getting from the airport to Freie Universität Berlin

There are two recommended ways to get from BER Airport to Freie Universität Berlin by public transport. In both cases, the journey time is approx. 1 hour and the fare is 4,40€ one-way (Berlin ABC fare zone). Current connections and (slower) alternatives can be found here.
 

  • Take S45 (departing every 20 minutes) in the direction of Berlin Südkreuz. At Berlin Südkreuz change to S41 (circle line clockwise - departing on the same platform), at Heidelberger Platz change to the U3 in the direction of Krumme Lanke and get off at Freie Universität (Thielplatz).

  • Take S9 (departing every 20 minutes) in the direction of Spandau or regional trains FEX, RE8, RB23 or RE24 (one departing every 15 minutes) to Ostkreuz. At Ostkreuz change to S41 (circle line clockwise), at Heidelberger Platz change to U3 in the direction of Krumme Lanke and get off at Freie Universität (Thielplatz).
     

getting from the airport to the city center

To get from BER Airport to the city center, several options are available. All are direct connections and the fare is 4,40€ one-way (Berlin ABC fare zone). On regional trains, the journey takes approx. 15 minutes to Ostkreuz, 25 minutes to Alexanderplatz and 30-35 minutes to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central station)
 

  • FEX (Airport Express) departs every 30 minutes (at XX:28 and XX:58) and calls at Ostkreuz, Gesundbrunnen, and Berlin Hauptbahnhof

  • RE8 and RB23 depart alternately every 30 minutes (at XX:13 and XX:44) and call at Ostkreuz, Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Zoologischer Garten and Charlottenburg.

  • S9 departs every 20 minutes (at XX:09, XX:29 and XX:49) and takes the same route as RE8 and RB23, but also calls at intermediary stops.


There are also five different car rental companies stationed in Terminal 1, as well a taxi rank and multiple types of carsharing providers. More information can be found on the airport website.

getting to freie universität 

Addresses:
Law department: Van't-Hoff-Straße 8, 14195 Berlin
Henry-Ford-Bau: Garystraße 35, 14195 Berlin

Public transport
The university is served by the underground train U3 at the station Freie Universität (Thielplatz). The U3 connects to the circle line S41/S42. Multiple busses (101, 110, 115, 285, 623, X10, M11, M48) and the S-Bahn S1 are a walkable distance (up to 20 minutes) from campus.

You can travel around Berlin conveniently by underground train (U-Bahn) and overground train (S-Bahn), bus and tram.
Information on tickets and prices can be found here. The easiest way to search for connections and buy tickets is to use the official BVG app, which you can download here.
 

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