Berlin BER: Taxi, Uber, Train or Pre-Booked Transfer in 2026?
BER is 24 to 26 km from central Berlin and has a fast rail link in the basement. That makes Berlin one of the few big airports where the train is the right answer for almost everyone — and the exceptions are worth knowing.
Short answer for Berlin Brandenburg (BER): take the train. The FEX, the S9 and bus X7 all cost €5.00 on an ordinary ABC single — the AB ticket does not cover the airport — and the FEX reaches Hauptbahnhof in 23 to 30 minutes. A taxi on the BER tariff comes to roughly €57–61 for the 24–26 km to Mitte before any time in traffic; Uber averaged about €43. Welcome Pickups is a fixed €61 for a sedan and €95 for a minivan, so a transfer here buys certainty, not savings.
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FEX / S9 / bus X7 | €5.00 (ABC single) | FEX to Hauptbahnhof 23–30 min, 4 an hour 04:00–01:00; 24-hour ABC ticket €12.90 |
| Taxi (BER tariff) | about €57–61 to Mitte | €4.30 start, €2.60/km for 5 km then €2.00/km, €1.50 airport pickup fee; waiting extra |
| Uber | about €43 on average | Uber’s average for BER to Berlin, 26 km and 32 minutes |
| Welcome Pickups | €61 sedan / €95 minivan | Fixed price, driver inside the terminal |
The train wins, but buy the right ticket
The FEX airport express has no fare of its own: it takes an ordinary Berlin ABC single at €5.00. The cheaper AB ticket at €4.00 does not cover BER, and the BC zone ticket was abolished in January 2026. The S9 and bus X7 cost the same on the same ticket. If you will use transport again that day, the 24-hour ABC ticket at €12.90 beats a single plus a separate day pass.
The FEX runs four times an hour from about 4am to 1am and reaches Hauptbahnhof in 23 to 30 minutes.
What a BER taxi really costs
Taxis picking up at BER run on their own tariff: €4.30 to start, €2.60 a kilometre for the first 5 km, then €2.00 a kilometre, plus a €1.50 fee for using the airport taxi lanes. For the 24 to 26 km to Alexanderplatz or Mitte that adds up to roughly €57 to €61 before any time stuck in traffic, which is charged on top. A large taxi for five or more passengers adds €6. Card payment is accepted in all Berlin taxis.
Uber at BER
Uber’s airport page puts the average ride from BER to Berlin at about €43, for 26 km and 32 minutes — roughly €15 under a metered taxi. Like everywhere, the price is set at request time and rises with demand.
When a pre-booked transfer is worth it
On price, almost never in Berlin: Welcome Pickups is a fixed €61 for a sedan and €95 for a minivan, both above the taxi and far above the train. What it buys is a driver waiting inside the terminal, a known price, and child seats. That is worth it for a family with small children, a group with ski bags or bulky luggage, or a late landing after the last FEX. Kiwitaxi, GetTransfer and intui.travel also serve BER; compare their cancellation terms before paying.
The short version
Almost everyone: the FEX or S9 on a €5 ABC ticket. Two people heading somewhere awkward for the train: Uber at about €43. A family with car seats, a group with bulky luggage, or a landing after 1am: a pre-booked car.