Schönefeld Airport (SXF) is located about 20 kilometres / 12 miles southeastern of Berlin’s city centre. It is a base for budget airlines such as easyJet, Germania and Ryanair.
However, the new Brandenburg Airport is expected to become the single airport serving Berlin when it opens in the autumn of 2020 (unless it is delayed once again).
Unlike Berlin’s main airport Tegel, Schönefeld can be reached by train. The station is a five-minute walk from the terminal via a covered walkway. Here are the best ways to travel from Schönefeld Airport to Berlin city centre.
By Train
The Airport Express (RE 7 / RB 14) offers the fastest and cheapest way to and from Schönefeld Airport.
Running every half an hour between 4am and 11pm, the train connects the airport and Alexanderplatz in 20 minutes and the Berlin Hauptbahnhof train station in 30 minutes. The ticket is €3.60 (Zone ABC).
The urban train (S-Bahn) is another alternative. Running every 10/20 minutes, S9 connects downtown Berlin and the airport – you pay the same as on Airport Express and the route is similar except that it has more stops, taking longer.
Tickets can be purchased at ticket vending machines, which have an English version, in Terminal A, in the station or on the platform. Don’t forget to validate your ticket. For more information, check out www.vbb.de.
By Bus
The bus is not the best option to get to central Berlin. With that said, you can take the express bus X7 to the U-Bahn (underground) station Rudow and from there continue to the city centre on line U7. There’s also the night bus N7 that goes to S+U Spandau.
Taxi
Taxis are located just outside Terminal A. At the time of writing, a taxi ride between Schönefeld and the city centre costs about €45.
