- buses and trams in Berlin are managed by BVG, and represent the oldest means of public transport in the city, having been in circulation since 1846.
tickets
Tickets of the BVG are valid both on buses and trams and on the underground and have a duration of 2 hours from validation.
Tickets can be made on board buses and trams, or buy them in advance at the automatic machines positioned on the platforms at the stations. On buses it is also possible to pay directly to the driver.
Once in possession of the ticket, you will have to validate it at the special validating machines on the platforms or on board. In the event of an inspection, an unsubscribed ticket is not valid.
Please note:: the controllers are dressed in plain clothes and are not distinguished from ordinary people, they make no exceptions for tourists and will not let themselves be pity. Anyone caught in the act must show a document or identity card, otherwise the controller is obliged to contact the police.
For all information on timetables and routes, you can visit the official BVG website.
Bus
There are various types of buses in the city: regular buses, MetroBus, ExpressBus and night buses.
- Normal buses: they represent the majority of Berlin buses and consist of 300 lines, numbered from 100 to 399.
- MetroBus: there are 17 MetroBus lines, marked with the letter M, each of which runs every 10 minutes 24 hours a day. Unlike the other lines, MetroBus are also represented on the maps of the tram lines and railways.
- ExpressBus: ExpressBus are marked with the letter X and are 13 fast lines in all, set up mainly to reach the airports or to connect the suburbs to the center, with a few intermediate stops.
- Night buses: night buses are marked with the letter N and cover a total of 45 lines; some of them, those from N1 to N9, replace the U-Bahn during working days, while the others are used to reach the suburbs not served by any other public service.
Bus 100
Berlin's most famous bus is the number 100, which starts at Alexanderplatz and ends at the Zoo, passing by many of the city's tourist attractions. A ride aboard bus 100 is a great way to see Berlin's top attractions for the cost of a simple city day ticket.
Starting from Alexanderplatz, in the Mitte district, walk along Unter den Linden passing in front of the Museum Island until you pass the Brandenburg Gate and then reach the Reichstag building.
You will then be in the Tiergarten district, you will pass under the Victory Column and in front of the Bellevue Castle. Continuing along the Kurfürstendamm (shopping street) and past the Gedächtniskirche, the famous church whose bombed-out roof has been left to memory.
We will then arrive at the terminus, which is the station of the famous Berlin Zoo.
Night buses
At night the subway lines U-Bahn from 1 to 9 are replaced by as many buses, marked with N1 a N9 (except on weekends).
In addition others operate 39 night lines always marked with the letter N and a two-digit number.
Tram
In Berlin there are also 22 tram lines, also managed by the BVG and located almost all in the eastern districts of the city. In the west, the tram has generally been replaced by the underground, with the exception of the Bösebrücke-Seestrasse line, while others are being reactivated.
Of the 22 lines, 9 are the so-called MetroTram, which have a higher frequency (at least every 10 minutes during the day) and travel 24 hours a day.
