Berlin U-Bahn — Map, Lines, Route, Hours, Tickets (2024)

Berlin U-Bahn Information

The Berlin U-Bahn is a rapid transit system serving Berlin, Germany. The system began operations in 1902 and currently has 10 lines serving 170 stations. The system has a total track length of 151.7 km (94.3 miles). The system is owned and operated by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). According to 2012 statistics, the system had an average daily ridership of 1,390,000 passengers and an annual ridership of 507.3 million passengers. It is integrated with the Berlin S-Bahn and is an integral part of the public transport system in Berlin.

This transport system is commonly referred to as the U-Bahn. With a staggering 1,390,000 passengers using its services every day, it’s a vital part of Berlin’s infrastructure. Service runs from 4:30am to 00:30am (M-D), with 24-hour service on Friday and Saturday nights.

Although it lacks certain amenities such as air conditioning and screen doors on the platforms, passengers have the convenience of being able to walk between platforms. It should be noted that there are no driverless trains in operation.

The metro has an average speed of 30.70km/h and can reach a maximum speed of 72km/h. It operates on an honour system, with fares set at EUR 2.10 (as of 2009) and current ticket prices ranging from EUR 2.70 to EUR 3.30. The entire operation is efficiently managed by the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).

For further details, you can visit the Berlin Metro Official Website or contact them via phone at +49 030 1944 9.

Berlin U-Bahn Map

Map of Berlin U-Bahn showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or download the Berlin U-Bahn map in PDF format.

Berlin Metro Lines (U-Bahn)

The Berlin underground consists of 10 lines, including the U55 extension. Some of the lines run underground, others on the surface.

Line U1 (green)

The U1 line runs from East to West Berlin, from Uhlandstrasse to Warschauer Strasse, with a journey time of approximately 21 minutes. It covers a distance of 8.8 km and serves 13 stations. As the oldest line in Berlin, opened in 1902, it includes the first stations in the system and offers tourist attractions such as the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Kurfürstendamm and the KaDeWe department store on Wittenbergplatz.

Stations: Uhlandstrasse, Kurfürstendamm, Wittenbergplatz, Nollendorfplatz, Kurfürstenstrasse, Gleisdreieck, Möckernbrücke, Hallesches Tor, Prinzenstrasse, Kottbusser Tor, Görlitzer Bahnhof, Schlesisches Tor, Warschauer Strasse.

Line U2 (red)

The red line, U2, runs from Ruhleben station in West Berlin to Pankow in the east, terminating at Nordbahnhof. It serves 29 stations over a distance of 20.7 km, with the full journey taking approximately 47 minutes. Notable stops on this line include Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz, the Zoo and the Deutsche Oper.

Stations: Ruhleben, Olympia-Stadion, Neu-Westend, Theodor-Heuss-Platz, Kaiserdamm, Sophie-Charlotte-Platz, Bismarckstrasse, Deutsche Oper, Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Zoo, Wittenbergplatz, Nollendorfplatz, Bülowstrasse, Gleisdreieck, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park, Potsdamer Platz, Mohrenstrasse, Stadtmitte, Hausvogteiplatz, Spittelmarkt, Märkisches Museum, Klosterstrasse, Alexanderplatz, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Senefelderplatz, Eberswalder Strasse, Schönhauser Alle, Vinetastrasse, Pankow.

Line U3 (green-blue)

The U3 line starts at Krumme Lanke station in the southwest of the city and ends at Nollendorfplatz station in the centre of Berlin. It is 11.9 km long and serves 15 stations, with a full journey taking around 24 minutes. Although it’s not specifically designed for tourists, it still provides an important link within the city.

Line U4 (yellow)

The U4, also known as the yellow line, runs from Nollendorfplatz to Innsbrucker Platz. It is the shortest line in the Berlin Underground, covering 2.9 km, with 5 stations and a journey time of just six minutes. It was inaugurated in 1910.

Stations: Innsbrucker Platz, Rathaus Schöneberg, Bayerischer Platz, Viktoria-Luise-Platz, Nollendorfplatz.

Line U5 (brown)

From Hönow in the east to Alexanderplatz, the U5 takes you to Friedrichshain via Frankfurter Station. The U55 line to Hauptbahnhof also starts here. The U5 is 18.4 km long and serves 20 stations, with a total journey time of around 33 minutes.

Stations: Alexanderplatz, Schillingstrasse, Strausberger Platz, Weberwiese, Frankfurter Tor, Samariterstrasse, Frankfurter Allee, Magdalenstrasse, Lichtenberg, Friedrichsfelde, Tierpark, Biesdorf-Süd, Elsterwerda Platz, Wuhletal, Kaulsdorf Nord, Neue Grottkauer Strasse, Cottbusser Platz, Hellersdorf, Louis-Lewin-Strasse, Hönow.

Line U55

The U55 line is an extension of the U5 line. It is 1.8 km long and serves only three stations. This line was built in 2009 and the total journey time is about 2 minutes.

Stations: Hauptbahnhof, Bundestag, Brandenburg Tor.

Line U6 (purple)

The U6 line starts at Alt-Tegel station in the north-west, runs to Friedrichstrasse station in the centre and ends at Alt-Mariendorf station in the south. It covers a distance of 19.9 km and serves 29 stations, with a journey time of approximately 38 minutes. A notable station on this line is Kochstraße.

Stations: Alt Tegel, Borsigwerke, Holzhauser Strasse, Otisstrasse, Scharnweberstrasse, Kurt-Schumacher-Platz, Afrikanische Strasse, Rehberge, Seestrasse, Leopoldplatz, Wedding, Reinickendorferstrasse, Schwartzkopffstrasse, Zinnowitzer Strasse, Oranienburger Tor, Friedrichstrasse, Französische Strasse, Stadtmitte, Kochstrasse, Hallesches Tor, Mehringdamm, Platz der Luftbrücke, Paradestrasse, Tempelhof, Alt-Tempelhof, Kaiserin-Augusta-Strasse, Ullsteinstrasse, Westphalweg, Alt-Mariendorf.

Line U7 (hellblau)

The U7 line (light blue) is the longest underground line in Berlin. Over a distance of 32 kilometres, it serves 40 stations with a total journey time of 57 minutes. The line starts at Rathaus Spandau station in the north-west and ends at Rudow station in the south-east. An interesting station on this line is Richard-Wagner-Platz, which is located near Charlottenburg Palace.

Stations: Rathaus Spandau, Altstadt Spandau, Zitadelle, Haselhorst, Paulsternstraße, Rohrdamm, Siemensdamm, Halemweg, Jakob-Kaiser-Platz, Jungfernheide, Mierendorffplatz, Richard-Wagner-Platz, Bismarckstraße, Wilmersdorferstraße, Adenauerplatz, Konstanzer Straße, Fehrbelliner Platz, Blissestraße, Berlinerstraße, Bayerischer Platz, Eisenacherstraße, Kleistpark, Yorckstraße, Möckernbrücke, Mehringdamm, Gneisenaustraße, Südstern, Hermannplatz, Rathaus Neukölln, Karl-Marx-Straße, Neukölln, Grenzzallee, Blaschkoallee, Parchimer Allee, Britz-Süd, Johannisthaler Chaussee, Lipschitzallee, Wutzkyallee, Zwickauer Damm, Rudow.

Line U8 (dark blue)

The U8 line crosses the city from north to south, starting at Hermannstraße station and ending in Wittenau. The line is 18 km long, serves 24 stations and a complete journey takes around 36 minutes.

Stations: Wittenau, Rathaus Reinickendorf, Karl-Bonhoeffer-Nervenklinik, Lindauer Allee, Paracelsus-Bad, Residenzstraße, Franz-Neumann-Platz, Osloer Straße, Pankstraße, Gesundbrunnen, Voltastraße, Bernauer Straße, Rosenthaler Platz, Weinmeisterstraße, Alexanderplatz, Jannowitzbrücke, Heinrich-Heine-Straße, Moritzplatz, Kottbusser Tor, Schönleinstrasse, Hermannplatz, Boddinstraße, Leinestraße, Hermannstraße.

Line U9 (orange)

The U9, marked in orange, runs from north to south, spanning a distance of 12.5 km from Osloer Straße to Rathaus Steglitz in the south. It serves 18 stations with a total journey time of 23 minutes.

Stops: Osloer Straße, Nauener Platz, Leopoldplatz, Amrumer Straße, Westhafen, Birkenstraße, Turmstraße, Hansaplatz, Zoologischer Garten, Kurfürstendamm, Spichernstraße, Güntzelstraße, Berliner Straße, Bundesplatz, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz, Walther-Schreiber-Platz, Schlosstraße, Rathaus Steglitz.

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Berlin Underground Hours and Frequency of Service

The Berlin Underground operates from 4.30am to 00.30am on weekdays.

The frequency of services varies according to the time of day. On weekdays, from 6:00 to 20:00, trains run every 5-10 minutes. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the frequency is every 10 minutes. At night, from 00:30 to 05:30 on Saturdays and from 00:30 to 07:00 on Sundays, the frequency is every 15 minutes. All lines, except the U4, have night services on weekends and public holidays.

On weekdays, the night metro service is replaced by less frequent bus services, namely the N1, N2, N3, N5, N6, N7, N8 and N9 bus services.

Tickets and Fares

Berlin is divided into three tariff zones: Zones A, B and C.

Zone A includes the city centre and the S-Bahn ring.
Zone B extends to the border of the city of Berlin.
Zone C covers the greater Berlin area, including Berlin-Schönefeld airport, Potsdam, Oranienburg and Sachsenhausen.

Based on these three zones, three types of ticket can be purchased: tickets for the AB zones, for the BC zones and for the whole system – the ABC zones. There are three fare classes: regular fare for adults, reduced fare for children aged 6 to 14 and free fare for children under 6. Tickets are valid on the metro, suburban trains, buses and trams.

Ticket machines at stations are the easiest and most direct way to buy tickets, but they can also be bought at any BVG or S-Bahn ticket office and even online.

Einzelticket (Single Ticket)

A single ticket for zone AB costs €2.70 and is valid for two hours in the same direction. A ticket for zones B-C costs €3.00 and a ticket for zones ABC costs €3.30.

Tagesticket (One Day Ticket)

These tickets can be used from the time they are validated until 3am the following day. The price is €6.90 for zones AB, €7.20 for zones BC and €7.40 for zones ABC.

Kleingruppenkarte (Small Group Ticket)

This ticket is a good option for groups of up to 5 people. It is cost-effective for groups of 3 or more people. The price is €16.90 for zones AB, €17.20 for zones BC, and €17.40 for zones ABC. It is valid for one day until 3 am.

Welcome Card

If you’re staying in Berlin for two or more days and want to explore the city, we recommend you buy a Berlin WelcomeCard. This card gives you a special ticket for 48 or 72 hours that allows you unlimited travel on all public transport in Berlin. It also offers savings of up to 50% at museums and other tourist and cultural attractions in Berlin and Potsdam. The WelcomeCard comes with a guide with maps and recommendations for sightseeing in the city.

The Berlin Welcome Card for zones AB for one person costs €16.50 for two days and €21.50 for three days. The WelcomeCard-Berlin/Potsdam for all three zones is perfect for those travelling with children as it is valid for one adult and up to three children under the age of 14. Compared to regular ticket prices, the Welcome Card can offer significant savings.

If you want to take your bike with you on some trains, you will have to pay an extra fare, provided there is enough space. A reduced fare ticket is required for passengers travelling with dogs.

There are also weekly, monthly, and other passes and types of tickets. You can get all the updated information about tickets on the official website.

How to Use the Berlin Metro?

Firstly, it’s a good idea to get a metro map, which can be bought at any station. If you buy a Berlin Welcome Card, you will also receive a detailed guide and map. The map may seem complicated at first, but don’t worry – it’s not. You can get almost anywhere in the city by underground. If there isn’t a metro to your destination, buses or trams will take you there.

On the map, you’ll need to identify your destination stop and the direction you’re going. Once you know your direction, look for the last stop on the line to use as a reference point. You can find this information on signs in the station, on the displays at the entrances to each platform and on the front of each train.

Next, you’ll need to buy a ticket. In general, a ticket for zones AB should be sufficient to travel through the centre of Berlin and its most interesting neighbourhoods and sights. However, if you want to visit Potsdam or the Sachsenhausen concentration camp on the outskirts of Berlin, you’ll need an ABC ticket. You can buy tickets from machines at every station that accept both cash and credit cards. These machines have menus in six languages.

There are no barriers or turnstiles to prevent access to the platforms, but you must validate your ticket in the machines provided (usually small red or yellow machines next to the ticket machines). Random checks will be carried out by staff who will ask to see your ticket. If you’re found to be without a valid or properly validated ticket, you may be fined on the spot. In some cases, staff may even escort the passenger to a cash machine. The fine can be up to €60.

Interesting Facts

The Berlin Underground, like many other systems in Germany, is called the U-Bahn. U-Bahn is an abbreviation of the German word U-Bahn, which means underground or subway.
Even at rush hour, it’s often possible to find a seat on the Berlin underground.
The Berlin underground is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly systems in Europe.
Berlin’s underground trains are easily recognisable by their distinctive yellow colour.

Wikipedia Berlin Metro Map

Accessibility

Berlin’s underground stations are designed with accessibility in mind. Facilities such as lifts and ramps are provided to ensure that people with disabilities can access the stations. There are also intercoms in each station to provide assistance if needed.