After my upcoming trip to Madrid, I’m heading back to Berlin. But to return to my home base in California for cheap, I’d have to purchase a plane ticket that departs BER around 8 in the morning.

This has led me to ask many questions that I’m sure many travelers ask themselves when taking an early morning flight.

Questions like: 

• What time do FEX trains start running?
• How often do trains run to the Berlin airport?
• How much is the train to Berlin airport?
• How early do Berlin trains run? (s bahn and u Bahn)

Originally, I’d catch the u bahn in Berlin to Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station) and either catch the FEX train, which is an express train to BER, or the S-9 (S Bahn Berlin), which takes about an hour and some minutes but still gets you to the airport on time if you plan it right.

However, if this means I have to get up at 5 am to catch my train, then how do I plan, and most importantly, are the S-bahn and U-bahn in Berlin even open that early?

I found all that information, in case you are also wondering. Let’s get to it.

How Early Do Berlin Trains Run? (S-bahn and U-bahn Berlin)

The S-bahn and U-bahn in Berlin open at the same time. The S-Bahn and U-Bahn open at 4:30 am and close at 1:30 am on weekdays. 

On weekends both the S-bahn and U-bahn in Berlin run 24 hours a day.

During peak hours, the U-Bahn runs every 3 to 5 minutes in frequency.

Late nights and early mornings, the U-Bahn runs every 15 minutes. But for the rest of the day (such as non-peak hours), it runs every 10 minutes.

This is Where the S-Bahn Differs from the U-Bahn.

The S-Bahn in Berlin runs every 30 minutes during late nights and early mornings.

During peak hours, the S-Bahn in Berlin runs every 10 minutes. And every 10 to 20 minutes the rest of the day (non-peak hours).

How Much is the Train to Berlin Airport?

The Berlin U-bahn and S-bahn ticket prices differ by zones. The city center is zone A. However, the airport is considered Zone C. Therefore, it’s a higher price than the other zones.

The train to Berlin airport costs 3.80 Euros. You can take the S-Bahn or the FEX train to Berlin Airport (BER) with this ticket.

What Time Do the FEX Trains Start Running?

According to transit apps, the FEX train schedule starts running at 3:20 am every day of the week.

On Saturdays, Sundays Mondays, and Thursdays, the FEX train stops running at 11:21 pm.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the FEX train stops running at 10:21 pm.

Friday services top at 9:21 pm.

The FEX train runs every 27 minutes.

What Happens if My FEX Train Gets Cancelled That Morning?

This happened to me and Rasmus last time, and we had a slight moment of panic. Luckily you can get on a regional train that will get you to the airport in about 30 minutes or so.

These trains are:

RB22

RB23

RB24

RB32

RE8

Any of these regional trains will get you to the airport.

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A Few Berlin Train Apps for Your Consideration

Going to Berlin frequently has led me to discover a few Berlin train apps that are better than Apple Maps.

Apple Maps doesn’t seem to understand the best routes or even closer train stations. It didn’t work for me. I usually ended up navigating the train without it.

During one of my Berlin trips, a local suggested I download the BVG Berlin train app. This one worked well for me. However, once I learned the system, I no longer needed an app.

Another Berlin train app you could try is Moovit. However, it’s a general app, kind of like Maps.

UPDATE:

Last week, I had a 7 am Easy Jet flight out of BER airport. And for those wondering, I write this stuff down for anyone who needs it, including me. If I write a post on advice like this, I will try it firsthand.

So I did. Luckily, my flight was on Saturday at 7 am. This means I had the added benefit of the Berlin U and S Bahn systems running 24 hours.

I woke up at 3:30 am and left my apartment at 4 am. I caught the U-Bahn at 4:15-ish and transferred to the S-9 to BER.

I figured if I missed the FEX, I would have to wait 30 minutes for the next one, turning that trip into an hour-long ride, which at that point would have been the same as catching the S-9 (or perhaps it would have saved me 10 or 15 minutes).

I got to BER at 5:40-ish.

I was stressed. My boarding pass said gates for my flight close at 6:20 am. Luckily, security was speedy, and I got through around 6 am, even though there were many people.

I made it to my gate at 6:20 am, right as they were boarding.

The stress this caused me was not worth it. I should have taken an Uber to Central Station and caught the FEX from there.

Another great suggestion would be to take an Uber to the airport if your flight is that early.

If your flight is at 8 or 9 in the morning, I think it would cause less stress. But for a 7 am flight. I thought I was going to miss my flight.

The BVG app is amazing and helped me plan my trip days before this. So, I pretty much knew which steps I was going to take the morning of.

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

Now, you and I have all the information to get to Berlin airport early in the morning to catch our early flight. Keep this and share it with your traveling buddies.

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