First-time traveler guide
Berlin, Germany
The facts people look for first, pulled from this guide.
From BER Airport
Download the BVG or DB Navigator app: Both show live departures and sell tickets.
Yes. Deutsche Bahn lists luggage lockers at the station (Hardenbergplatz 13): 152 lockers of 24 × 42 × 76 cm for €4.00; 54 lockers of 44 × 61 × 93 cm for €6.00; 12 lockers of 47 × 96 × 93 cm for €7.50.
From BER Airport
From the City Centre
Zoologischer Garten is a through station on the Stadtbahn viaduct, under a long glass and steel hall. The S-Bahn and regional trains use the platforms up on the viaduct; the station hall with shops and ticket machines is at street level underneath.
The U2 and U9 platforms are underground and are signposted from the hall. Bus stops for the 100, 200 and other lines are on the square in front of the station, on Hardenbergplatz.
The station is compact compared with Hauptbahnhof, and changes between trains, U-Bahn and buses rarely take more than a few minutes.
Before You Arrive
At the Station
Common Mistakes
Yes. Deutsche Bahn lists luggage lockers at the station (Hardenbergplatz 13): 152 lockers of 24 × 42 × 76 cm for €4.00; 54 lockers of 44 × 61 × 93 cm for €6.00; 12 lockers of 47 × 96 × 93 cm for €7.50. All are paid with coins only and can be used for up to 24 hours. Prices are as listed by Deutsche Bahn in October 2026.
Not regularly since Hauptbahnhof opened in 2006. Until 12 December 2026, regional trains do not stop here either, because the Stadtbahn is being rebuilt. The S-Bahn and U-Bahn run as usual.
The S9 runs directly to the airport every 20 minutes. Alternatively, take the S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof and the FEX from there. You need an ABC ticket.
DB Information at Zoologischer Garten is open every day, including public holidays, from 06:00 to 22:30.
Buses 100 and 200 start on Hardenbergplatz in front of the station and pass many landmarks on the way to Alexanderplatz. A normal AB ticket is enough.
Yes. The station has a Bahnhofsmission, which offers free help without an appointment, and toilets. Deutsche Bahn's Mobility Service helps with boarding, changing and alighting between 06:00 and 22:30 every day. Book it in advance through the Mobilitätsservice-Zentrale to make sure help is available, and check the lift status on bahnhof.de before you travel.
Through station in Charlottenburg, in the heart of the City West, opened in 1882 on the Stadtbahn. Known locally as Bahnhof Zoo, it was West Berlin's main long-distance station during the Cold War.
Since Hauptbahnhof opened in 2006, long-distance trains no longer call here regularly, but Zoo remains a busy hub for regional trains, the S-Bahn, the U2 and U9 underground lines and many bus routes.
The station is next to Berlin Zoo and its aquarium, and a few minutes' walk from the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Kurfürstendamm shopping street and the Bikini Berlin mall.
Construction until 12 December 2026: no regional trains stop at Zoologischer Garten (tracks 1–4 are closed). The S-Bahn and U-Bahn run as usual.
