Transportation

Berlin has an excellent public transport system, you’ll easily get around, even at night. The public transport system in Berlin is divided into busses, subways (U-Bahn), faster city trains (S-Bahn) and slower tramways (Straßenbahn/Tram). 

S- and U-trains run roughly until midnight on weekdays and are replaced by night buses thereafter. On the weekends, most means of transportation run throughout the night. If you hear or read Schienenersatzverkehr (abbreviated to SEV), it means that you’ll have to take busses instead of S- or U-Bahnen, usually because of construction.

A single ticket is valid for two hours and for single trips only (no return trips). You have to stamp it after buying it to validate it. S- and U-Bahn-tickets cannot be validated inside the train, you have to do it on the platform (little yellow or red machines). Single tickets are divided in to three different zones – A for inner city, AB for inner city and more, and ABC includes even places in the neighboring federal state of Brandenburg, like Potsdam or the distance to the BER-airport in Schönefeld. You can access the complete map of S- and U-Bahn-lines here: https://sbahn.berlin/en/route-map/. This website is also useful to see any planned works or disruptions in the network. There are also maps inside of each wagon, once you enter an S- or U-Bahn, so that you can check it while you are on the trains. There is a link (and an app) to find the easiest and quickest connections between two stations and also between two street addresses:

https://www.vbb.de/  - Also check out the VBB app to find routes and buy tickets on the go.

http://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml - here you can find journeys throughout Germany. 

All Whitecliffe students are required to purchase the semester ticket, because the price is agreed with the transport authorities on the basis that all students are buying the ticket, a so-called 'Solidarprinzip'. The only exceptions are if you are leaving for an exchange semester, you may opt in or out. If you are on a suspension semester (Urlaubssemester), unfortunately, you would not qualify for the Semester Ticket.

There are no time restrictions to travel and you can use any transportation the city has to offer – bus, tram, train and subway. Additionally, the ticket is working as the Deutschlandticket, which means you can use any transport across Germany, except for ICE, IC and FlixTrain trains. The Semester Ticket is known as DST - Deutschland Semesterticket.

Validating the ticket is not needed, just show the conductor if they request to see your ticket. The ticket is digital and accessible on the S Bahn App. You can find the instructions to log-in and use your ticket here. We recommend to carry your Student ID card and picture of your current Student Certificate with you to verify your student status to the conductor.

The ticket price for the Spring Semester 2026 is 208,80 EUR.

The ticket price for the Fall Semester 2026-27 is 226,80 EUR.

Berlin is also a great city for bike-riding. More than 590 km of bicycle routes cover the area of Berlin. Used bicycles can be bought at many places, one of many lists can be found here: https://radwelt.berlin/fahrrad-kaufen/gebrauchte-fahrraeder-berlin

If you buy from a private owner, please make sure you see the payment receipt to avoid buying a stolen bike. Please make sure to buy a solid lock and lock your bike securely to a bike rack or something solid, because bicycle theft is quite common. If you ride your bike to the campus, please use the bike rack in the courtyard. 

Important note! 

According to German law, your bicycle must be equipped with a bell, a white light at the front, a red light at the back and two brakes. You may be fined if you are stopped by the police and any of these are missing on your bicycle.

It is possible to drive in Germany with a license from another country for up to six months, but if you stay in Germany for longer than six months then it must be exchanged for a German driver’s license. In some cases, this can be a straight forward process but depending on the country of origin, some drivers may have to take another driving test. If you have an EU driving license, you do not need to change your license.

To learn more about the rules of driving in Germany and how to change your license, please see this useful website: https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/convert-to-german-driving-licence#fn:11

There is a freedom of movement within the European Union, so most member countries have removed border controls within the “Schengen area”. Please note that some countries are not part of the EU, but are part of the Schengen area, and some countries may still have border checks.

Non-EU nationals who have a residence permit from one of the “Schengen States” also enjoy this freedom of movement and can visit other areas within the Schengen region without a visa – with a restriction on length of stay.

You should always carry a valid identity card or passport and check if a visa is required for countries outside of the EU or non-Schengen countries.

Important note! 

Always check the requirements of the destination before you travel, information and requirements can change so checking at the source will be accurate and save you a headache later!