Buses and Trams

Buses

All Buses Are Accessible

Every BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe) bus in Berlin is a low-floor vehicle equipped with a boarding ramp (Rampe). This means that 100 percent of the Berlin bus network is accessible to wheelchair users. Buses are often the most reliable accessible option when U-Bahn or S-Bahn stations near your destination lack elevators.

How to Board

1. Wait at the bus stop near the front or middle door. The designated wheelchair boarding door is the middle door (second door) on most buses.
2. When the bus arrives, the driver will lower the bus using the kneeling function to reduce the step height.
3. If you need the ramp, signal to the driver by waiting visibly at the middle door. You can also press the wheelchair button on the outside of the bus near the middle door (marked with a wheelchair symbol).
4. The driver will deploy the ramp manually or electronically. On some newer buses, the ramp deploys automatically.
5. Board and position yourself in the designated wheelchair space, which is near the middle door. The space has a backrest panel and is marked with the wheelchair symbol.

Priority Spaces

The wheelchair space on the bus is shared with passengers using strollers. Wheelchair users have priority. If the space is occupied by a stroller, the driver will ask the stroller user to fold their stroller or move to make room. If both wheelchair spaces are occupied by other wheelchair users, you will need to wait for the next bus.

Each bus has space for one or two wheelchair users depending on the model. Single-deck buses typically have one space, while articulated (bendy) buses have two.

Useful Bus Routes for Tourists

Several bus routes pass major tourist attractions and are fully accessible:

• 100: Runs from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz, passing the Siegessaeule (Victory Column), Brandenburg Gate, and Unter den Linden. This route works like a budget sightseeing tour.
• 200: A similar route to the 100, passing Potsdamer Platz and the Kulturforum museum complex.
• 300: Connects Philharmonie to Warschauer Strasse, passing Museum Island and Alexanderplatz.
• M41: Runs from Hauptbahnhof through Kreuzberg to Neukoelln, useful for reaching the vibrant southern neighborhoods.
• M29: Connects Kurfuerstendamm to Kreuzberg, passing through the Checkpoint Charlie area.

Night Buses

Berlin has an extensive night bus network (Nachtbus) that runs when the U-Bahn is closed on weekday nights (approximately 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM). Night bus routes are numbered with an "N" prefix. All night buses are low-floor and accessible. Key night routes follow the main U-Bahn lines, so you can often use a night bus as a substitute for the U-Bahn after hours.

Trams

Network Overview

Berlin's tram network (Strassenbahn) is one of the largest in the world, with 22 lines serving primarily the eastern half of the city. The network covers Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Lichtenberg, Marzahn, and other eastern districts. Trams run from about 4:30 AM to 1:00 AM, with some lines running 24 hours on weekends.

Tram Accessibility

Approximately 95 percent of Berlin's tram fleet uses modern Flexity Berlin vehicles built by Bombardier (now Alstom). These are low-floor trams with level boarding at most stops, a retractable ramp at the front or middle door, and a designated wheelchair space inside.

The remaining 5 percent of the fleet consists of older Tatra trams, which have steps and are not accessible to wheelchair users. These older trams are gradually being phased out. If an older tram arrives, wait for the next one, which will usually be a Flexity model.

How to Board a Tram

1. Wait at the tram stop near the front or middle door.
2. Most Flexity trams have level boarding: the tram floor aligns with raised platform stops, allowing you to roll on directly.
3. At stops without a raised platform, use the ramp. Press the wheelchair button on the outside of the tram near the designated door.
4. The ramp will deploy, or the driver will assist from the cabin controls.
5. Move to the wheelchair space, which is near the door and marked with the wheelchair symbol.

Tram Stops

Many tram stops in Berlin have been rebuilt with raised platforms that allow level boarding onto the Flexity trams. At stops that have not yet been upgraded, there may be a small step of 3 to 5 centimeters, which the ramp can bridge.

Tickets

Buses and trams use the same integrated BVG ticket system as the U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Buy tickets from machines at tram stops, from the BVG app, or from the driver on buses (cash only, small change preferred). Validate your ticket on board if purchased from a machine.

A single AB zone ticket (about 3.50 euros) is valid for 2 hours across buses, trams, U-Bahn, and S-Bahn. A day ticket (about 9.50 euros) is usually the best value if you plan to make more than two trips.