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Airports:
There are hardly any direct flights to Berlin from overseas and, depending on the airline you use, you're likely to fly first into another European city like Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris or London and catch a connecting flight from there. Berlin has three airports. Tegel primarily serves destinations within Germany and Europe. Schönefeld mostly operates international flights to/from Europe, Asia, Africa and Central America. Berlin-Tempelhof became famous as the main landing strip for Allied airlifts during the Berlin blockade of 1948-49. Today it's the main hub for domestic departures and flights to Central Europe. Domestic flights connect Berlin to all major German airports, usually via Tempelhof and Tegel airports.
From/to Airport:
Berlin's three airports can all be reached by train or bus. Tegel is connected to the Mitte district by the JetExpressBus TXL and the CityWest district by bus X9 or 109. Schönefeld airport is served by the Airport Express train from Zoo station, or the slower S9 from Zoo station, and bus 171 takes you to Rudow U-Bahn station with connections to central Berlin. Tempelhof is served by the U6 (get off at Platz der Luftbrücke) and bus 119 from Kurfürstendamm via Kreuzberg.
Bus, Train, Car:
Berlin is well-connected to the rest of Europe by long-distance bus. Most buses arrive at and depart from the Omnibusbahnhof am Funkturm in Charlottenburg. Train is another option - the German system is justifiably known as the most efficient in Europe and connects Berlin with the rest of Germany and other European countries. With the opening of the huge new Lehrter Bahnhof pushed back well into this decade, most trains will continue to go through Bahnhof Zoo in the western city centre (for destinations to the west of Berlin) and Ostbahnhof in the eastern centre. Expect some confusion, however, because of the extensive construction around town affecting several stations. Trains scheduled to leave from or arrive at one station may be spontaneously rerouted to another.
Driving is another option: the A10 ring road links Berlin with other German and foreign cities in every direction.
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