The Christmas holidays are upon us! We can – hopefully – look forward to a few relaxing days in Berlin, where we can forget the stress of the pre-Christmas period. There are also still options for a last-minute Christmas present. One thing we should bear in mind, however: The timetables at Christmas differ from the usual times.
In Berlin, public transport services are traditionally very busy, as the city never sleeps completely, even at Christmas. Berlin relies on the so-called “Christmas timetable”. This means that during the day it gets quieter in the afternoon, but at night there is a full service.
Christmas Eve (December 24)
Until around 14:00 , subway trains, suburban trains, streetcars and buses will run according to the regular Saturday timetable. Use this time to visit the supermarkets that are still open to do your last-minute shopping. The morning remains a largely “normal” time before the Christmas rush begins.
From 17:00, the daily network in Berlin is significantly reduced. Most lines switch to 20-minute intervals. The only exception: the S41 and S42 Ringbahn lines run every 10 minutes. From now on, some night buses (N lines) will take over the development of residential areas. Time to get to the family in time for Christmas.
The Christmas holidays (December 25 & 26)
On both Christmas holidays, the Sunday and public holiday timetable applies to all means of transport. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains usually run every 10 minutes during the day.
The biggest plus point in Berlin is the night service. On the nights of December 24 to 25 and 25 to 26, public transport runs all night long. So you don’t have to look at your watch if the family celebration lasts longer.
The dense network of night buses supplements the rail routes wherever there is no train service. The timetables at Christmas therefore allow us to spend the holidays in a relaxed manner – without ending up in a traffic jam with buses and trains.