--- title: "Train stations in Berlin: Hbf, Ostbahnhof and Sudkreuz" date: 2026-06-20 author: "Johan E. Johansson" featured_image: "https://everyrail.com/wp-content/uploads/image_e56b40491a205d31a2438bde35d29f9a.jpeg" categories: - name: "Destinations" url: "/destinations.md" --- # Train stations in Berlin: Hbf, Ostbahnhof and Sudkreuz Berlin has six major long-distance train stations, and the one your train uses depends on which direction you are travelling. For most journeys, Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) is the right answer. It handles the majority of ICE, EC, and international services. But many trains also call at Ostbahnhof, Sudkreuz, Spandau, and Gesundbrunnen. Some depart from those stations instead of Hbf. The most common mistake is booking a ticket that says “Berlin” without checking the exact station. Open the train details before you pay. The city code can resolve to any of the six main stations, and turning up at Hbf when your train left from Ostbahnhof is a straightforward way to miss it. This guide covers each of the main stations, what trains they serve, and when a station other than Hbf makes more sense for your journey. ## Berlin Hauptbahnhof Use Hbf by default. It is the station for the vast majority of ICE long-distance trains, the Paris-Berlin ICE, and the main Nightjet departures. It sits in the Mitte district, between the Reichstag and the Tiergarten, and opened in 2006 as one of Europe’s largest crossing stations. The building spans five levels. Two underground floors handle S-Bahn and regional trains. Two elevated tracks above the atrium are where most ICE departures leave from. Walk north from the main entrance for around 15 minutes and you reach the Reichstag. Brandenburger Tor is roughly 20 minutes on foot. Luggage lockers are in the external parking area, labelled Area C, not inside the station itself. ### What trains use Berlin Hauptbahnhof? DB ICE trains run frequently to Hamburg (around 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours), Munich (around 4 hours), Frankfurt am Main (around 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours), Cologne (around 4 hours 30 minutes), and Dresden. Many of these services also stop at Sudkreuz, Spandau, or Gesundbrunnen depending on direction. For international daytime trains: the EC Berliner runs to Prague in around 4 hours. The EC Berlin-Warszawa-Express runs to Warsaw Centralna in around 5 hours 30 minutes. Both trains also call at Ostbahnhof. The OBB Railjet connects Hbf to Wien Hbf in around 7 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours. The DB and SNCF Alleo partnership launched a direct Berlin to Paris ICE service in December 2024. The train departs from Hbf and calls at Spandau on the way west, reaching Paris in around 8 hours via Frankfurt and Strasbourg. Night trains from Hbf include OBB Nightjet services to Wien and Zurich, the European Sleeper Paris-Brussels-Berlin (which calls at both Hbf and Ostbahnhof), and the Snalltaget overnight service to Stockholm via Copenhagen, running on more than 200 days per year. S-Bahn lines S3, S5, S7, and S9 all call at Hbf, as does U-Bahn line U55 and the FEX Airport Express to BER. DestinationOperatorApprox journey timeAlso calls atHamburgDB ICEaround 1h 45m to 2hSpandau, GesundbrunnenMunichDB ICEaround 4hSudkreuz, SpandauFrankfurtDB ICEaround 3h 30m to 4hSpandauPragueEC (DB/CD)around 4hOstbahnhofWarsawEC (DB/PKP IC)around 5h 30mOstbahnhofViennaOBB Railjetaround 7h 30m to 8hHbf only (daytime)ParisICE (DB/SNCF Alleo)around 8hSpandauThese are orientation times. Journey times vary by specific departure. Check DB.de for your exact train. ## Berlin Ostbahnhof Ostbahnhof is not a secondary station. Many ICE and IC trains call here in addition to or instead of Hbf, and the EC trains to Warsaw and Prague call at Ostbahnhof as well as Hbf. The station is in Friedrichshain, a short walk from the East Side Gallery. The rule is simple: if your ticket or booking confirmation says Ostbahnhof, go to Ostbahnhof. Do not wait at Hbf on the assumption the train will be there. EC trains to Warsaw and Prague often depart Ostbahnhof first, fill up, and then call briefly at Hbf. Your reserved seat carriage will be positioned at Ostbahnhof, not reconfigured for Hbf boarders. Some Nightjet services to Vienna and the Krakow departure also call at or depart from Ostbahnhof. The European Sleeper Paris-Berlin night train calls at Ostbahnhof as well as Hbf on arrival and departure. Verify the exact calling pattern on oebb.at or DB.de for your specific service. For travellers staying in Friedrichshain or eastern Mitte, Ostbahnhof saves a trip into the centre. S-Bahn connections cover the rest. ## Berlin Sudkreuz Sudkreuz sits near the border of Tempelhof and Schoneberg, in south Berlin. It is a stop on the main north-south ICE corridor, so most ICE trains between Hamburg and Munich pass through here. That makes it useful for two types of traveller: those staying in south Berlin, and those heading to BER airport. The FEX Airport Express runs from Hbf to BER via Sudkreuz. As of December 2025, following the opening of the Dresdner Bahn rail line, the FEX runs from Berlin Hbf to BER in around 23 minutes, four times per hour from 04:00 to 01:00. Travellers staying in Schoneberg, Tempelhof, or Neukolln who need to reach the airport can board the FEX at Sudkreuz without going into the centre first. Outside of those two use cases, Sudkreuz is not a base for tourists. Choose it because it is convenient for your accommodation or your airport transfer, not as a default. ## Berlin Spandau Spandau is in west Berlin, and it is where many westbound ICE trains make their first stop after leaving central Berlin. Trains to Hannover, Dortmund, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Paris often call at Spandau a few minutes after their Hbf departure. For travellers staying in Charlottenburg or anywhere in west Berlin, boarding at Spandau avoids a trip to the centre. When searching on DB.de, select “Berlin Spandau” as your departure station and compare with departures from Hbf. On some services, Spandau is the earlier and quieter boarding point for the same train. ## Berlin Gesundbrunnen Gesundbrunnen is a northern long-distance stop in the Wedding district. Some ICE and IC trains heading towards Hamburg call here. It is less frequently used than Hbf, Sudkreuz, or Spandau. If your hotel is in Wedding or Prenzlauer Berg, check DB.de to see whether your specific train calls at Gesundbrunnen. If it does, use it. If not, go to Hbf. Do not assume Hamburg-direction trains automatically stop here. ## Berlin Brandenburg Airport station (BER) BER airport has its own train station below Terminal 1, officially named Berlin-Brandenburg Flughafen. The airport sits roughly 22 km south-east of the centre and replaced both Tegel and Schonefeld when it opened in 2020. The fastest way between the city and the airport is the FEX Airport Express. As of December 2025, the FEX runs from Berlin Hbf to BER in around 23 minutes following the opening of the Dresdner Bahn line, four times per hour from 04:00 to 01:00. The FEX stops at Sudkreuz en route. The S9 S-Bahn also serves BER but takes considerably longer. It is useful for passengers whose hotel is near an S9 stop but is not the fastest option for most travellers. Some IC and RE trains also call directly at the BER station. Check DB.de to see if any match your schedule. ## Night trains and sleepers from Berlin Berlin is well served by night trains, with year-round options to Austria, Switzerland, and Scandinavia, and a Paris night train connection from March 2026. ### OBB Nightjet OBB Nightjet runs from Berlin Hbf and Ostbahnhof to Wien Hbf and Zurich HB, and from Ostbahnhof to Krakow. Trains include seats, couchettes, and private sleeper compartments. Reservations are compulsory on all Nightjet services. This applies to every accommodation type, including seats. Do not board a Nightjet with only your Interrail or Eurail pass. The pass covers the travel, but you still need a separate mandatory reservation. Book via oebb.at or DB.de. Couchette and sleeper places on popular summer and weekend routes sell out well in advance. Book early if you want a proper bed, not just a seat. Nightjet reservation fees vary by accommodation type, route, and booking date. Check oebb.at for current fees before making plans. ### Snalltaget (Berlin-Stockholm via Copenhagen) Snalltaget runs an overnight train from Berlin Hbf to Stockholm via Copenhagen, operating on more than 200 days per year in 2026. The train departs late evening from Berlin and arrives in Stockholm in the morning. Check snalltaget.se for current dates, as the service has scheduled breaks during maintenance periods. Reservation is compulsory. Seats, couchettes, and private cabins are available. Interrail and Eurail pass holders can travel but must book a mandatory reservation via snalltaget.se or Interrail/Eurail booking tools. ### European Sleeper (Paris-Brussels-Berlin) The European Sleeper night train from Paris-Nord via Brussels to Berlin began operations from March 2026, running on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights from Paris, with return departures from Berlin on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. The train calls at both Hbf and Ostbahnhof on arrival and departure. Couchette compartments start from around 59 euros. Reservation is compulsory. Check europeansleeper.eu for current schedules and pricing. ## Paris by train from Berlin The DB and SNCF partnership, branded as Alleo, launched a direct high-speed ICE service from Berlin to Paris in December 2024. The train departs from Berlin Hbf, calls at Spandau, and continues west via Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, and Strasbourg to Paris-Est, with a journey time of around 8 hours. One service runs in each direction per day, with plans to increase frequency as demand grows. Advance fares in standard class started from around 59 euros. Book via DB.de or SNCF Connect. ## Seat reservations and tickets On DB ICE trains in 2nd class, seat reservations are not compulsory for ticketholders. You can board with a valid ticket and sit in any unreserved seat. Reservations make sense on busy departures: Friday evening Berlin-Hamburg trains, Sunday evening Munich-Berlin trains, and routes around public holidays fill up. Interrail and Eurail pass holders can travel on DB ICE, EC, and regional trains using a pass-activated travel day. Nightjet, European Sleeper, and Snalltaget require separate mandatory reservations not included in the pass. For booking flexibility, DB Sparpreis tickets are the cheapest option but are fixed to a specific train. DB Flexpreis tickets cost more and can be changed. If your plans are set, book Sparpreis early on popular routes, as advance fares rise as trains fill up. A note on Zoologischer Garten (Zoo Bahnhof): older guidebooks sometimes describe this as Berlin’s main station. Since Hbf opened in 2006, Zoo Bahnhof no longer serves most long-distance trains. It handles regional and S-Bahn traffic. If a booking shows Zoologischer Garten as your long-distance departure, verify the service on DB.de before you go.