Need scheduling advice re train to Berlin from Frankfurt Airport

I don't know where you saw that price. Cheapest I have found is 61.90 EUR. All DB trains you need to take from Gare de l'Est. Requires a train change in Mannheim, but looks like cross platform change from Gleis 2 to Gleis 3. Takes 8+ hours.

Why you would want to fly to Paris and immediately take a train to Berlin, I have no idea.

FRA is the airport code for Frankfurt airport. I am not flying to Paris.

I assumed travelers in the Germany forum knew this airport code so I have now edited the title of the thread to eliminate confusion.

That’s quite a long train ride after a flight- have you thought about just flying into Berlin instead?

Seat61.com has great info and suggestions about train travel- check it out

OK missed that one completely.

The 12:09 direct train is available, but the 14:09 would be a lot safer.

I actually did this from Duesseldorf airport. My 4 hour cushion was unnecessary, but that is the way it goes. All depends if your arriving airplane is not late.

With an international flight that might be delayed for any number of reasons, there is no way, without a very large time cushion, to guarantee that you'll make your scheduled train on a Sparpreis or Supersparpreis ticket.

The smart way to get to Berlin on one of these cheap tickets is to schedule your travel from Frankfurt Hbf (or from some other nearby town where you spend the night) for the next morning to Berlin.

On arrival day: After clearing baggage and security, go to the Regionalbahnhof station at the airport and take any local or regional train from FRA to Frankfurt Hbf (or wherever you stay) on a normal ticket bought from a ticket machine for a few Euros.

The other option is to pay the flex-price for your ticket, which allows you to use ANY train that same day.

Or...perhaps your airline offers a "rail and fly" deal where you get a flexible ticket for same-day travel at a discounted price. I would ask about that as well.

I've done exactly what you have in mind...easy, no problems.

After landing at FRA from SFO on an eleven hour non-stop flight, within a few hours, I was on the ICE direct to Berlin, but first a hot lunch at Frankfurt Hbf., basically took my time after immigration, and baggage claim. Count on a six hour ICE ride from Frankfurt Hbf to Berlin Hbf.

If you are not under a pressing time constraint, don't push it, relax a bit at Frankfurt Hbf. Flights from SFO usually land ca 09:50 at FRA, one of the advantages of an overnight flight.

I would suggest the 14:09 departure, I took that one too.

Count on a six hour ICE ride from Frankfurt Hbf to Berlin Hbf

The 14:09 takes 4 hours 16 minutes direct to Berlin Hbf. It is on the schedule, so buy it now to get that 26.90 EUR price.

Thank you! I was leaning toward the 14:09 departure. I’m flying Delta from JFK and there is no direct flight to Berlin from JFK. I’ve done the train ride before although this time I will be going to Berlin Friedrichstraße so I’ll be changing trains at the enormous Berlin HBF to an RE train.

Looks like you could also change trains to the RE2 at Berlin Spandau to get to Friedrichstrasse.

If you decide on going to the terminus of Berlin Hbf instead, taking the S-Bahn located on the top floor will get you to Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse. That's another option.

Train from Frankfurt airport will also arrive on the upper level.

Last question — when should I buy the ticket because I know schedules change yet I also want to get the Super Sparpreis of €26.90 for 1st class?

I'd book it at soon as possible; FRA-Berlin is a higly demanded connection and fares will start to go up soon. There will be no significant schedule changes between now and october, and if any, train numbers won't change. Regrettably, Delta is not a partner of DB's Rail&Fly program mentioned above.

First off, this is a pretty easy connection, albeit there is distance to cover from FRA T2 to Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof. Although if you are able to reserve wheelchair assistance between those 2 points the journey will be much easier and quicker.

For me, the 12:09 DB ICE to Berlin is makable with time to spare - but it’s your money that’s being bet here so you’ll have to make the choice between the 12:09 or the 14:09. The reason those 2 times are desirable is because you don’t have to make any changes until you arrive in Berlin.

You’ll want to book your ticket

Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof to Berlin Friedrichstrasse

You’ll have to and want to make the train switch at Berlin Hbf to the S-Bahn, this is way simpler than changing at Berlin Spandau. Berlin Hbf has multiple escalators and multiple elevators. The S-Bahns at Berlin Hbf arrive and depart on Level 2, Tracks 15-16 - Direction Friedrichstrasse boards on Platform 15.

I’ve included a few maps so as to familiarize yourself with your journey

https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/dam/airport/Dokumente/Services_en/bytraintoyourplane_en_verison_02-2015.pdf/_jcr_content/renditions/original.media_file.download_attachment.file/bytraintoyourplane_en_verison_02-2015.pdf

https://www.bahnhof.de/resource/blob/1038862/aab455ca2045985d190c5040567c728c/Frankfurt-am-Main-Flughafen-Fernbahnhof_locationPdf-data.pdf

https://www.bahnhof.de/resource/blob/3734658/1d6317cd9176403fb9f7c072a3bb6e33/Berlin-Hauptbahnhof_locationPdf-data.pdf

October is too far away for the tracks to be listed in the Berlin area, but currently, the change in Berlin-Spandau from ICE 796 to the RE 2 is cross platform from Gleis 6 to Gleis 5. So that is likely to be so in October, although Berlin-Spandau has both elevators and escalators if you would have to change platforms.

Of course, as it stands currently, you have the same Gleis 11 for both arrival and departure at Berlin Hbf, if you stick to the RE 2 to Friedrichstrasse. You will have to use the escalators or elevators to get to the S-Bahn platforms at Gleis 15, even though the S-Bahn might get you there a few minutes sooner. The change time for the RE 2 is 13 minutes.

Thank you all so much for this wealth of information including the maps. If I get a ticket to Berlin Friedrichstrasse, I can always get off at Berlin-Spandau and take the regional train across the platform, is that correct? If that is a stupid question, my apologies. Such an easy connection is worth its weight in gold. If not, knowing that I could take the S-Bahn to Friedrichstrasse is good to know.

Whether I take the Sbahn or RE, do I show the train conductor the DB app with my train ticket/bar code assuming there is a barcode? I know I don’t have to buy another ticket; I just want to know what to do.

Do any of you know if the Wheelchair Service that picks me up at the jetway and takes me through to immigration and customs will take me all the way to the train station at a different terminal? It isn’t necessary as I can walk but I thought I would ask because it would be easier with the wheelchair given the luggage I will have.

"If I get a ticket to Berlin Friedrichstrasse, I can always get off at Berlin-Spandau and take the regional train across the platform"

You can because you have a ticket to Friedrichstrasse - they don't always like that you're not following the ticket as issued but it shouldn't stop your progress to the end station.
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Here's the website for wheelchair assistance and should provide you with the necessary info:

https://www.fracareservices.com/english/our-services/
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A pdf of the ticket will be sent with the Confirmation email and you should and save the pdf ticket to your smartphone, in case you don't have cellular or internet to load the App and when asked just show the QR code.

Hi,

Keep in mind that Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse is a major junction point, and it shows, numerous eateries, coin lockers, public telephones, lockers, a post office, a DB ticket office, book shop, etc. Every time to Berlin I stop there, for a hot lunch, (cash only), if nothing else. At least 3 S-Bahn lines from Berlin Hbf stop there, before going in their own specific direction. a very convenient stop.

ALSO the location of the Tränenpalast Museum :

"From 1961 until 1989, the Berlin Wall divided the city in two: into East Berlin and West Berlin. There were a few border points where people could cross from the one side to the other. The checkpoint at Friedrichstrasse station was in the heart of Berlin. Here, hundreds of travellers crossed the border each day by train or city rapid railway (S-Bahn). And it was here, in front of the small departures hall with its high windows and flat roof, that East Germans said goodbye to their relatives from the West. You went into the hall in order to re-enter West Berlin. It was the scene of many a painful farewell. Often people didn’t know if they would ever see each other again and tears flowed freely. It truly was the Tränenpalst (Palace of Tears)."

In August 1987 I crossed over solo into East Berlin at Friedrichstraße, found out by accident where this place was. That was my first time there, very crowded at this crossing, a typical East German experience, walked over to see the Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden.

Three years before I had gone over for the very first time on a guided bus tour from West Berlin, that time the border crossing took place at Checkpoint Charlie.

I used the Friedrichstraße station crossing again to spend another day trip there, the last time as it turned out, in August 1989, doing that as a solo traveler. You knew what to expect at the Friedrichstrasse crossing. By this point in time, the regime was in trouble, losing daily lots and lots of its citizens ever since the Hungarians had opened the border.

I was not aware of the history at the Friedrichstraße station. Thank you. I am eager to see this.

Periscope, thank you for the link and for the information!

"If I get a ticket to Berlin Friedrichstrasse, I can always get off at Berlin-Spandau and take the regional train across the platform"

You can because you have a ticket to Friedrichstrasse - they don't always like that you're not following the ticket as issued but it shouldn't stop your progress to the end station.

If you book your ticket just to BERLIN (so, DO NOT specify Berlin-Friedrichstrasse as destination) AND your trip is 100+ km, you are free to change to local train transport to any station within Berlin as soon you have reached the first station that is included in the list of "Tarifliche Gleichstellung" (station grouping). In your case, this station is in fact Spandau.

The list is availabe at https://www.bahn.de/agb, s.v. "Gleichstellungen"

"just to BERLIN ... DO NOT specify Berlin-Friedrichstrasse"

As to your link, I can't read Deusche but when booking just Berlin, the booking comes up Berlin Hbf ... just saying ... you sure wouldn't want to get picked off by the ticket checkers ... I would go with Berlin-Friedrichstrasse as the final destination. But, I believe you.

but when booking just Berlin, the booking comes up Berlin Hbf

Please try it again, and type BERLIN in capital letters. On the DB web site, BERLIN appears right after Berlin Hbf, on the Navigator sillily only after a lengthy list of Berlin stations.

I can't read Deusche

That's not necessary, it's just a list of stations that are included in your fare if your ticket specifies just the name of the town (BERLIN, HAMBURG, NÜRNBERG etc.)

That's correct BUT if you follow through on the ticketing process the destination reads Berln Hbf.

I agree that the station grouping system is poorly implementend in both the DB App and web site (allegedly, they are "working hard" to improve that). Still, the decisive criterion is the list of "Tarifliche Gleichstellungen" linked above. If you want to be absolutely sure, then book to a station beyond your destination (in our case e.g. Berlin East).