Need train station advice for Berlin

A long-distance train fare of Deutsche Bahn is the same from any S-Bahn station of Berlin incl. Hbf and Spandau.
The only difference would be if you take other means of public transport which means to book the city ticket as add-on.

Questions:

(A) Where do you stay concretely (address)? Charlottenburg (sub-district) covers a large area; also Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (district) if you mean that. The answer is not about closer distance.

(B) Which time does your train go? On Saturdays are often events in Berlin which can be an issue to reach a certain point in the city.

(C) Will the train you plan to take stop at Berlin-Spandau? What is you destination by train (just to check)?

Info: No Uber as you know it available in Germany - no permission for commercial rides by private people without a business. Just use regular taxis in Berlin - no other chauffeur services; partly horrible stories. Uber knows but ignores.

Thanks, MarkK. I'm staying at the Hotel Vita on Heerstrasse. I plan to take a DB train to Erfurt, and would like to arrive there about 16:00.

It looks like there are more trains from Hbf than from Spandau. There is a very cheap (€17) and fast option that doesn't stop at Spandau. I would grab a ticket but don't know if the taxi cost would still make the trip more expensive. I assume that a taxi to Hbf would cost a lot more than to Spandau?

Thanks for telling me about Uber. It was on my list to check.

I know the Vita - not far from where my mother is living.

Yes, Berlin Hbf is the Central station while Berlin has 4 other main stations for long distance trains - one of it is Spandau, another one is Südkreuz.

To Erfurt the trains will leave Berlin to South, means from Hbf via Südkreuz (please check). Spandau would make your way longer.

Cheapest and fastest option if your train stops also at Südkreuz: walk 1 km to S station Messe Nord and take S42 or S46 (not S41) to Südkreuz. Book your train ticket from "Messe Nord/ZOB (S), Berlin" to Erfurt with DB journey planner. This will prevent you from buying a ticket for Berlin public transport on this trip.

Important: currently the S-Bahn ring is interrupted at this station until end of April (see article, also reason at the bottom). So plan and book with June dates.

Backup: I recommend to take subway from Theodor-Heuss-Platz to Zoologischer Garten and any S-Bahn from there to Hbf. This will require a Single trip ticket AB for EUR 3.80.

Taxi can be an issue because around fair and ICC the whole Autobahn situation is currently a mess (likely for months) because an Autobahn bridge was closed to be destructed and the whole traffic needs to go through the streets of Charlottenburg.

Thanks for the detailed advice!

Hi,

Take what ever pubic transport on running down Heerstraße. In 2017 I went there to see tjhe British Air Force Cemetery on Heerstrasse. Walking the distance from the U-Bahn station too 40-45 mins, next to that of Jewish cemeteries....took the bus back.

Got to see Wilmersdorf this way.....culturally an eye opener.

The bus terminates at Bahnhof Zoo, you can transfer to Hbf. ....expanded, refurbished, etc.

I would not suggest quibbling the cost to save a few Euro unless you are in a hurry.

Fred, normally a good idea but as mentioned car and bus traffic collapse daily due to the detours from the Autobahn traffic. See linked articles.

My mother needs an hour with her car for ways which take normally 15-20 minutes. Therefore I recommended to walk to S-Bahn or to take subway (U-Bahn). Taxis and buses cannot recommended currently between Theo and Savignyplatz.

I know you've (OP) already made your travel plans, but for those who haven't, I'd avoid Charlottenburg as a headquarters. It's just too remote from the main sites of interest in Berlin, and as MarkK's excellent directions suggest, getting from there to elsewhere in Germany can be a bit complicated. In our case, we stayed near the Friedrichstrasse station, which is extremely convenient yet removed from Tourist Central. With all that said, Berlin is a very exciting city, and even from Charlottenburg the OP will have a marvelous visit.