Brandenburg is the federal state that entirely surrounds the city-state of Berlin without containing it, stretching from the Baltic-facing Uckermark lake district in the north to the Lusatian mining lakes in the south. Its capital, Potsdam, is home to the UNESCO-listed Sanssouci Park and Palace, once the summer residence of Frederick the Great. Beyond Potsdam, Brandenburg is a patchwork of glacial lakes, pine forests, and slow rivers, including the UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve, where villages are still reached by flat-bottomed punting boats through a maze of canals.
Brandenburg's transport backbone is the VBB (Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg), the joint transit authority that unifies Berlin's U-Bahn and S-Bahn with Brandenburg's regional RE/RB trains, trams, and buses under one ticketing system. The Deutschlandticket at €58/month covers all of it, making Brandenburg one of the easiest German states to explore without a car from a Berlin base. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), despite its name, is physically located in Schönefeld, Brandenburg, and functions as the shared air gateway for the whole region, with direct Airport Express and RE trains reaching both Berlin and Potsdam.
Transport at a glance
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
- Overview
- BER airport is well connected to both Berlin and Brandenburg destinations by the Airport Express train and regional RE lines, all covered by standard VBB tickets
- Items
- {'route': 'BER to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof', 'mode': 'RE7/RB14 regional train', 'duration': '40-50 minutes', 'notes': 'Direct regional train avoids the need to transfer via central Berlin'}, {'route': 'BER to Berlin Hauptbahnhof', 'mode': 'Airport Express (FEX) or RE', 'duration': '30 minutes', 'notes': 'The fastest way into central Berlin; trains run every 15-30 minutes'}, {'route': 'BER to Cottbus', 'mode': 'RE regional train, typically with one change', 'duration': 'Approximately 1h 45min', 'notes': 'Check current VBB timetables for the fastest connection, as routing can change seasonally'}
Local transport
Getting around the city.
Items
Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
- Overview
- Taxis are available in Potsdam, Cottbus, and Brandenburg an der Havel, but are far less common in small Spreewald and lake-district villages, where advance booking or a hotel-arranged pickup is more reliable than hailing on the street.
- Items
Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
Operator
FlixBus and Deutsche Bahn long-distance (ICE/IC)
Website
https://www.flixbus.de
Overview
FlixBus connects Brandenburg's larger towns, particularly Cottbus, to other German cities at low fares; Deutsche Bahn ICE and IC trains serve Berlin as the main long-distance hub, with regional VBB trains completing the journey into Brandenburg.
Items
- Route
- Berlin to Cottbus (FlixBus)
- Price eur
- €6-16
- Duration
- 1h 45min-2h
- Route
- Berlin to Frankfurt (Oder)
- Price eur
- €5-14
- Duration
- 1h-1h 30min
Terminals
Berlin ZOB (Central Bus Terminal) is the main long-distance bus hub serving Brandenburg destinations
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Buy the Deutschlandticket (€58/month) if combining Berlin and Brandenburg for a week or more — it covers every VBB train, tram, and bus in the region
Validate any paper single ticket before boarding — VBB operates an honour system with spot checks and fines for invalid tickets
BER's direct RE trains reach Potsdam in under an hour, so there is no need to route through central Berlin first
Regional trains carry bicycles for a small supplement, making one-way cycling trips easy to plan around the Havelland and Spreewald
Book ahead for Spreewald boat tours from Lübbenau in summer — the harbour can have long queues on weekends
In rural Spreewald and Uckermark villages, book taxis by phone in advance rather than expecting to hail one on the street