The Berlin WelcomeCard is the city's official tourist ticket: unlimited public transport for 48 hours up to 6 days, plus 25% to 50% off more than 170 attractions, tours and restaurants. The one thing to get right before you land: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) sits in fare zone C, so you need the ABC version to ride the train into the city. This guide explains the zones, the 2026 prices, whether the card actually pays off, and where to buy it at the airport.
WelcomeCard vs single tickets at a glance
| Ticket | Covers | Price (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single ABC ticket | One trip incl. BER ↔ city | about €5.00 | One-off airport ride |
| ABC 24-hour day ticket | A full day, all zones | about €12.90 | A single busy day with the airport |
| WelcomeCard ABC (48h+) | Unlimited travel + 25–50% off 170+ sights | from €34.50 (48h) | 2+ days of sightseeing from the airport |
Fares as of 2026; confirm the current price for your dates and zone with the operator before you buy.
AB or ABC — and why BER forces the choice
Berlin's network is split into three fare zones. Zone AB covers the city out to the boundary; zone C adds the surrounding area, Potsdam and BER Airport. Because the airport is in zone C, any trip between BER and central Berlin crosses into zone C — so you need an ABC ticket or the ABC WelcomeCard. If you buy the cheaper AB card by mistake, it will not be valid on the airport train. Once you are based in the city and not heading back out to Potsdam or the airport, the AB version is enough — but for an airport arrival, start with ABC. The FEX, S-Bahn and regional trains from BER all use the same VBB fare, so one ABC ticket or card works on any of them.
What the WelcomeCard includes
- Unlimited public transport in your chosen zone (AB or ABC) for the whole validity — U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses and regional trains within the zone.
- 25% to 50% off more than 170 partners: museums, tours, river cruises, theatres and restaurants.
- Children travel free: with each adult card, up to three children aged 6 to 14 ride free, and under-6s are always free.
- A free app and pocket guide with the partner list and a route map.
There is also a 72-hour Museum Island variant that adds one free daily entry to the five Museum Island museums, and a discount-only "Basic" card without transport — but for most airport arrivals the Classic ABC card is the one that matters.
Is the WelcomeCard worth it?
On transport alone the card is not the cheapest option: a 48-hour ABC WelcomeCard costs €34.50, while two ABC day tickets come to about €25.80 — so it is roughly €8.70 more for the rides themselves. Its value is in the discounts. If you visit even two or three paid attractions — where 25% to 50% off quickly adds up — or you are travelling with children who ride free, the card pulls clearly ahead. The rule of thumb: for a single day with only a couple of journeys, a day ticket is cheaper; for two or more days of sightseeing across the city, the WelcomeCard usually wins. To sanity-check your own trip, our Berlin Airport transfer cost calculator compares the airport leg, and the day trips from Berlin guide shows where the ABC zone and Potsdam coverage pays off.
Where to buy it when you land
You can buy the WelcomeCard before you fly (online or in the BVG app, then activate it on first use) or the moment you arrive. At BER the train station is one level below the main terminal; ticket machines there sell the ABC WelcomeCard and single tickets, and the VBB, BVG and S-Bahn apps sell mobile versions. Validate a paper ticket in the red or yellow stamping machine on the platform before you board. For the full airport-to-city options and journey times, see our Berlin Airport to the city centre and Berlin Airport train guides.
Prices and inclusions are current as of 2026 and set by the operators — confirm the latest fares and partner list before you buy. Useful references: visitBerlin (official WelcomeCard) and VBB — BER Airport fares.
About the author
Lena Hoffmann, Berlin Travel Editor. Lena writes practical guides to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), city transport and getting the most out of a trip to Berlin.
