Amsterdam to Berlin by car

Traveling from Amsterdam to Berlin is a lot easier than you think. Unlike traveling by bus, train or plane, you don’t have to book anything in advance and you can simply leave whenever it suits you. After a drive of around six hours, you are in Berlin. You can also enjoy the beautiful landscape and admire the old transit road that runs through the former East Germany. Before you set off, you must take into account a number of traffic rules that apply in Germany and the environmental sticker that you need. We will tell you more about this in this article, so that you can be well prepared!

1. Trains from Amsterdam to Berlin environmentally friendly way to travel within 6 hours and 21 minutes, with prices starting from €39,- up to €131,-.
2. Flights from Amsterdam to Berlin the fastest way to get to Berlin. Travel in 1 hour and 30 minutes, with prices from €80,- up to €285,-.
3. By bus from Amsterdam To Berlin the cheapest and environmental way to travel in 8 to 10 hours to Berlin. With prices starting from €7,99 up to €48,-
4. By car from Amsterdam to Berlin a convenient way to use the perfect German autobahn, and also a pretty cheap way to travel if you go with more than 2 people. Depending on traffic, the ride takes 6 to 8 hours.

Amsterdam to Berlin

A lot of tourists who come to Amsterdam also want to discover all the beauties of other European cities. Our task, as always is to provide them with all the information they need to make their journey from Amsterdam to Berlin an easy one. The distance from Amsterdam to Berlin is approximately 656 km if you’re travelling by car. There are different ways to travel to Berlin and how you travel mainly depends on personal preferences and how much you’re willing to spend. If you are travelling with several people at the same time, it will in many cases be cheaper to travel by car. If you’re travelling by car, the journey takes about 6 hours. The roads to Berlin are good. Maintenance takes place regularly. You need an environmental sticker in large parts of Berlin. You can easily get this at the ANWB or Dekra Nederland. Keep in mind, you need a few days of processing time.

For more information on travelling from Amsterdam to Berlin by car, please continue reading.

Amsterdam to Berlin by car

Travelling from Amsterdam to Berlin by car is very simple. From Amsterdam, it is easier to use your Google Maps navigation system or you can also follow the road boards. Follow the signs Hanover> Magdeburg> Berlin and you will be in Berlin in about 6 or 7 hours.

Note: Keep in mind that Berlin has introduced an environmental zone since January 1, 2008. All cars entering the centre of Berlin are required to have a green environmental sticker (costs about € 10,- at the ANWB). You risk a fine of € 80,- if you do not have it!

The distance from Amsterdam to Berlin

Distance from Amsterdam to Berlin is approximately 661 kilometres and the travel time is 6 hours and 10 minutes. Most congestions are in the Netherlands and as soon as you get into Germany, driving becomes easier and smoother. From the Dutch/German border, it is still about 600 kilometres away. Try planning your ride on a Sunday if possible because that’s when the roads are less busy. Driving in Germany can be quite a relief: the roads are wide, beautiful, long, and there are fewer congestions because there are fewer entrances and exits.

Inside Berlin

If you have a little more time you can also decide not to drive on the highways to Berlin, because the streets of Germany are definitely worth a visit. Traces of the German Democratic Republic can still be seen in the eastern part of Germany.

Motorways in Berlin and the Berliner ring

Once you arrive at the Berliner Ring (the Berlin city ring), the roads start getting busier. Don’t worry, driving here is not as stressful as in the Netherlands, the signs are clear and exits are indicated for drivers to see on time.

The Berliner ring

The Berlin ring road is also known as the:

• A10
• Bundesautobahn 10
• Autobahn 10
• Or abbreviated as BAB 10

There are various exits to the centre of Berlin and to Potsdam. Exit 1 starts at the Schwanebeck junction (formerly Prenzlau), where there is a connection with the A 11 from Stettin/Prenzlau. Motorways A2, A9, A12, A13 and A24 also connect to the Berliner Ring. The BAB 10 is connected to the smaller Berliner Stadtring and other parts of Berlin via the A111, A113, A114 and A115. The BAB 10 was built between 1936 and 1939.
Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, is still within the city ring. So that already indicates that the Berlin ring is quite large. The ring road is so large that it is still partly in the province of Brandenburg. The BAB 10 has a total length of 196 kilometres and is, therefore, the largest city ring in Europe. For comparison: the Amsterdam ring road has only 32 kilometres. The smaller, incomplete Berlin City Ring (A 100) also runs within Berlin. Do not confuse these two, that sometimes leads to misunderstandings.

Highways in Berlin

Berlin is still fairly good to drive in mainly because the roads are wider than the ones in Amsterdam. Many roads in the city are even three or more lanes (the Heerstraße, the largest street in Berlin, Karl-Marx-Allee). Most traffic in the city is regulated by traffic lights and many tourist attractions and hotels can be easily reached by car.

Keep the following points in mind:

1. The best time to leave the Netherlands is after the morning rush hour. This allows you to drive during the day and reach Berlin before the evening rush hour starts.
2. Many route planners will indicate that it is best to cross the border at Hengelo. However, it is smarter to choose to cross the border at Arnhem/Zevenaar. This route is a bit longer, but since you can drive a little faster at this point, and arrive in Berlin about half an hour earlier.
3. Only drive in the evening if you do not mind driving through the pitch dark. Also check your lamps before departure, because you will need them en route.
4. Driving in the evening does have the advantage that speed limits are also removed around certain cities. You can therefore drive a bit faster.
5. Since the distances are greater in Germany, there may also be greater distances between the gas stations. To avoid being stranded along the road with an empty tank, pay attention to where your diesel gauge.

Parking in Berlin

The only thing that gets more difficult is parking your car, but you actually have this issue in every big European city. In most cases, tourists have to drive around for an hour before they can find a parking space in the centre of the city. However, parking is often easier outside the city centre.

Parking in Berlin hotels

Most hotels in Berlin offer parking spaces. These often have camera surveillance and you pay around €15,- per day. The price you pay for parking varies by the hotel. There are hotels with parking from €5,- but also hotels that charge €30,- for it. Naturally, parking spaces in the city centre are more expensive than outside the city centre.

Public (free) parking places in Berlin

If you’re going to discover the city, we would recommend leaving your car in the hotel garage because Berlin’s public transport system is very good, and often faster than the car. You also save on parking costs in the city and the risk that your car will be broken into (foreign cars often run the risk of being robbed) remains zero to none. Parking is generally pricey in Berlin, but relatively cheap compared to other (Dutch) cities. The prices vary between €0.50 and €3,- per hour. There are also a number of parking garages in Berlin where you can park for free.

Free parking in Berlin:

1. Deutsche Oper (Mitte), 300 free parking spaces.
2. Ernst Reuter Haus (Charlottenburg), 100 free parking spaces during the week.
3. Karl-Marx-Allee (Kreuzberg), free parking directly along the street.
4. Beselerkaserne Berlin (Spandau), 200 free parking spaces.
5. Allee Center Berlin (Lichtenberg), 300 free parking spaces.

Park & Ride (P&R) outside the city centre

You can also choose to drive to the outskirts of the city by car and travel further by public transport. The Park & Ride of Berliner Verkehrstriebe works roughly the same as P&R of the NS, the Dutch Railway Corporation. It offers cheap (mostly free) parking and easy traveling on public transport. Ideal if you do not have an environmental sticker or if you do not like to drive in the city centre.

Here is an overview of different P&R locations outside the city centre:

1. Northwest – along with the S1, S25 and U6:
   Hermsdorf S-Bahn, Waidmannslust S-Bahn, Wittenau S-Bahn, Tegel U-Bahn, Eichborndamm S-Bahn, Kurt-Schuhmacher-Platz U-Bahn.
2. Southwest – along the S1 and S7:
   S-Bahnhof Wannsee, S-Bahnhof Nikolassee.
3. South – along the S2, S8 and S9:
   S-Bahnhof Lichtenrade, S-Bahnhof Schichauweg, S-Bahnhof Buckower Chaussee, S-Bahnhof Marienfelde, S-Bahnhof Priesterweg, U-Bahnhof Parchimer Allee, U-Bahnhof Alt-Mariendorf, U-Bahnhof Rudow, S-Bahnhof Grünau, S -Bahnhof Alt-Glienicke.
4. East – along the S3, S5 and S75:
   S-Bahnhof Karlshorst, S-Bahnhof Wuhlheide, S-Bahnhof Friedrichshagen, S-Bahnhof Rahnsdorf, S-Bahnhof Mahlsdorf, S-Bahnhof Wuhletal, S-Bahnhof Biesdorf, S-Bahnhof Lichtenberg, S-Bahnhof Springpfuhl, S-Bahnhof Marzahn, Raoul-Wallenberg-Allee S-Bahnhof, Mehrower Allee S-Bahnhof.
5. Northeast – along the S2 and S75:
   Hohenschönhausen S-Bahnhof, Wartenberg S-Bahnhof, Pankow-Heinersdorf S-Bahnhof, Blankenburg S-Bahnhof, Buch S-Bahnhof.

Parking at the Berlin airports

Berlin has two airports in use, Schönefeld and Tegel. Both airports offer sufficient parking space. There are several parking places to park your car for a short or longer period of time. The prices range from €2.50 per hour to €39,- for eight days. Both airports are easily accessible by public transport.

German traffic rules

Speed limits in Berlin

1. A maximum speed of 50 km/hour applies within built-up areas.
2. Outside the built-up area, a maximum speed of 100 km/h applies.
3. An advised speed of 130 km/hour applies on the Autobahn unless otherwise indicated with signs. This is an advised speed and therefore not a mandatory maximum speed. So you can drive faster, but you run the risk that if something happens you are not covered by your car insurance. So think about it!

The fines for speeding offenses in Berlin:

1. Up to 10 km/h: €10,-
2. 16-20 km/h: €30,-
3. 21-25 km/h: €40,-
4. 26-40 km/h: €75,-
5. 41-50 km/h: €100,-

Note: These are subject to change by the municipality. Fines are higher in built-up areas. If you break the speeding rules in areas where the speed limit is 26 km/h, a driving suspension of up to three months may be imposed.

Environmental sticker

Cars are required to have an environmental sticker in the centre of Berlin. If you do not have this, you can get an €80,- fine.

Parking violations in the Berlin city centre
Fines: €10,- to €50,-, plus any towing costs. This could be for parking in the wrong/disabled spot etc.

Winter Tires
Cars are required to carry winter gear in winter conditions. Winter equipment is understood to mean mainly the well-known winter tires but also sufficient windscreen washer fluid. Cars are also required to have winter tires in snow and freezing weather conditions. Not using winter tires can lead to (joint) liability in the event of accidents. The fine for driving with unsuitable tires is € 40; in the event of danger or nuisance, the fine may be increased.

Environmental (milieu) zone in Berlin

Berlin has introduced an environmental zone to ban environmentally polluting cars from the city centre. The entire area that lies within the Ringbahn (this is the route of the S-Bahn that runs in a circle around the city centre) is now an environmental zone. This covers an area of 88 km2, where 1 million people live. The maximum limit of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) content has been exceeded, and measures have been taken to protect residents in this area. When you want to enter the environmental zone you will see signs informing you that you are entering it. You can also choose to buy an environmental sticker at any gas stations in Germany. If you think the milieu sticker is too much of a hassle, you can choose to look for a hotel that is located outside the milieu zone. Of course, these are some hotels a little further from the city centre and are often cheaper. You can park your car there and there are often good connections with the metro or S-Bahn to the city centre.

If the Milieu Sticker is too much stress for you, you can also choose to take the train to Berlin.

Looking for public transport near you?

Via the Dutch public transport system, it’s very easy to get instant real-time travel information to the airport or the closest train station. Most of the people in the Netherlands use the site or app from 9292ov.nl. Via the button bellow, you go instantly to their site.

1. Fill in your departure location
2. Fill in the time and date of departure
3. Fill in your destination, and you’re good to go.

Are you interested to take a look at other places for a day trip in the Netherlands? We made an overview of the very best places for a day trip while you’re visiting Holland.