Berlin fully booked? Erkner is on the RE1 and S3
Berlin fully booked or too expensive? Then it's worth looking at Erkner, just over the city boundary. The RE1 regional express is the fastest way into the city from here, and the S3 runs with no change to Ostkreuz, Alexanderplatz and Hauptbahnhof. There are three furnished apartments here with their own kitchen, from 35 € per person per night.
The RE1 stops in Erkner and is faster than the S3 – around a quarter of an hour from Ostkreuz. It runs about twice an hour.
Engineering works until 12 December 2026
Because of engineering works on the Berlin Stadtbahn, the RE1 only runs as far as Ostbahnhof in Berlin; from 10 to 19 October 2026 it terminates at Lichtenberg. From 13 December 2026 it is due to run via Alexanderplatz and Hauptbahnhof again. Until then, if you're boarding further west, take the S3 – or change at Ostbahnhof.
| From station in Berlin | Line | To Erkner |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin Ostbahnhof | RE1 | 21 min |
| Berlin Ostkreuz | RE1 | 16 min |
Travel times from the VBB journey planner during the engineering works, rounded to whole minutes; individual trains vary. The current connection is on vbb.de.
The S3 starts in Erkner and runs right across Berlin to Spandau. So you don't change at any of these stations – just take the S3 towards Erkner and stay on to the end of the line.
| From station in Berlin | Line | To Erkner |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin Ostkreuz | S3 | 29 min |
| Berlin Ostbahnhof | S3 | 33 min |
| Berlin Alexanderplatz | S3 | 39 min |
| Berlin Friedrichstraße | S3 | 43 min |
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof | S3 | 45 min |
| Berlin Zoologischer Garten | S3 | 51 min |
| Berlin Messe Süd | S3 | 60 min |
Travel times from the S-Bahn Berlin timetable, Monday to Friday; individual trains vary, and times change when the timetable changes. From Erkner the S3 runs every 10 minutes at peak times, otherwise every 20 minutes. The current connection is on vbb.de.
Erkner is in fare zone Berlin C. So you need an ABC ticket – or an extension ticket for zone C on top of your AB ticket. With the Deutschlandticket you can use the S-Bahn and RE1 without any other ticket.
Erkner has its own exit on the Berlin ring motorway (A10, junction Erkner). Parking at the house is free, vans included – in Berlin a parking space often costs more than a night here.
From BER you reach Erkner with one change: by S-Bahn into the city and on with the S3, or by regional train to Ostbahnhof and on with the RE1. Allow around an hour; the connection for your flight is on vbb.de.
The bus stops opposite the driveway – four routes run from Erkner station to the house. On foot it's around two kilometres, about 20 minutes.
Because you get more for less here: your own apartment with a kitchen instead of a hotel room, free parking and peace and quiet by the Flakensee – from 35 € per person per night. The S3 gets you into the city in half an hour to three quarters of an hour, with no change.
30.10.2026 – 31.10.2026 · 1 night for 2 people · Availability on request
Would you rather just ask whether your dates are free?
WhatsAppQuestions & answers
It's always the same three apartments in Neu Zittauer Straße 60. Depending on why you're coming to Erkner, a different page will suit you best.
Tell me the dates and the number of people – you'll quickly hear whether one of the three apartments is free.
May we count visits?
We would like to see anonymously which pages people find – for this we use Google Analytics. Data is transferred to Google in the process. Nothing happens without your consent. More about this in the privacy policy.
