How to Get From Berlin to Freiburg: Train and Bus Options

Are you wondering how to get from Berlin to Freiburg? In this blog post, I’ll show you options for taking the train from Berlin to Freiburg, plus taking the bus to Freiburg from Berlin and my thoughts on flying.

Freiburg im Breisgau is a charming small city in Germany’s Black Forest. It’s a great choice to include on a trip to Germany to get a different view of the country. You’ll immediately notice the contrasts between Freiburg and Berlin, and the Black Forest is probably on your Germany bucket list.

Andy and I actually used to live in Freiburg before moving to Berlin, and it really is a beautiful town. Keep reading for details on getting from Berlin to Freiburg.

How to get to Freiburg from Berlin

Traveling from Berlin to Freiburg is easy when you know how to do it.

What is the distance from Berlin to Freiburg?

The driving distance from Berlin Hbf to Freiburg Hbf is 810km (503 miles) so it’s rather far. It can take 8.5 hours or longer to drive depending on which route you choose, traffic conditions, and any road work that might be happening.

Plus parking isn’t easy in central Berlin or central Freiburg, and you have to understand German driving laws. Unless you have a compelling reason to drive, I recommend taking an option that’s less stressful.

That’s why I have all the details you need for taking the bus or train from Berlin to Freiburg.

However, if you really want to rent a car and drive, I suggest making a road trip of it. Break up the journey with a few stops in between, such as Leipzig and Heidelberg, and take a few days to make the trip from Berlin to Freiburg, or in the other direction from Freiburg to Berlin.

How to Get from Berlin to Freiburg by Train

Getting around in Germany using Deutsche Bahn is pretty simple, and getting from Berlin to Freiburg is no exception.

When you search for routes on Deutsche Bahn, make sure you choose Freiburg (Breisgau) because there are a few similar towns, notably one in Switzerland and a couple that are spelled with BERG instead of BURG. Selecting Freiburg (Breisgau) will ensure you’re going to the university city in the Black Forest.

Most of the routes you’ll see on Deutsche Bahn are on ICE trains. ICE means Intercity Express, which are the high speed trains and your fastest option for getting to Freiburg from Berlin. The journey normally takes anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5 hours.

You’ll see a direct route plus several routes with one or two switches. The times are similar, so it’s up to you which you prefer. I like the direct route because it means I don’t have to deal with switching trains anywhere, and there’s no chance of missing a connection. But if you’d prefer to break up the journey a bit, get out of the train to stretch your legs, then look at one of the options that has a switch.

Most ICE trains going to Freiburg have stops at both Berlin Hbf and Berlin Südkreuz. Check which Berlin station is closest to where you’re staying in Berlin to see which one makes the most sense. You can also click on the train number to see its full route.

Using high speed trains from Berlin to Freiburg

When using high speed trains, you are usually bound to the exact train you choose, so you can’t hop on any train on that route. So if you booked a train from Berlin to Freiburg for 9am, you must take the 9am train. (These are just example times, not indicative of any actual schedule.)

The exception is if you buy the more expensive Flexpreis (Flexible Fare) ticket that allows this. I generally don’t think it’s worth the extra expense, unless you absolutely need that flexibility.

>>Check prices and schedules on the Deutsche Bahn website.

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Night trains to Freiburg from Berlin

Since this is a longer journey, you might be interested in night trains from Berlin to Freiburg. Deutsche Bahn will sometimes list trains that go overnight, but you have to look closely because that doesn’t mean there are sleeper cars.

Better is to look for train numbers starting with NJ. This is the NightJet train, operated by Austria, and they have sleeper trains from Berlin to Freiburg. You’ll likely see a little bed icon next to the train number, but it’s also worth clicking on the train number to see the full details and make sure you see “sleeper and couchette train” or similar.

I’ve taken the NightJet train from Berlin to Basel (which is after Freiburg) and it was pretty comfortable, as far as sleeper trains go. Andy and I booked a private compartment with our own bathroom.

I also see a train company called Urlaubs Express that runs a few night train routes in Germany, though I’ve never used them. When I search from Berlin to Freiburg, it shows a normal train to Hanover, and then you switch to the UEX train, which has sleeper compartments. You can see the route on Deutsche Bahn, but you have to book directly with Urlaubs Express.

>>Read: What to Wear & What to Pack for Germany: Ultimate Germany Travel Packing List

Using regional trains from Berlin to Freiburg

There are ways of reaching Freiburg from Berlin using only regional trains, but it will take you 14 hours or longer, if there are no delays, and it involves switching at least 6 or 7 times. Yikes! And when I searched just a few days from today, it was actually cheaper to take the faster trains.

I don’t think it’s worth taking the slower regional trains to Freiburg from Berlin. If you’re traveling on a budget and really want to do it this way, I recommend splitting up the journey somewhere in the middle.

Are there seat reservations on trains to Freiburg from Berlin?

On high speed trains in Germany, your second class ticket does not come with a seat reservation. This means you can sit anywhere within second class that isn’t already reserved.

Seat reservations cost less than 5 euros, and it’s highly recommended that you reserve. At busy times, the train could be rather full, and having a seat reservation means you won’t get stuck standing. I’ve seen people stuck standing many, many times.

If you buy a first class ticket, seat reservations are included as long as you select it at the time of booking.

Regional trains do not have seat reservations. But be aware that most regional trains do have a 1st class section.

How to buy a train ticket from Berlin to Freiburg

There are several ways to buy a train ticket to Freiburg from Berlin, and all are fairly simple. High speed trains are often cheaper if you book several weeks in advance, so planning ahead helps.

They have recently made it harder to buy tickets on the train, and in some cases it’s not even possible. You will get checked almost every time, so don’t get on a train without a ticket.

In person
Deutsche Bahn has ticket offices in the train stations in Berlin, so you can buy a ticket in person. They won’t always speak English though, so this can be tricky.

If you decide to buy your ticket this way, I highly recommend going to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central station) to buy your ticket. Here you’ll have a better chance of finding an employee who speaks at least some English.

At a machine
There are Deutsche Bahn ticket machines at the train stations, and they have a language option so you can switch it to English. These are the same machines used at Sbahn stations.

Simply follow the prompts to buy your ticket. Remember that times are often displayed in a 24 hour format, so 5pm would be 17:00, as an example.

Online
Tickets can also be purchased on the Deutsche Bahn website, which is also available in English. Once you’re done with your purchase, you’ll get an email with a PDF of your ticket which you can show on the train.

Deutsche Bahn app
The Deutsche Bahn app is also available in English, and it’s easy to use. Once you’ve purchased your ticket, you’ll have it right there in your app.

Types of tickets

When buying tickets online, once you put in your start and end cities, date and time info, and number of people, you’ll get a list of routes for that day. Choose a time, and you’ll have different ticket options to choose from, as seen in the photo above.

In general, cheaper tickets have more restrictions. The Sparpreis tickets bind you to the exact train, while the Flexpreis tickets let you take any train on that route that day.

For more detailed info, jump over to my step-by-step instructions on how to book train tickets on Deutsche Bahn.

Are there other companies that run trains from Berlin to Freiburg?

I’ve already mentioned NightJet and Urlaubs Express for night trains between Berlin and Freiburg. But there’s also a few options through FlixTrain.

FlixBus also runs FlixTrain, and they do have train routes between Berlin and Freiburg. Many of their train routes seem to run from Berlin to Hanover or Heidelberg, where you’ll have to switch to a FlixBus. These routes leave late in the day and run overnight, taking anywhere from 13 to 15 hours total.

But on certain days of the week, there is a direct FlixTrain route from Berlin to Freiburg that leaves around 11:30am and takes roughly 7 hours. I saw another one that leaves earlier in the morning and arrives later because there’s a long switch in Frankfurt. I see no advantage to taking this one when there’s a faster direct route.

The good thing is that if you’re using the FlixBus website and there is a FlixTrain option, it will show up too. If you’re flexible about what day of the week you travel, FlixTrain could be a good option for saving money.

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How to Get from Berlin to Freiburg by Bus

If you’re traveling on a budget, FlixBus is usually great option.

However, on the Berlin Freiburg route, the bus will take anywhere from 14 to 21 hours and has one switch. Doesn’t sound like fun to me, but if you’re on a tight budget, FlixBus is worth looking into.

Berlin has bus services from several stations, though not all stations are on every route. The buses to Freiburg from Berlin leave from the central bus station, Südkreuz, or sometimes Alexanderplatz or the BER Airport.

The central bus station, called Berlin ZOB, is located in the western side of Berlin, quite far from the center. Unless you’re staying out that way for some reason, I recommend catching the bus from Südkreuz or Alexanderplatz.

I’ve taken FlixBus more times than I can count, both in Germany and in other parts of Europe. Their buses are comfortable and safe, and I would highly recommend them if you’re trying to save a few bucks. But normally I don’t take the bus when it’s this much slower than Deutsche Bahn.

The buses do have a bathroom, though I can’t vouch for their cleanliness because I do whatever I can to avoid going to the bathroom on moving vehicles.

>>Read: 75 Famous Landmarks in Germany

Are there seat reservations on buses to Freiburg from Berlin?

FlixBus does have an option to reserve a seat. This is good for people who want to make sure they’re seated with their family or friends, or if you are particular about where you sit.

But buying a ticket guarantees you a seat, so you don’t have to reserve a specific seat if it’s not important to you. Standing is not allowed on long distance buses.

Prices for seat reservations vary depending on the type of seat the route. They range from 1.50 to 5 euros.

How to buy a bus ticket from Berlin to Freiburg

There are a few different ways to book a bus ticket to Freiburg from Berlin.

In person
Technically you can buy a FlixBus ticket from the ticket office at the ZOB (central bus station) but I wouldn’t recommend it.

I’ve definitely been over there to catch a bus and noticed that the office was closed. Even if they were just closed for a short break, this feels too stressful when there are easier ways to book a ticket.

There are multiple travel agents around the city that can book you a FlixBus ticket, but finding them is even more of a hassle.

Online
The FlixBus website is an easy way to book tickets. It’s available in multiple languages.

You can search your route, and it’ll show you all starting and ending points. So if you want to travel from Berlin to Freiburg, you can see which stations the bus leaves from and buy based on that.

Once you’ve purchased your ticket, you’ll get an email with a PDF that you can show the bus driver when boarding the bus.

FlixBus app
The FlixBus app is also easy to use to search for routes and buy tickets. It’s available in multiple languages.

>>Read: Do You Need a Plug Adapter for Germany?

Are there other companies that run buses from Berlin to Freiburg?

Other bus companies operate routes in Germany, but they are not as widespread as FlixBus. I have not seen any others running on the Berlin to Freiburg route.

Can you fly from Berlin to Freiburg?

Given the distance, it’s no wonder some people might want to fly to Freiburg from Berlin. But Freiburg doesn’t have a commercial airport, so it’s not so straightforward.

The closest airport is in Basel, sometimes called the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport or Basel Euro Airport, tying in Switzerland, France, and Germany. At the time of writing, EasyJet appears to be the only airline with direct flights between Freiburg and Berlin.

It doesn’t have a train station, so you either take a bus (airport express bus or FlixBus) about an hour, or you take a local bus to the Basel train station where you can switch to a train. The direct bus is about an hour, whereas the bus to train option is closer to an hour and a half.

The Frankfurt Airport and the Zurich Airport are each about 2 hours or so from Freiburg by train. There are more flights to either of these airports, but it takes longer to reach Freiburg from there.

No matter which airport you’re looking at, it will take you almost as long or even the same amount of time as the train. This is because you have to add in the time it takes to get to the Berlin airport, being there 1-2 hours ahead of your flight, getting out on the other end, and then traveling to Freiburg.

Even for a little time savings, I personally wouldn’t fly. Taking the train from Berlin to Freiburg is much less stressful, and it’s more environmentally friendly.

What’s the cheapest way to get from Berlin to Freiburg?

Ticket prices fluctuate for both the train and the bus to Freiburg from Berlin, so it’s always worth checking both.

Taking FlixBus or FlixTrain will almost always be cheaper than Deutsche Bahn. While writing this post, I searched for trains and buses about a week out, and the Deutsche Bahn trains were 85-140 euros, while Flixbus and FlixTrain options were 30-50 euros.

Both the train and the bus are comfortable, but I’d have to give a little more credit to Deutsche Bahn for comfort.

Deutsche Bahn is much faster than the bus. If time is important to you, you should choose either Deutsche Bahn or FlixTrain, but FlixTrain is only comparable time wise on certain days of the week. FlixTrain and FlixBus are similar in price.

The train is less likely to have timing problems, but delays can happen with either the train or the bus. In dozens of trips on FlixBus, I’ve only dealt with a major delay (which was due to an accident miles ahead of us on the highway) one time.

If you’re in Berlin on a budget, every dollar and euro counts. But since the bus takes so much longer, I don’t think it’s a good option to go to Freiburg from Berlin. However, FlixTrain could save you a lot of money for a similar amount of time compared to Deutsche Bahn.

Night trains will typically be the most expensive option for traveling to Freiburg from Berlin. But if you take into account how much you might spend on a hotel, a sleeper train might work out to be a good deal.

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I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide for to how to get to Freiburg from Berlin is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!