Cheap Flights to Eastern Germany
Low-Cost Airlines Fly to Berlin, Dresden, and Leipzig/Halle Airports
Low-cost airlines have cheap flights and discounted tickets to Berlin (TXL, SXF, THF, BBI), Dresden (DRS) and Leipzig/Halle (LEJ & AOC) Airports in Eastern Germany.
Flying directly to airports in Eastern Germany is increasingly popular as low-cost airlines have forced down prices and increased available routings. Most cheap flights are to European destinations but some intercontinental flights are available to Berlin.
Cheap Flights to Berlin’s Airports (TXL, SXF, THF, BBI)
Berlin, the capital of Germany, currently has three airports, which offers non-stop flights to over 150 destinations.
- Flights to Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL)
Berlin-Tegel (TXL) is the busiest and most convenient airport in Berlin. It was the main airport of the former West Berlin and apart from excellent facilities is famous for the short walking distances required from planes to ground transportation.
Flights to Berlin on most full-service airlines, including Lufthansa, are usually to Berlin-Tegel. However, some budget airlines also fly here – Tegel is the base of German low-cost airline airberlin (AB).
- Always double-check airport codes – some airlines, including airberlin, have flights to both Berlin-Tegel (TXL) and Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF).
Oddly, for a major German airport, Berlin-Tegel cannot be reached by train. However, Jet Express Buses – special large buses with low floors and space for luggage – connect the airport several times per hour with Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Zoologischer Garten Station in around 20 minutes.
- Flights to Berlin-Schönefeld Airport (SXF)
Berlin-Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was the main airport of East Berlin and East Germany while Germany was divided into two separate countries. It is to the south of Berlin and less conveniently located than Tegel. Most low-cost airlines fly to Berlin-Schönefeld.
In contrast to Tegel, Schönefeld can be reached by rail. Trains run generally every half hour from Schönefeld through Berlin to Berlin-Spandau. Traveling time to Berlin-Hauptbahnhof is 28 minutes and to Zoologischer Garten, 32 minutes.
- Flights to Berlin-Tempelhof Airport (THF)
Berlin-Tempelhof Airport (THF) is the oldest airport in Berlin and currently mostly used by business jets and smaller aircraft. It dates from the 1930s with architecture that inspired many airports that followed. Tempelhof has good train and bus connections but being almost in the heart of West Berlin, taking a taxi is generally a very sound option too.
- Tempelhof is due to close for commercial flights on October 31, 2008.
- Flights to Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI)
Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) is a new large airport being constructed to the south of Berlin adjacent to the current Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. It will fully replace all three other airports in Berlin.
Berlin-Brandenburg will have excellent ground transportation facilities with new autobahns and railway lines currently under construction. Both local trains as well as high-speed Inter-City-Express (ICE) trains will stop in the basement of the new airport terminal.
- BBI is due to open in 2011 but delays are generally expected.
Cheap Flights to Dresden Airport (DRS)
Dresden Airport (DRS) is small but modern and very conveniently located. Trains depart twice per hour from the basement of the terminal building to reach Dresden-Neustadt in 13 minutes and Dresden Hauptbahnhof in 23.
Dresden Airport sees many low-cost airlines flying to especially Mediterranean holiday destinations but full-service airlines such as Lufthansa have frequent flights to Frankfurt (FRA) and Düsseldorf (DUS) while British Airways flies to London-Gatwick (LGW).
Cheap Flights to Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ)
Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) is another small but modern airport with excellent ground transportation links. It is at the crossing of major autobahns while trains to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof and Halle/Saale take less than 15 minutes each.
Unfortunately, the number of destinations served by Leipzig/Halle is somewhat limited. Most flights are on low-cost or charter airlines to popular holiday destinations. However, low-cost domestic flights are available to Cologne-Bonn (Köln), Nuremberg (Nürnberg) and Stuttgart, while Lufthansa flies to Frankfurt, Munich (München), and Düsseldorf.
- Leipzig-Altenburg Airport (AOC) is far less conveniently located to the south of Leipzig and only used by Irish low-cost airline Ryanair for cheap flights to London-Stansted (STN) and Barcelona-Girona.
Germany has many airports with Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) usually the first port of entry for intercontinental travelers. Frequent connecting flights are available from Frankfurt to Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden.
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