Travel to Potsdam (via Berlin)
By public transport (train and bus)
Berlin is connected by Intercity and international express trains with all parts of Germany and many cities in Europe, often by direct connection. In addition, several night trains connect Berlin with major cities in Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, (Italy), Switzerland and France (see Green EARSeL). Please visit the home page of your National Railways or Deutsche Bahn for connections and rates. As a special offer, you can currently buy a “9-€-ticket” and use the majority of regional trains as well as local busses and trams in Germany for the entire month of June! You can get the ticket at train stations, in most busses, online from bahn, bvg or vbb or the bvg and vbb apps (see bottom of page). Make sure to carry an ID and, if you get a paper ticket, to write your full name on! Within Germany, there are also connections by other operators than Deutsche Bahn, e.g. FlixTrain, as well as long-distance bus connections.
To get to Potsdam from the Berlin main station or other stations served by intercity trains, or Berlin central bus station (ZOB), you can choose between regional trains, the suburban train (S-Bahn) and busses. You can find all information on https://www.bvg.de/en. The train ride from Berlin main station to Potsdam main station (Potsdam Hauptbahnhof) is about 30 minutes (use ticket Berlin ABC):
- Regionalexpress RE1 from Ostbahnhof / Berlin-Hauptbahnhof / Berlin Friedrichstraße / Zoologischer Garten / Berlin Charlottenburg / Berlin Wannsee, direction: Magdeburg Hbf or Brandenburg Hbf
- Regionalbahn RB21/22 (Berlin Friedrichstraße / Zoologischer Garten / Berlin Charlottenburg / Berlin Wannsee, direction: Potsdam, Golm Bhf)
- S Bahn S7, direction Potsdam Hbf
By plane
Currently, the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport BER is served directly by several European as well as intercontinental airlines.
To get to Potsdam, take the Regionalbahn RB22 (direction: Potsdam Hbf or Potsdam Griebnitzsee), destination Potsdam-Hauptbahnhof (Ticket: Berlin BC) or a Shuttle bus BER2 (direction Potsdam Hbf, Ticket: Berlin BC + 6€).
By car
From Berlin take B1 from Berlin-Wannsee or the motorway “Autobahn” A115 to Hannover/Leipzig, Exit Potsdam-Babelsberg; follow the signs to “Zentrum” and “GeoForschungsZentrum”.
From Hannover or Leipzig on motorway “Autobahn A10/E30”, take exit “Potsdam-Süd/Michendorf” to Potsdam, follow the B2 northbound, turn right at “Am Brauhausberg” till “Albert-Einstein-Straße”.
From Hamburg or Rostock on motorway “A10/E55”, take exit “Marquardt” to Potsdam along B273, follow in Potsdam the signs “Zentrum” to “Albert-Einstein-Straße”.
Please keep in mind that parking on campus and public parking facilities in the vicinity are very limited. However, after registration with the gatekeeper, parking on campus is possible (e.g., for exhibitors).
Travel to the conference venue (GFZ main campus, Telegrafenberg)
It’s a pleasant 15-minute walk to get from the Potsdam main station to the conference venue (about 1.5 km).
You can rent bicycles at Potsdam main station, e.g., from Potsdam per Pedales. There are also several next bike stations. In addition, there are several bike shops at different locations in Potsdam that offer bikes for rent.
The local bus line 691 connects the conference venue with Potsdam main station. Please note that it only operates in the morning and afternoon hours, but not the entire day. Remember to check out the 9-€-ticket (see top of page) if you are using local public transport.
The venue is fully accessible to users of wheelchairs and rollators though moving between different locations on the historic campus may be challenging due to its hilly nature. Of course, parking for the disabled is available at the main entrance of the venue upon request. Please contact us if you need more detailed information or assistance.
Mobility apps and online information
Connections to as well as within Berlin as well as tickets are comfortably available via the BVG App. For Potsdam, use VBB (connections and mobile tickets). Another comfortable app for connections but not tickets is “Öffis”.
You can plan all your travels to and in Potsdam using combinations of providers and vehicles ahead (unfortunately in German only). By the way, the website also allows to compare the impact of different travelling options with respect to CO2 emissions.
In addition, the city of Potsdam offers some travel information here.