Berlin Tegel Airport

TXL-BCN. Tegel is simply a different concept of airport for a big city something that throughout my experience of flying I had never seen. I carried out two flights. On one flight I departed from terminal D and the other from Terminal A. The distances between gate and terminal are almost inexistent. You get off the taxi and the Boarding gate is about 20 or 30 meters from the entrance. In Terminal A instead of having a general metal and X-ray machine for each gate has its own security control. Queues for check-in were in my case extreme in Terminal A I was standing for 1.5 hrs waiting. After check-in each counter has its own way in to the boarding gate. Once you get in forget about finding plenty of shops and restaurants perhaps just one duty free shop in a tiny waiting room. Toilets are not really dirty but they could look cleaner or more modern. In my opinion Tegel is an airport that is nowadays outdated. The new airport Berlin-Brandenburg opening in 2012 is going to provide Berlin with a real international and hi-quality airport.

CDG-TXL. Airport simply convenient but not fantastic. Main advantage is the very short distance between aircraft and airport exit. Regular and convenient bus connections to various downtown locations - TXL line serves Berlin central station and Alexanderplatz while X9 line runs to Zoologischer Garten railway station. Using the self-service ticket machines outside the terminal is the quickest option as information booth is usually overcrowded. Check-in efficient and hassle-free. Security staff friendly but a bit too relaxed. On the downside boarding areas are rather cramped - do not go airside too early. All signs within the terminal should be clearer in particular regarding public transportation.

It is a very small but efficient airport if you can use Terminal A. The distances are very short between the plane and the exit and everything is on one floor. For European flights you can arrive around 30 min before departure and still have ample time left as everything is so close. Staff encountered was friendly and competent. Transportation with the taxi is good and rather cheap for Europe. However there is not much to do at the airport as it is so small so do not bother coming to early. Also there are not many washrooms and the ones available are very small. Still it's a good airport to travel through.

Good well planned Airport. Bus from plane to immigration then immigration checks and after that bags waiting for collection on the belt. Clearer signs to direct people to public transport are welcome but overall Tegel is very good.

Tegel was built to be an airport of short distances - so at least at Terminal A (which is the only one I know) the walking distance from the plane to the taxi is 30 meters - including passport control baggage claim and customs. The same is for departure: The security is right next to the check-in and after passing it you face the gate. However there is no space. The queues in front of the check-in can be a real obstacle if you need to get past them. Furthermore after the security check you arrive at a small waiting area for only two gates - small means there are enough seats but at best only one small shop selling drinks. So if you are early at check-in and fancy a coffee it is better to first visit the coffee shops in the main hall rather then going directly through security. One big plus is the public transportation: Even at late evening every ten minutes a bus is leaving to the city and the ride takes only 15-20 minutes - with the ticket costing not more than about 2 euro. If you are departing from Tegel for the first time you should mind that the system might be a bit uncommon to you (every gates has its own check-in security and waiting area) so be there in time. But as soon as you know it you can make use of it leaving the hotel only 60 minutes before take-off.

This is a small airport and is easy to use because of that. Parking is a nightmare; the underground parking near the main terminal is better than the other parking which involves long walks to the terminal. Overall it's a nice airport and is more convenient than Schoenefeld.

TXL (main terminal) was designed as an O&D airport to allow for fast boarding and leaving. So distance between the road and the aircraft is roughly 25 meters with the check-in counter and gate-security-control just inbetween. I believe there is no other airport in the world offering such a short walk from car to aircraft. The one terminal ring (of 2 planned) was designed to handle no more than 6.5M passengers and now copes with over 10M passengers. The cramped airport has undergone considerable refurbishment so now you walk down stairs to board via bus at many gates. Shops and tiny food outlets were added while closing the two large bars in the ring taking space away and adding flows of walking passengers to the terminal with the plaza now being in the main hall. Long walking from there if you fly from gate 7 or 8. Car access to the airport is a disaster since there are two highways and a major street offloading traffic to just a two lane road passing a tiny bridge. Dont try to read the departure-board alongside the road - you wont succeed. So better know where your gate is before getting there or get off the car at the main hall which lengthens your walking-distance to the gate though. Make sure that you know if you fly from the old terminal or the C-"terminal" - a hastily constructed oversized hut largely for Air Berlin. No boarding bridges there and it has the atmosphere of an industrial storage. You have to get outdoors to get from terminal A to C or to the "B pier". Tegel was a great idea but was never expanded accordingly so passengers there are cramped like hell at peak times there or when there are major weather-delays. In the end one positive remark: While the underground-train station in TXL was never connected to the Berlin underground-train system there is good connection via bus to the city centers east (TXL bus) and west (X9 bus plus 109)as well as to train stations of U-Bahn (lines 6 and 7 via bus 108 and 109) and S-Bahn (S45 - 47 high frequency "ring-trains") as well as some regional trains at Jungfernheide-station (X9 and 109 bus). A sharp and positive contrast to SXF which should better only be accessed by car or expansive taxi!

It depends on what you expect from Tegel. I used Terminal C and it's OK. It's not the nicest airport in the world but easy to use. After arrival I was in front of terminal less than minute after leaving aircraft (no checked baggage). There is Relay (press) and some coffee in check-in hall where you came from baggage claim. Departure is also OK. If you love shopping before departure it won't be the best airport for you (there is one common duty free souvenirs Relay and coffee) but otherwise it's good. Check-in fast security fast gates OK. Just standard airport. Don't expect fantastic experience but neither terrible airport.

TXL airport appears to be quite old and was overall very crowded. There is a decent selection of shops and eating places. It is hard to walk around due to long lines at some checkin counters. Overall a neutral experience - not bad by any means but certainly not a top airport either.

A very efficient airport arrived there from London-Heathrow after a 22 hour flight from Australia and was out of the terminal within 15 minutes. Slightly depressing architecture and terminal but it does the job.