BVG Fahrinfo: Routes & Tickets

Since they completely overhauled the app over the summer, this app has become absolute trash. It isn’t user friendly at all - purchasing a ticket involves more shuffling between options. The live updates of buses is utterly useless unless the app is tracking “ghost” buses, which stop and depart without any of the living/breathing passengers. I’ve lived in this city for 10 years with an app that remained relatively unchanged in its interface and concept, which wasn’t great, but it got the job done. Now it’s almost completely unusable. I guess that’s Berlin for you - throw a bunch of money at “improving” something only to make it 10x worse than before. Way to go, guys. *October 2025 Update: while the app has improved, I have to say, it’s still pretty stupid, esp since you can’t simply check the departure times at a particular spot. Instead, you have to input a route before BVG decides which way is best for getting there, whether it is or not is another matter. Why can’t I just see the departing times for trains/buses at a stop, and decide for myself which way to go? Your app isn’t effective enough on its own to determine the most optimal route, so maybe until you get to that point, you could simply report departing/arriving times at a spot, unless prompted for your misguided advice re: how to get to a certain place.

It works but not always. Needs better live status of train or bus late or early times. Also bit persnickety with addresses. Often it doesn’t like the addresses I get from Google Maps and I don’t know what to do to alter the format so it will accept them. Not a perfect app but it is the only official app for BVG. It is bad at showing where the bus stops are when transferring between services or where the train entrances are. I have missed connections several times after following signs from the train up to the street but then no signs directing you to the bus stop! It also needs a middle layer map for the walking around part you do from the street to the train, and from the train out to the street. I often miss connections because of the maze of tunnels and hallways you have to navigate blindly after you exit the train.

The app crashed and wouldn’t open when the ticket checks began on my train and now I have to waste time going to the customer service to explain this problem and the 60 euro ticket. I’d advise any traveller to avoid using this app if you want to feel securely about your train travel. Remember, the train controllers work on weird incentives. They get paid based on a quota system of how many people they stop! They will still write you a ticket even as they see difficulty. What’s more, I couldn’t go to the DB customer service on the same day that I got the ticket. The train controller’s notes must batch every night to DB because they didn’t have them. You can’t even go to get the ticket rectified until 2pm the next day. For the app developers, you really need to get this right so you don’t inconvenience travellers and tourists with these app crashings!!!!!