Flughafen Berlin Tegel TXL

This airport is fairly convenient, but it's really small and cramped. It reminds me of LGA in NYC. I was flying internationally and I had an easy time checking in and getting to my gate but again, it's really tight and crowded with not enough seating at the gates.

I will say that it's very easy to get to by bus. There are several options and I was there from the Berlin Hilton via the U6 and 128 bus in under 35 minutes!

It seems that Berlin would have a world class airport because it's such a world class city, but this doesn't really come close. From talking to friends in Berlin, I understand the topic of airports in Berlin is fraught with a lot more than economics when thinking about Tempelhof, Tegel, Schönefeld, and (maybe someday) Brandenburg.

But everyone should come to Berlin and this is one good way to get there!

A small airport the offers a quick pleasant traveling experience. The first thing that stood out for me was that each arrival gate has its own baggage claim and it was efficient.

On departure the security check points were very efficient and the staff was friendly. My experience is that the security staff is usually a bit on the stone faced and cold side, not here though. Beyond security there was a small duty free shop and a bar/restaurant.

And the award for the most awful airport 2018 goes to...(drum roll please)...TEGEL (til) - under the category - Disturbing departures.

Departure:
- If you're flying internationally (my case to Newark via United at Gate A00) your bag check & ticket check area is your gate, so once you check in you are STUCK and advised not to leave.
- I was not even allowed to use the lounge as their is no access once you've checked in ok, ok I know, woe is me, first world problems, but kind of a big deal if youre used to other systems when traveling.
- there is no good food at the gate (A00), just vending machines and one sad and overpriced food stand selling pretzels and cheap expensive coffee. This is place is the equivalent terminal A at Newark, but no food, but seemingly ample amounts of charging stations.
- the worst is what is a 300 or so passenger plane, has a gate that is equipped with a single person bathroom male/female stalls.

Very small airport yet no shortage of quality. Extremely clean bathrooms. No matter location or time of day. Nice selection for shopping or choices for warm comfort food prior to boarding flight.

Circling back to the limited space, be prepared to stand for longer periods of time in comparison to a bigger airport that has more seating available. PACK COMFORTABLE SHOES, not fun to stand in line with uncomfortable heels while each person slowly makes their way up the line.

Service is very friendly. Too bad they are closing by 2020

This airport is pretty disappointing especially for a major world city. I have heard that there is a new airport being built or trying to get built but this is ridiculous.

It's pretty cramped, unorganized and dated. Normally I would tell you that you shouldn't get there two hours in advance, but the lines back up and it's safer to get through security as fast as possible

If you can avoid, I would.

Berlin is a large and beautiful city as well as the culture capital of Germany, so for goodness sake do something with this airport! This was my second time in Germany but the first time at Tegel airport, as I was flying to Krakow, Poland. As soon as I checked in, I quickly headed to the lounge- a lot faster than I normally do!


I flew out of Terminal 3 and it is not big or nice looking at all. TXL looks as if it needs to be updated and looks and has the feel of a warehouse rather than an airport. I will say that like a German, TXL is very, very efficient which is the only thing going for it.

I honestly cannot say what stores, cafes or restaurants are inside the airport because as I mentioned I ran to the lounge as fast and efficient as a German!

I don't know if I love or hate this airport. It's def in need of a massive modernization that is for sure.

Arrivals:
It was the quickest arrival process from arriving from overseas which I absolutely loved and I was quickly into the city of Berlin shortly afterwards.

Departures:
Departing Tegal you should really wait last minute to check in because once you pass security you just stuck in a really run down terminal waiting room with literally one crappy cafe and a bathroom which is probably actually smaller than your airplanes bathroom. The waiting room to board after security can barely fit everyone who's going to get into the plane as well.

Prior to Check In:
They do have an onsite postoffice, and you can do your tax refund quite easily there, so that is better than other international airports I been too. And naturally they have a small shopping mall to entertain yourself before checkin into your holding pen I mean secured waiting area back to the States.

Check in last minute I promise you you will like it much better...

What I like:
Small airport, no long walks or lines usually

What I dislike:
Hideous airport, no stores really except a Starbucks and sometimes staff is super slow or understaffed

We got in TXL from Munich and was surprised that the luggage conveyer belt was right at the gate. I had to admit that was efficient to be able to pick up your checked bag right after disembarking. The walk out to the taxi line was immediate. It had a totally different experience than that of the Munich Airport.

Nevertheless, despite the super efficient design by those smart engineers, it is just not hitting the mark from user friendliness perspective. The whole place was ran down as well. I don't like it nor I want to go through here if I can help it.

I never imaged I would be flying out of a smaller, crappier airport from a developed country like Germany than any developing country I've been to in the Caribbean like Mexico. There is no rhyme or reason to the way this airport is organized. Security for each gate is behind the check in counter. You cannot go through security until they open it for you gate; in our case it was 7:40am for a 9:40am flight. There is nothing behind security, only minimal seating. There is no reason to go to the gate early and once you're through security there is nothing to do.

At the gate they asked a lot of questions. She asked us if we had any prohibited items in carry on, if we packed our bags ourselves and if we had them in our possession the whole time. She asked us which bags belonged to who. Then she started asking where we had been staying. Now it was getting stupid after that and for some stupid reason she needed all 3 of us to answer even though I explained to her that I had made all the booking and travel arrangements and was the one who always ordered a taxi. My travel partners had no idea about the exact hotel name. When she asked them about the surroundings of the hotel, there was nothing to answer since we had stayed in the middle of nowhere, by the water. So she started asking stupid questions - what was near the hotel? (Water, suburbs) What did we see? (We took a tour to the Reichstag) Did we like it? (Sure) What did we like about it? (It was cool?) What are these stupid questions and what is the point of them? Will they not let me leave if I didn't like Germany? What if I didn't speak English to answer her completely stupid and unnecessary questions?

Customs agent was rude too and threw my envelope back at me so I could remove the receipts from it because he was too angry and lazy to open up an envelope and remove two sheets of paper. He then tossed said receipts back at me. Someone is grumpy at 7am...

Security moved at a snails pace. They kept stopping families with extra screening. God forbid someone's child smuggled in a lollipop. They asked us all the same stupid questions at security. And they discriminate against Russian speakers. The moment they heard us speaking Russian the gate check agent whispered something to the officer and then the offer whispered something to the X-ray tech. Then they made us take off flip flops and went through our bags when we had no large liquids or dangerous items. Where exactly are we supposed to hide something in flip flops?

When we got to the gate there was no air and no air conditioning. Are we in the 21st century or the 20th?