Day Trip to Berlin From the UK, £125.60 All In
Founders pay £19.00 a year, for as long as you stay. See the founding offer
A day trip to Berlin from Gatwick on Tuesday 8 December 2026 is £87.00 return with easyJet and £125.60 for the whole day, with about 7.7 hours in the city.
A day trip to Berlin from the UK costs £125.60 all in on Tuesday 8 December, flying from Gatwick. You land at 10:45, get nearly eight hours in the city, and you're home by 22:30.
Berlin is a big, spread out city, so people assume it needs a weekend. It doesn't, not if you pick your patch. It's one of the best extreme day trips for anyone into history, and in December the Christmas markets are on too.
Can you do Berlin in a day?
Yes. Here are the three days I'd look at.
- Gatwick, Tuesday 8 December. easyJet out at 07:50, landing at 10:45. Home at 21:30, back at 22:30. £87.00 return and £125.60 all in, about 7.7 hours in the city. See the day trip to Berlin from Gatwick
- Stansted, Thursday 17 December. Ryanair out at 06:55, landing at 09:40. Home at 18:50, back at 19:40. £96.00 return, £134.60 all in, about 6.1 hours. An early finish, which some people like.
- Manchester, Thursday 17 December. easyJet out at 06:35, landing at 09:35. Home at 21:45, back at 22:55. £113.00 return, £151.60 all in, and the longest day of the three at about 9.1 hours.
Which day should you pick?
If you're in the south, Gatwick on the 8th is the one. It's the cheapest, it's a Tuesday so the sights are quieter, and you're not up at silly o'clock.
The Stansted day is the shortest. You're home before 20:00, which is great if you've got work the next morning, but six hours in Berlin means picking one side of the city and sticking to it.
From the north, Manchester is £26.00 more than Gatwick but gives you the longest day, over nine hours. If you've never been, that extra time is worth it.
How do you get from the airport into Berlin?
Berlin Brandenburg is 22km out, so don't skip this bit. The FEX train takes 23 minutes to Hauptbahnhof and an ABC single is €5.00.
Our tip is to buy the 24 hour ABC ticket at €12.90 instead. It covers the airport and the whole city. The cheaper AB ticket at €11.20 doesn't cover the airport, which catches people out.
What does a day in Berlin cost?
The trip page puts the ground cost at £38.60 per person.
- Transport for the day, including the airport, £11.00
- Lunch, £9.60
- Dinner, £18.00
That's cheap for a capital. Berlin is a city where a proper lunch doesn't cost a fortune, and you can easily do the day on that.
What can you see in Berlin for free?
An awful lot, which is why Berlin works so well on a budget.
- The Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz
- The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a short walk away
- Topography of Terror
- The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse
- The East Side Gallery
- Tiergarten park
If you want one paid thing, the TV Tower is €20 for the view, Berlin Cathedral is €15 and the DDR Museum is €13.90.
Are the Christmas markets on in December?
Yes. WeihnachtsZauber on Gendarmenmarkt, the Alexanderplatz market and the one at Charlottenburg Palace all open on 23 November. All three of the dates above fall inside that. See our Berlin Christmas markets page for the full list.
Sunset on 8 December is at 15:54, so plan the outdoor history in the morning and the markets after dark, when they look best.
How would I spend the day?
Train into Hauptbahnhof, then walk to the Brandenburg Gate and the memorial. Topography of Terror is next, then lunch. In the afternoon, head out to the Wall Memorial or the East Side Gallery, depending on which side of the city you're on. As it gets dark, go to Gendarmenmarkt for a mulled wine before the train back.
Leave the city by about 19:00 for the Gatwick flight. The trip page works back from 21:30, allowing for the train and the airport.
If it's the markets you're mainly after, we did a Berlin Christmas markets opening day piece too. Or see all day trips from Gatwick.
Fares checked on 1 November. They change every day, so the trip page is where to look before you book.
Founders get every Berlin date priced six months ahead, for £19.00 a year. Become a founder
Day trips in this article
Founders pay £19.00 a year, for as long as you stay. See the founding offer
The cheapest day trips of the week, by email
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Related Articles
Day Trip to Vienna From the UK, Palaces and Markets
Vienna works as a day trip from the UK, and late November is when it looks its best. Here are the days that work, what they cost and how to spend nine hours.
· 3 min read
Day Trip to Copenhagen From the UK, an Honest Look at the £122.20 Day
Copenhagen is cheap to fly to and pricey once you land. The best days from Manchester, Stansted and Gatwick, where the money goes, and how to keep it down. Checked 30 October.
· 4 min read
Day Trip to Kraków From the UK, £75.50 From Liverpool
Kraków is one of the cheapest days out in Europe once you land. The best days from Liverpool and Leeds Bradford in November, what it all costs and how to spend it. Checked 30 October.
· 4 min read
Latest Articles
View all articles
New Year's Eve Day Trips 2026, Abroad and Home by Midnight
Everyone wants to be home on New Year's Eve, so it's the cheapest day of the festive week to fly. Here are the best day trips abroad on 31 December that still get you home before midnight.
· 4 min read
Gatwick to Geneva Flight Time, and a Day in Switzerland
Gatwick to Geneva is one of the shortest flights to Switzerland. Here is how long it takes, the times that make a day trip work, and what a day in a famously pricey city costs.
· 4 min read
Manchester to Malta Flight Time, Can You Do It in a Day?
The flight from Manchester to Malta takes about three and a half hours. Here is what that means for a day trip, with the times, the hours you get in Valletta and the cost.
· 4 min read