Coach & Minibus Hire in Germany

Sanssouci, Lakes and Berlin: Potsdam by Minibus

Potsdam is a city of palace parks and water, best enjoyed at an easy pace. With a minibus and driver, your group moves between Sanssouci, the old centre and the lakes without counting tram stops.

Sanssouci keeps to the clock

Every visit to Schloss Sanssouci, Frederick the Great's summer palace above the vineyard terraces, is tied to an admission slot, and only so many tickets exist for each day. Secure yours online well in advance, or ask the palace foundation's group service. If you must chance it on the day, the visitor centre at the Historic Windmill starts selling half an hour before the palace opens.

Opening days are Tuesday to Sunday. From April through October the doors are open between 10:00 and 17:30, and in November and December between 10:00 and 16:30; the last visitors go in 30 minutes before closing. Mondays are closed, which catches out more visitors than you might expect.

White minibus parked at the curb
White minibus parked at the curb

Where the minibus waits

Right next to the Historic Windmill visitor centre, where groups also have a meeting point, is car park P1 "An der Historischen Mühle", the one coaches use. At the far western end of the park, by the Neues Palais, there is a city coach park too, named after the palace.

In the summer season, April to October, a shuttle that costs nothing links the Grünes Gitter with the New Palace along the Ökonomieweg, handy for anyone who would rather not walk the whole park. Potsdam counts nine tourist coach parks altogether and shows their occupancy live online, so the driver can head for one with space.

Landing near Potsdam

Favourite stops in Potsdam

  • Historic centre — Alter Markt, the Holländisches Viertel (Dutch quarter) and the Brandenburger Tor of Potsdam
  • Neuer Garten and Schloss Cecilienhof — Site of the Potsdam Conference of 1945; the house is closed until further notice for restoration, the park stays open
  • Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin — UNESCO World Heritage site covering Sanssouci, the Neuer Garten, Babelsberg and other palace parks
  • Park Sanssouci and the Neues Palais — Large palace park with the New Palace at its western end; a free shuttle runs on the Ökonomieweg between the Grünes Gitter and the New Palace from April to October
  • Schloss Sanssouci — Frederick the Great's summer palace above the vineyard terraces; visits are bound to fixed admission times; closed on Mondays

Good places to be picked up

  • Berlin (Wannsee and the south-west) for larger groups
  • Babelsberg
  • Near Park Sanssouci
  • Potsdam Hauptbahnhof area
  • City centre (Alter Markt, Brandenburger Straße, Holländisches Viertel)

Check before you promise

Restoration has closed several palace buildings for now, including Cecilienhof; the Neuer Garten that surrounds it remains open. Look at the foundation's site before building a day around one particular house.

After the palace, the historic centre makes a gentle walk: the Alter Markt, the Dutch quarter and Potsdam's own Brandenburger Tor, ideal for a family party or a club outing.

By the water and beyond

Werder on the Havel is about 20 minutes away and Brandenburg an der Havel about 50. The Spreewald at Lübbenau takes about 1 h 15 min, and Wittenberg just over an hour.

Central Berlin is about 40 minutes off. Potsdam has no low-emission zone, but Berlin does inside its S-Bahn ring, where the green sticker is required. The Sachsenhausen Memorial near Oranienburg, about 55 minutes away, suits groups looking for a quieter, reflective day.

Questions travellers ask

Do we need an Umweltplakette in Potsdam?

Not for Potsdam itself. Driving into central Berlin does need the green sticker, and foreign vehicles are no exception.

How long is the drive from BER?

Count on 40 minutes or so when traffic is light; the airport is 44 km by road from the Alter Markt.

Can we see Sanssouci on a Monday?

No. The palace is closed on Mondays and on 24 and 25 December, so put it on another day of your trip.

Is the minibus yours?

No, we are a booking service. A licensed partner operator provides the minibus and driver.

Other trips we can arrange

Other vehicles with a driver