Accessible taxis in Berlin

Taxi Berlin's Inklusionstaxi service is the main wheelchair-accessible taxi pathway in the city. The Inklusionstaxi fleet has grown steadily since the Berlin Senate's 2019 funding programme, which subsidises the conversion of standard taxis into wheelchair-accessible vans. The fleet is now in the hundreds, dispatched from the same central radio room as the standard Taxi Berlin fleet.

Booking is by phone on +49 30 20 20 20, the universal Berlin taxi number. State "Inklusionstaxi" or "Rollstuhl" (wheelchair) when the dispatcher answers and the request is routed to the accessible fleet automatically. The dispatcher confirms vehicle type, pick-up time, and the metered fare basis before the driver is assigned. Phone booking works in German and English; the dispatchers handle international requests daily.

Inklusionstaxi vans are mostly side-loading: the wheelchair user enters via a ramp on the kerb side. State your wheelchair dimensions when you book (overall length, wheelbase width, with the user seated) so the dispatcher can match you to a compatible vehicle. Power chairs over 150 kg are accepted with most Inklusionstaxi vans but worth confirming at booking.

Booking lead time: 1 to 2 hours during the day for trips inside the inner ring, the day before for early-morning airport runs or for trips out to suburban hotels. The Inklusionstaxi service also accepts standing-bookings for repeated trips (e.g. a daily medical appointment), useful if you are in Berlin for a longer stay.

The Berlin Sonderfahrdienst (SFD) is a city-funded special-transport service for residents who hold the Schwerbehindertenausweis with marks aG (extraordinary walking impairment), Bl (blind), or H (helpless). The SFD operates a fleet of accessible vans dispatched by the Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Services, with subsidised flat fares well below the commercial taxi rate.

Visitors do not qualify for SFD. The eligibility check requires a Berlin address registration plus the appropriate Schwerbehindertenausweis, and the booking flow is closed to non-residents. Residents who have just moved to Berlin can apply through the local Buergeramt with their card and registration certificate.

The visitor-facing alternative is the Inklusionstaxi service via Taxi Berlin (above). The two services share some vehicles in practice (an SFD-contracted van that is between SFD trips can take a commercial Inklusionstaxi job), but the booking channels are separate.

A few independent private-hire (Mietwagen) operators run small fleets of accessible vans in Berlin, mainly for pre-booked airport transfers and event-related transport. Pricing is a flat-rate quote per trip rather than a metered fare; expect to pay 10 to 25 percent more than a regulated Inklusionstaxi for the same route. These operators are useful when both Taxi Berlin's Inklusionstaxi dispatch and the SFD network are full (for example, late on a Saturday night during a major event at the Olympiastadion or Mercedes-Benz Arena).

Uber and Bolt are active in Berlin and advertise wheelchair-accessible categories (UberWAV, Bolt Accessible) but the fleet sizes are very small and the on-demand availability is unreliable. Treat ride-hailing apps as a possible third option after Taxi Berlin's Inklusionstaxi service, not as a primary plan. If you are using an app, request the accessible category and confirm the vehicle is dispatched before counting on the trip.

FreeNow (the European mobility app, formerly mytaxi) is a useful alternative because it dispatches against the regulated Berlin taxi fleet, including Inklusionstaxi vans where available. The accessible category is displayed only when an Inklusionstaxi is within range; if you do not see it, fall back to a phone call to +49 30 20 20 20.

Trips to and from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) use the regulated metered fare, with no airport fixed-rate scheme. Typical fares from central Berlin to BER are 50 to 65 EUR depending on traffic, time of day, and your starting district. Northern Mitte and Charlottenburg are at the higher end; Neukoelln and Friedrichshain are at the lower end. Surcharges may apply for additional luggage or oversized mobility equipment such as a power chair.

Pre-book the Inklusionstaxi for the airport run at least 24 hours ahead, ideally 48 hours for early-morning flights or weekend departures. Walk-up Inklusionstaxis at the BER airport rank are not always available; the regulated rank serves all passengers and the dispatcher will radio for an accessible vehicle if needed, with a 20 to 60 minute wait at peak hours.

An alternative for the airport is a regional rail or S-Bahn ride to the BER airport station (under Terminal 1), which is fully step-free with lifts to every platform. The Airport Express FEX (RE9) from Hauptbahnhof takes 30 minutes and the AB+ABC ticket is around 4.40 EUR, much cheaper than a taxi if you do not have heavy luggage or a tight connection.

Phone booking is the most reliable option. The dispatcher takes your wheelchair dimensions, pick-up address, drop-off address, and contact phone number, and confirms the vehicle and the estimated arrival time. The driver calls when they are 5 minutes from your pick-up. Phone booking works in German and English at Taxi Berlin's central dispatch; out-of-hours, the line stays open and the dispatcher will offer the next vehicle even at 03:00.

App booking (FreeNow, Taxi Berlin's own app) is convenient if you have a German SIM and can verify your phone number. The accessible vehicle category is selected at the booking screen; the app shows real-time vehicle location and ETA. App-only booking is the fastest in central Berlin during the day, slowest at peak hours when the small accessible fleet is fully committed.

Walk-up at a regulated taxi rank: the rank's marshall (where staffed) will radio for an accessible vehicle. This is the slowest option and only realistic at major ranks: BER airport, Hauptbahnhof, Ostbahnhof, Sudkreuz, Zoologischer Garten, Alexanderplatz, and Friedrichstraße. Expect a 15 to 60 minute wait. If you have a flexible plan, walk-up works; if you have a fixed appointment, pre-book.

The driver deploys the rear or side ramp by hydraulic mechanism, and offers help to enter the vehicle. The chair is positioned in the dedicated wheelchair zone, the brakes are applied, and four-point floor anchors secure the chair. A separate accessible seatbelt is fitted around your torso, regardless of whether you have your own chair belt. The meter does not start until you are seated and secured.

Companions sit on the standard passenger seats facing the wheelchair zone. Most accessible vans accommodate one wheelchair user plus three companions; some accommodate four. Ask when booking if you are travelling with more than three companions or with two wheelchair users. Mobility equipment that does not fit in the wheelchair zone (a folding mobility scooter, for example) usually rides in the boot.

Communication is in German by default. English is widely spoken at Taxi Berlin's central dispatch desk and by most younger drivers; older drivers vary. Have your destination address written on a card or in a translation app to remove any language friction at the start of the trip.

Berlin taxis (including Inklusionstaxis) charge a regulated tariff set by the Berlin Senate. The base fare is 4.30 EUR; the per-kilometre rate is 2.80 EUR for the first seven kilometres, then 2.10 EUR thereafter. A waiting time charge applies in slow traffic. There is no surcharge for the ramp or for the wheelchair securement.

A reservation fee of 1.50 to 5 EUR applies for advance bookings (more for short-notice or out-of-hours bookings). The Kurzstrecke (short trip) rate of 6 EUR for trips up to 2 km applies if you flag down a passing taxi rather than using the meter; this is rarely useful with an Inklusionstaxi because they are nearly always dispatched.

Tipping is not required by German custom; rounding the fare up to the nearest euro is standard, with 5 to 10 percent for genuinely helpful service. Payment by credit card is widespread but not universal; ask at booking or carry cash as a backup. Contactless and chip-and-PIN both work in vehicles equipped with card readers.

Book your single most important taxi journey in advance. For most trips that is the airport transfer (especially on departure when the time pressure is real); for some it is the late-evening return after an opera at the Staatsoper or a long restaurant dinner. Save Taxi Berlin's number (+49 30 20 20 20) on your phone before you travel.

Communicate your wheelchair dimensions at booking. Length (with the chair angled forward), width at the wheelbase, height with the user seated, and the total weight (chair plus user). The dispatcher uses this to match you to a compatible van; a mismatch on the day means a delay while a different vehicle is found.

If you have a tight schedule, build in a 30-minute buffer for the taxi to arrive plus the loading time. Loading a wheelchair into the van takes 3 to 5 minutes at each end of the trip. Add 10 minutes if the driver is unfamiliar with your chair model or the floor anchors take a moment to seat.

A weekend without a pre-booking is the failure mode. Friday and Saturday evenings, especially around major events at the Olympiastadion, Mercedes-Benz Arena, or Tempodrom, the small accessible fleet is fully committed by mid-afternoon. Pre-book by Wednesday or Thursday for a Friday night out, or expect to wait an hour or more.

If you are travelling for a multi-day stay, ask the hotel concierge to set up the airport return on day one. Hotels in Mitte, Tiergarten, and Charlottenburg deal with the Inklusionstaxi service routinely and have a direct line to Taxi Berlin's dispatch.