The Ultimate Guide to Bike Sharing in Berlin
+++Update 05/2022: Tier now also offer e-bikes. Mobike has filed for insolvency and ceased operations in Germany.+++
+++Update 10/2020: Byke is not operating anymore. Lime only offers E-Scooter.+++
+++Update 07/2018: oBike is insolvent. Ofo withdraws from the German market.+++
Apart from bike rental shops throughout the city, bike sharing in Berlin such as Jump, Donkey Republic or nextbike makes it super easy to get a rental bike on every corner. Here’s a comprehensive guide on all providers including hire tips. There are some pros and cons on bike sharing in Berlin. First they provide cities with easy access to bikes, affect climate change and air pollution positively, improve the health of cyclists and lessen the demand for parking spaces. Especially for tourists they provide an easy and handy way of exploring Berlin. No need to check opening hours of local bike rental shops as you can just hire and return it basically everywhere.
Berlin is a city of cyclists. Whether on the wide bike lanes along the Spree, through the Tiergarten, or on the cobblestone streets of the neighborhoods, bicycles are an essential part of the urban landscape. Bike sharing, in particular, has grown rapidly in recent years, offering a flexible and eco-friendly way to explore the city and handle daily commutes.
Why is Bike Sharing in Berlin so Popular
The benefits of bike sharing are clear: it’s affordable, convenient, and often faster than public transport or driving. In a metropolis like Berlin, where parking is scarce and traffic congestion is common, shared bicycles provide an excellent alternative. Moreover, bike sharing eliminates concerns about maintenance, theft, or finding the right parking spot—factors that often discourage people from owning their own bikes.
Tourists also benefit from rental bikes. They can start a ride effortlessly without worrying about transport logistics or storage. Popular routes include cycling past landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and the East Side Gallery. But bike sharing is just as useful for spontaneous explorations of districts like Kreuzberg, Neukölln, or Prenzlauer Berg.
How does Bike Sharing work?
The system is simple: users locate a nearby bike through an app or terminal, unlock it, and ride. After finishing, they return it to a designated station or, in some cases, park it freely within the service area.
Billing is usually per minute or based on set time periods, with daily and monthly subscriptions available for frequent users. Some providers have even integrated bike sharing into Berlin’s wider public transport network, allowing users to combine different mobility options under a single account.
Challenges of Bike Sharing
Despite its many advantages, bike sharing comes with challenges. One of the biggest issues is improper parking. In some districts, rental bikes are left haphazardly on sidewalks, in parks, or in front of building entrances, causing inconvenience for pedestrians and residents. To counter this, some areas now require users to park in designated zones, monitored digitally.
Another issue is bike maintenance. Heavy use leads to wear and tear, and vandalism is also a concern. Regular maintenance is crucial to ensuring that bikes remain safe and functional.
Pro’s and Con’s
But there are also some concerns about these bike sharing schemes. While local bike rentals usually provide helmets, repair kits or children’s bikes, nextbike and co. don’t provide these options. Every cyclist rides on their own risk. Especially for non-experienced bike riders this can be quite dangerous. Politicians and Berliner alike also complain about the bikes being placed everywhere and broken ones sometimes just end up as rubbish in the streets of Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain.
Nowadays almost every big city provides a good selection of cycle hire options and these are growing all the time. As for Berlin several bike sharing schemes started in the past years, some already left the market. The bike share schemes solely provide you with a bike as easy and quickly as possible. Local bike hire shops always offer added value, such as child seats, trailers, locks or bags. Or you may rent an eBike or MTB. It’s up to you what you need and where you want to rent a bike in Berlin.
Bike Sharing in Berlin
The most exciting development regarding bike rentals are the schemes now popping up through Berlin. These currently include Donkey Republic, Call a Bike, mobike, nextbike, Jump or Sacoora. The advantage of the bicycle hire schemes is the automated self-service, which offers a convenient and flexible drop off at docking stations or sometimes even anywhere within the business area. Users mostly need to register before hiring bikes.
Deutsche Bahn Call a Bike
Deutsche Bahn has been offering rental bikes in Berlin and other cities for several years. The business area is also mainly located within the Berlin S-Bahn-Ring. With the corresponding app you can see the available rental bikes and drop-off zones nearby. Choose a bike in the app us, go to the bike and with two clicks you are ready to go. You can lock and unlock the bike as often as you like. The Call a Bike can be handed in at fixed stations or return zones. If you return your bike outside these zones, a fee of 1€ will be added. The return will be automatically recognised and a confirmation will be displayed.
Price:
10Cent/min
Max 9€/day
Parking outside designated areas: 1€
Donkey Republic
A bike sharing company from Copenhagen. They also provide dockless bike sharing in more than 40 cities worldwide. The bikes use electronic locks that can be opened via their app. If you want to rent a bike from Donkey Republic you need to register in the app. With that you can locate a free bicycle near you. Go to the pick-up location, click ͞Unlock͟ and the bike’s electronic lock will release the bike. You can hire up to 5 bikes at once and you can lock and unlock your bike as often as you like. If you want to return it, just lock it at the location where you picked it up and end your rental in the app. If you want to return it somewhere else you need to buy Flex Drop-Off, with which you can choose from various drop-off locations.
Price:
€1.25/30 min
max. €10/day
www.donkey.bike
Jump by Uber
Uber has also been offering e-bikes for rent in Berlin for some time now. This makes it the only provider of e-bikes for bike sharing in Berlin. The big advantage: The rental bikes can be rented in the Uber App. So if you already have an account there, you don’t need an additional app or login. To rent a bike, simply open the app, search for a bike nearby, go there and unlock the bike in the app. To do this, pull the lock on the back right out of its anchorage and then you are ready to go. You can park the bike as often as you like. To do this, simply press Pause in the app. To finish the ride, you need to lock the e-bike using the cable lock on the rear wheel. You may only park it within the area shown in your app.
Price:
1€ entry fee
10 cents/minute
Nextbike
German-based Nextbike provides bikes in more than 100 cities in 24 countries. You can register via their free mobile app, website, hotline or on-street terminals. Bikes can only be hired and returned at Nextbike’s docking stations with or without terminals. If you want to rent a bike, you need to enter the bike number in the app, bike computer, terminal or hotline. After that you will get a four-digit code to your mobile phone to unlock the bicycle. When returning the bike needs to be placed in the dock and confirmed via app or terminal. One user account can hire up to 4 bikes in all countries. The business area is mainly within the S-Bahn ring.
Price:
€3/30 min
€10/every additional 30 minutes
max. €15/day
Tier
In addition to e-scooters and scooters, the Berlin-based company Tier now also offers e-bike rentals, which are available without stations throughout Berlin. To use the e-bikes, you have to register in the TIER app beforehand. The rental fee consists of a fixed amount of €1 per rental and a variable portion depending on the rental period.
Plus: Berlin and Bike
Not a bike scheme with self service in the classical sense. But they have a huge network of partner shops with which they can provide up to 2,000 bicycles at 130 renting points throughout Berlin. Rental points can be everything from a hotel, a beauty studio up to a souvenir shop. Advantage is that if you’re staying in one of their partner hotel or hostels you can easily hire your bike right at the door step. They also employ a maintenance team to assist you if you need a help.
Price:
€8/4 hours
€12/day
The Future of Bike Sharing in Berlin
The future of bike sharing in Berlin looks promising. The city is focusing more on sustainable mobility solutions, and bicycles play a key role in this vision. Improvements in infrastructure, digital innovations, and better integration with public transport will continue to enhance the system.
At the same time, awareness of bicycle-friendly urban planning is growing. Community initiatives and advocacy groups are pushing for better bike lanes, more parking facilities, and policies that support cycling as a viable mode of transport. If these developments continue, bike sharing in Berlin will become even more attractive and practical.
Conclusion
Bike sharing is now an integral part of Berlin’s transportation landscape. It offers a spontaneous, cost-effective, and eco-friendly way to move around the city, helping to make urban transport more sustainable. While some challenges remain, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks, and future improvements will only strengthen the system. Whether for commuting, leisure rides, or as a supplement to public transport, shared bicycles remain a smart choice in Germany’s capital.
Bike sharing is an easy way to hire a bike in Berlin. You can find a bike on every corner and after a quick registration you can just start cycling through the city. So especially for Berlin it helps to be pre-registered for at least one of the above mentioned providers. And some of them also operate in different cities in Germany and Europe, so your next cycling tour in another city is set.
However, there are also some disadvantages. Apart from Bike and Berlin you need a smartphone with wifi connection to hire and drop off the bikes. Plus if you need something special like a children’s seat or a helmet, it is advisable to check out one of the many bike rental shops in Berlin.
Image Copyright:
Nextbike, Deutsche Bahn Mobike, Donkey Republic, Sacoora, Uber.
Broke In Berlin - Indonesian Princess
28/06/2018 at 4:33 pmBiking is nice and fun especially in summer months. You can find cheap bikes at your local Flohmarkt. Beware that most of these could be stolen bikes. Alternatively also check eBay Kleinanzeigen and groups on Facebook. If you’re visiting or just not ready yet to commit to one bike, why not try one of the many bike sharing services?
Graham
01/01/2019 at 5:51 pmWhy not check out another bike sharing model, one that is run by volunteers. http://www.bikesurf.org provides bikes on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Vilson
16/01/2020 at 2:09 pmGreat tip!!! (Y)