Off the coach with a suitcase and a day to fill, or checked out early before a night bus. What the lockers at the ZOB take, and what to do if they're full.
Yes, you can leave luggage at Berlin's central bus station. The ZOB has lockers in four sizes, from cabin-case size up to an extra-large compartment almost a metre wide, located in front of the waiting hall on the bus station side. You pay with coins for up to 24 hours at a time, and the lockers can't be booked in advance.
The lockers stand in front of the waiting hall, on the side facing the bus bays. The ZOB's own passenger page puts them there, and BVG describes them as video-monitored. If you arrive by the M49 bus, the ZOB recommends getting off on the side heading towards Heerstraße and using the step-free entrance through the waiting hall.
The waiting hall itself is open around the clock, so you can reach the lockers for a night departure too.
Most suitcases fit, as long as you pick the right size. The ZOB lists four:
The number to check is depth. S and M are under 25 cm deep, which a hard-shell cabin case often isn't once the wheels and handle are counted. Measure before you queue for a locker, not at the locker.
Only coins: the ZOB says the lockers take 50-cent, 1-euro and 2-euro pieces. One payment covers up to 24 hours. If you go over, the ZOB says the fee is charged again for every further day.
Bring the coins with you. The ZOB doesn't list a change machine on its page, and nobody wants to buy a coffee they don't want just to get change.
The nearest Deutsche Bahn lockers are at Zoologischer Garten, and the M49 bus runs there directly from the stop at the ZOB. Deutsche Bahn lists three sizes at Zoo, all coin-operated and for up to 24 hours:
Hauptbahnhof has by far the most lockers in the city, with 616 small and 396 large ones according to Deutsche Bahn. It's worth the trip if you're continuing by long-distance train anyway. If you've booked a hotel or flat, asking them to hold your bags is often the simplest answer.
The S-Bahn station Messe Nord/ZOB is a short walk east of the bus station, and U-Bahn Kaiserdamm is to the north-east. Messe Nord/ZOB is on the Ringbahn (S41, S42) and the S46, and the S-Bahn lists two lifts there, so you can reach the platform without stairs.
BVG says the ZOB is in fare zone B, so you'll need an AB ticket for the city or a BC ticket depending on where you're going. Tickets are sold in the BVG apps and at a machine in the waiting hall. Luggage travels free on Berlin's buses and trains, according to the VBB.
It can, and the location helps: BVG describes the ZOB as opposite the ICC and near the Funkturm, right by the Messe Berlin grounds. If you're arriving by coach on the morning of a fair or leaving straight after, a locker here saves carrying a case through the halls. On busy fair weekends, arrive early or have Zoologischer Garten as a backup.
Keeper is building pay-per-minute luggage storage in Berlin.
Yes. Berlin's central bus station has coin-operated lockers in four sizes, S, M, L and XL, in front of the waiting hall on the bus station side. They can't be booked in advance.
One payment covers up to 24 hours. According to the ZOB, the fee is charged again for every further day after that.
No. The ZOB says its lockers only take 50-cent, 1-euro and 2-euro coins, so bring change before you arrive.
Usually, in the L locker (61.5 × 44.7 × 93 cm) or the XL locker (96.8 × 47.9 × 93 cm). The S and M lockers are under 25 cm deep, which is too shallow for many suitcases.
The ZOB says its waiting hall is open 24 hours a day, so you can reach the lockers for late and early departures.
Not yet. Keeper hasn't opened a locker and has no location at the ZOB. For now, use the ZOB's own lockers, the Deutsche Bahn lockers at Zoologischer Garten, or ask your hotel or host to keep your bags.