The Olympiastadion in Berlin is a very interesting historical building, but not a great place to watch football. Built for the 1936 Olympics, at which Jesse Owens then spoilt the party for the Ayrian supremacists, it's a fascinating piece of Nazi architecture, which is well worth seeing as a tourist (you can book tickets here). 

As far as a place to watch football goes, that's another story. It's one of the few top grounds in Germany that still has a running track. Consequently, you are always a long way from the pitch, especially if you're on one of the curves behind the goals. 

Nevertheless, it's one of the biggest stadia in the country (74,000 capacity), so it's often not hard to get tickets for a game there.

Getting there from the city centre
On public transport you have a choice of S-Bahn (suburban train) or U-Bahn (underground). Which service is best for you depends on where you're starting from and on what side of the stadium you want to arrive. 

As can be seen in the aerial photo below, the U-Bahn station is to the east of the stadium and brings you up a path through the woods onto a long forecourt and the stadium's main entrance with the two big columns and the Olympic rings. 

The S-Bahn station is to the south of the stadium. If you exit the station in the direction of travel, you emerge at an entrance behind the 'main stand'. If you exit the station walking in the opposite direction, you end up, after a short walk, at the main entrance. 

Either way, once inside these outer entrances, there is a lot of space to mill around before actually entering the stadium proper.

Here are a couple of example journeys:

Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium)
Take the S9 of S3 (heading for Spandau) and get off at the Olympiastadion. It's a direct journey and takes 19 minutes.

Alexanderplatz to the stadium
You can take the S9 or S3 as above (takes 26 minutes) or use the underground, taking the U2 (heading for Ruhleben), which takes 36 minutes.

Brandenburg Gate to the stadium
If you go from the Brandenburger Tor underground station, you'll need to change trains. You can, for instance, take the S1 (heading for Potsdam Hauptbahnhof) or the S2 (heading for Lichtenrade) for one stop and change at Potsdamer Platz onto the U2. Total journey time around 33 minutes. Alternatively, you can save yourself the change at Potsdamer Platz by walking there from the Fan Mile or Brandenburg Gate. That will take you about 10 minutes. The U2 will then get you to the stadium in 25 minutes.

Getting there from the aiport
For getting directly to the stadium from the airport, see my Berlin Airport page.

VBB
You can find all you need to know about getting around in Berlin on the official VBB public transport website, and I'd thoroughly recommend downloading their free app. Depending on how long you're going to be in Berlin for, it may well be worth getting a Berlin WelcomeCard. If you're planning an extended stay in Germany, you could instead (or also) consider getting a Deutschlandticket (for unlimited use of local and regional public transport throughout the country).

TIP: If a big crowd is expected at the game you're going to and you want to get a seat for your journey to the stadium, get on at a stop on the eastern side of the city (if you try to get on in the city centre or anywhere to the west, you could find yourself crammed in and standing all the way). 

To keep this page uncluttered, I've not included any photos. Instead, I've put together a selection in this Berlin City and Stadium Gallery