Planning

Before you go – Planning

Probably the most important thing you can do to insure a good trip is to plan. Research the things that are available to do or see and pick your priorities. Make a plan so as to visit attractions that are close together on the same day. Unter Den Linden and Check Point Charlie can be done together, Check Point Charlie and the Jewish Museum are close. Make use of the BVG website to plan transportation.

The next 6 links provide travel advice from the pros. Lots of information on these sites.

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/germany/berlin/

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/berlin/

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Germany/Land_Berlin/Berlin-75302/TravelGuide-Berlin.html

http://www.berlin.de/international/index.en.php Very informative, English for some parts only. Covers museums and other attractions.

http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/ good map but not in English

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g187323-Berlin-Vacations.html

Getting to Berlin

TRAVEL - Getting to Berlin

Airline Websites:

www.momondo.com General search of online agents

www.kayak.com another general search engine

www.tickets–to-europe.com

www.bt-store.com we have purchased tickets from this agent

www.lessno.com

www.airfare.com

www.cheapoair.com
www.expedia.com

Low Cost Airlines

Between Berlin and US

Inexpensive Air from, FT Myers, Florida, Miami, Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City

www.airberlin.com . They partner with American Airlines for other major US locations. Their prices are best if purchased early. We have used Airberlin both for international and inter-European flights and find them to be as good or better than some of the majors. As an interesting bit of information, Airberlin was started by an American from Oregon, who had been a Pan Am pilot flying from Berlin to Frankfurt.When PanAm went bankrupt he started Airberlin as a charter company flying from Berlin to Mallorca. For a little history go to http://www.answers.com/topic/air-berlin-gmbh-co-luftverkehrs-kg

Low Cost Airlines

Between Berlin and other European Cities

www.airberlin.com

www.easyjet.com

www.ryanair.com

www.germanwings.com
We have flown on Airberlin and Easyjet a number of times and would recommend them. Hear good things about Germanwings.
Intercity Buses

https://www.berlinlinienbus.de/index.php Inexpensive travel from major cities within Germany and other Major Euorpean cities.

Train Travel

www.seat61.com Good site for links to all European train systems.

www.dbahn.de For Germany and sometimes into and out of other countries.

 

Local Transportation

TRAVEL AROUND BERLIN

For starters, the public transportation system is wonderful and easy to navigate. Try www.berlin.defor information about the City.There is an English version and a detailed map.The map or Stadtplan provides a link to a route planner if you input the start and end destinations. Or you can try http://www.bvg.de(also in English).

The city has 5 systems of local travel:
U-Bahn Subway - Fast
S-Bahn Elevated
Bus
Tram - Mostly in the old East Zone.
Metro - More like an Express Bus i.e. fewer stops
Train - Regional Rail for inercity travel

The Single Ticket is the best option for people who travel by public transport only occasionally. Most often you only need a ticket or pass for Zones A and B. Zone C is for the more distant locations such as Schoenefeld, Petershagen, or Postdam.

Single Tickets entitle you to travel with any number of changes towards your destination via a direct travel route or one necessitated by works or other network alterations. They are valid for a maximum of two hours.

You can use the buses, trams and urban rail and underground trains of all transport companies within the Berlin fare zones (A, B and C)  including regional rail transport and ferries.
Within the two-hour validity of the Single Ticket you may change trains/buses, etc. or interrupt your journey as often as you wish.

Return and round trips are not permitted. Return trips are journeys in the direction of the starting point on the same line as on the outward journey.

There are Express buses from Tegel Airport
Bus 128 goes to Kurt-Schumacher-Platz for connections to U 6
Bus TXL goes to Alexanderplatz with stops at Hauptbahnhof

Lodging - on a Budget

If you have read my posts in the 78th forum you know that I prefer apartments for stays of more than a few days, but we have, from time to time, stayed in Hotels and spent a lot of time researching for the best deals and at the same time being sensitive to secure areas.. We also tend to be frugal, so my recommendations will be more economical than some. Also my first inclination would be that if someone were to be visiting Berlin for a short time such as one day they might prefer being close to the Tegel Airport or Mitte (if not on a strict budget). Tegel because of being close to the airport and ease of transport to any area of the city, and Mitte because of the closeness to the cultural centers. Steglitz is of interest because of the location of Andrews and the bars we used to visit.
When considering lodging it is important to consider:

1. The area of interest - Geographical and Cultural
2. Mode of transportation – if arriving by auto-train -air (which airport)
3. Duration of stay – longer stays may call for consideration of an apartment
4. Mobility – these issues should be considered as the ability to walk long distances or negotiating U- Bahn stations that don’t have elevators or escalators will very by individual.
5. Number of travelers – again Families staying more that 2 nights might prefer an apartment.
6. Budget range – everyone has different budget constraints and needs.

Booking Agencies

www.booking.com Hotels and apartments.

www.venere.com

www.hotelreservation.com Hotels and apartments.

Apartment Rental Links


http://www.korrektefewo.de/   Nice apartments near SBahn and UBahn station in Steglitz
We have stayed here and found it a good place to stay.  Near shops and Plblic transportation.
 

http://www.ferienwohnung-24-berlin.com/unterkunft/suche2.php?id=&lang=en&PHPSESSID=aqscg6g9r5h3fn41ttdg7lck06
In English with down payment by Paypal

http://www.kostenlose-zimmervermittlung-berlin.de/ We have used this agency and stayed in apartment no 43. Good location but apartment could have been better. No Closet space for renters - the owner used most of the available space. Entry rug was worn and bathroom faucet leaked. This was 6 years ago so maybe better by now. Owner was a West German Doctor who used the apartment for his trips to Berlin. One good thing was that we did not need a down payment.

http://www.ferienwohnung-zimmer-berlin.de/index.php Website has English version

I have found that for the most part German Hotels to be clean. Variances can be in the size of the room and service, but unlike France and England, most hotels are clean. It is best to read the reviews in Booking.com, Tripadvisor.com or Venere.com. Look for clues on Safety, Location and Cleanliness.

These days the most popular places for tourists seem to be Mitte, Prenzlauer-Berg and Keuzberg . The Prenzlauer-Berg and Keuzberg areas, in my opinion, gain popularity because of the nightlife. Think 20 somethings.

To quote Wikipedia:

Kreuzberg is one of Berlin's most eclectic districts, home to a unusual mix of left-wing punks, anarchists, gays, creative artists and Turkish immigrants, the last of which make up a third of the population and have earned the area its occasional nickname Little Istanbul. The district has gentrified to a considerable extent in recent years, with dot-coms, marketing agencies, designers, German and international kids from wealthy backgrounds moving into renovated lofts and spacy apartments, but there are still plenty of kebab joints, funky nightclubs, and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan gazing down from Communist Party of Kurdistan propaganda posters.

The area east of Kottbusser Damm and especially as you near the Spree and Görlitzer Park is a bit seedy.

Mitte ( Bezirk Mitte) is the first and most central borough of Berlin (Mitte is German for middle). Mitte encompasses Berlin's historic core and includes some of the most important tourist sites of Berlin (like the Museum Island, Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden and the Reichstag among others), most of which were in former East Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate was the western exit of the historical Berlin until 1861.

Between 1945 and 1990, much of Mitte was a part of East Berlin.


Prenzlauer Berg

Prenzlauer Berg was a working class area in East Berlin before unification. Many of the apartment buildings were not maintained and became rundown. A lot of the old apartments had nice large rooms with high ceilings. These apartments were owned by the city housing authority. After unification these buildings were sold off to investors and for the most part renovated. People living there prior to reunification were relocated. When renovations were completed these apartments opened for rent. There was not enough demand for these rentals and therefore the owners/investors started renting them as short term Ferienwohnungen or vacation rentals. There are a lot of these apartments for rent in this district and it is very popular with the younger generation from all over Europe who come to Berlin to Party.



For me the best areas for inexpensive hotels or apartments would be:

Wilmersdorf - We rented an apartment on Bundesallee near Prager Platz in 2005. We find the area South of the Kudamm near Bundesallee.  I might mention that this spring (May 2011) we had a young fashion designer (relative of one of our neighbors) over for coffee. She works in Kruetzberg and lives in Wilmersdorf  as she says the rents in Kruetzberg are too high. She also complains that there are too many old people in Wilmersdorf.

The following listings look interesting . Input the address into google and you can go direct to booking .com's listing along with other agents.

1 Apartments Central Berlin
Helmstedter Str 27A, Wilmersdorf, 10717 Berlin

2 Best Western Queens Hotel Berlin City Western
Güntzelstr. 14, Wilmersdorf, 10717 Berlin

3 Hotel-Pension Spree
Trautenaustr. 19, Wilmersdorf, 10717 Berlin



Steglitz - The borough Steglitz-Zehlendorf, with its expensive residential developments is today the most affluent of the twelve Berlin boroughs. The Schlossstrasse area of Steglitz second largest shopping area in Berlin. There are a number of inexpensive hotels and apartments in this area. I have never stayed in this area but would prefer the area south and west of S-Bahn Steglitz.

The following listing from www.booking.com looks interesting. Input this address into google and you can go direct to booking .com. listing.


Apartment Hotel Landhaus Lichterfelde
Drakestraße 60, Steglitz, 12205 Berlin


Reinickendorf - We have been staying in an apartment near Tegel Airport.

.
Hotels near Airport

Grand City Central Hotel Berlin Airport
Kögelstr. 12-13, Reinickendorf, 13403 Berlin (Show map)
There is a Coffee Shop in the Kaufland Department Store across the street for breakfast of lunch.


CARAT Hotel Berlin
Ollenhauerstr. 111, Reinickendorf, 13403 Berlin (Show map)
Very close to Grand City

Hotel Bärlin
Scharnweberstr. 17-20, Reinickendorf, 13405 Berlin (Show map)
On Kurt-Schumacher Platz - Shopping Center cater-corner from Hotel. U-Bahn station and bus (128) to Tegel Airport across the Street. Coffee Shops and Restaurants in Shopping Center and nearby.

Dorint Airport Hotel Berlin Tegel

Gotthardstraße 96, Reinickendorf, 13403 Berlin (Show map)

Almost on Kurt-Schumacher Platz

Currency Exchange - ATM'S

To quote rick Steves: Rick Steves from the following site

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/moneytip.htm 

I cashed my last traveler's check years ago. And I haven't stepped into a European bank in ages. Now, I get my cash from ATM machines."

In my mind the two worst places to obtain foreign currency is the Airport kiosk and your local US bank. Next would be Travelers Checks and a bank in the destination country, in this case Germany.

It is better to use your debit card to take money out of ATMs. You can use a credit card, but you'll pay more and I believe interest is charged from when the withdrawal is made.

Before you go, confirm with your bank that your card will work in Europe and alert them that you'll be making withdrawals while traveling — otherwise, the bank might freeze your card if it detects unusual spending patterns.

ATM transactions using bank-issued debit cards come with various fees. Your bank may levy a transaction fee each time you use an ATM. Owner of the ATM you use might charge its own fee,and Visa, MasterCard or Amex will charge there own fee.It is a good idea to make fewer visits to the ATM and withdraw larger amounts.

European ATM's use 4 number pins, . A PIN with more than four digits will not be accepted. I always take two or more different cards to provide a backup if one doesn't work.

Ask your bank how much you can withdraw per day. Note that most German banks will allow more per day than most US Banks. Also keep in mind the exchange rate. Once in Rome I thought I could use a trial and error method to access the maximum and I got shut down after three tries. I was starting high and when my US Bank rejected the amount, I tried a lower amount. They blocked access after 3 errors and I had to e-mail the bank to get setup again. We had multiple cards so not a huge problem. Some Banks will let you increase the daily limit upon request before you go.

It pays to shop around for the best rates, both for debit-card ATM withdrawals and credit-card transactions. There are different types of fees. Visa and MasterCard levy a 1 percent fee on international transactions.. Some banks that issue those cards add an additional 1–2 percent, and the ATM owner may charge an additional fee. Check online with the issuing organization, Visa, Mastercard, or AMEX, for corresponding Banks and Locations for the best exchange rate.

Capital One has a good reputation for no-fee international transactions.

For my personal experience we have found that the "Visa Smart Card" issued by Fidelity Cash Management is the equal to Capital One and we also use a Third Federal Debit card that is almost as good as the Smart Card" The following sit list many banks and their card fees:

http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange

Museums and other Attractions

Here are some of my favorite museums .

Allied Museum

Clayallee 135 - Outpost
14195 Berlin-Zehlendorf

http://www.alliiertenmuseum.de/en/1.php

I try to visit this museum every few years.  It is not large but well worth the trip. They have a section of the Rudow Tunnel on display. It is located at the old “Outpost Theater” on Clay Allee. From here you can take bus M11 at Oskar Helene Heim direct to Andrews Barracks now called Bundesarcheive. Get off a Drakestrasse and Finckenstrasse. If you want to get in you have to tell the guard that you are doing research.

Mauer Museum

Bernauer Str. 5A  PLZ. 13355

Another  of our favorite places to visit is the Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation Center on Bernauer Strasse.  To get there we have only taken the U-Bahn (U8) from Alexander Platz, but the S-Bahn  S1 or S2 from Friedrich Strasse to Nordbahnhof is another possibility.  See the stadtplan link below for a map of the area.

http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/de/ 

http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/guide/bernauer-str.htm

http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/map.asp?sid=14877af4821d8b78d604f3809ce2f91a&ix=1598&iy=1614&grid=dedatlas10   

Pergamon Museum

http://www.berlin.de/orte/museum/pergamonmuseum/index.en.php.

One of the most popular attractions in Berlin, the Pergamon Museum is world famous for its archaeological holdings. The Pergamon, located on Museum Island, is really three museums in one – the Collection of Classical Antiquities (also on display in the Old Museum), the Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Museum of Islamic Art. The Pergamon Museum’s monumental highlights are truly breathtaking to behold.

Neues Museum

http://www.berlin.de/orte/museum/neues-museum/index.en.php 

The Neues Museum  houses the archaeological collections of the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, the Museum of Pre- and Early History, as well as works from the Collection of Classical Antiquities. The most prominent feature of the exhibit, the bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, described as “the world’s most beautiful woman,” will be centrally and prominently displayed in the north cupola of the building.

Jewish Museum

http://www.berlin.de/orte/museum/juedisches-museum-berlin/index.en.php

Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, built after reunification, is one of the memorable highlights of the New Berlin

Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum Berlin (Also see Neue Wache in walking tour)

Fasanenstr. 24

10719 Berlin

Entrance 5 Euros

This small but unique museum is dedicated to the life and work of Berlin’s best-known woman painter – Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) - whose work was collected by Berlin gallerist Hans Pels-Leusden. Käthe Kollwitz is known above all for her haunting Expressionist character studies and harrowing images of human torment. Living in the midst of poverty and misery with her doctor husband Karl Kollwitz in the working-class district of Prenszlauer Berg she was a close and constant witness to human hardship.

Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand

http://www.berlin.de/orte/museum/gedenkstaette-deutscher-widerstand/

The German Resistance Memorial Centre, often referred to as the - Bendler Block – doubles as a monument and information and documentation centre. The permanent exhibition documenting the resistance movement against National Socialism commissioned by former Berlin Mayor Richard von Weizsäcker opened in 1989. The complex housed the headquarters of the Wehrmacht High Command from 1935 to 1944. From here Hitler addressed the issue of how to acquire more living space in the East.

The permanent exhibition is an ensemble of over 5,000 documents including photographic panels and background information about the many Germans who actively resisted or sacrificed their lives opposing the Nazi dictatorship. Some of the best known were the writer Thomas Mann, the students Hans and Sophie Scholl and the painter Käthe Kollwitz. Scenes for the film “Valkyrie” – the code name for the 1944 assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler plotted by Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg were shot on location here in 2007
Audio guides in English and other languages are available to guide the visitor through the exhibition rooms.

Stauffenbergstr. 13-14
10785 Berlin

Gendarmenmarkt  (See walking tour)

Berlin’s Deutscher Dom – not to be confused with the Berliner Dom which is the largest protestant church in Berlin – is best known as one of the three buildings which make up the spectacular ‘trinity ensemble’ in the Gendarmenmarkt square in Mitte including its twin the Französische Dom (French Cathedral) and the Konzerthaus or Concert Hall. The Deutscher Dom was erected in 1708 under Elector Friedrich III, who had crowned himself King Friedrich I in 1701 and was intent, along with his wife Queen Sophie Charlotte, in turning Berlin into a royal residence to rival Versailles.

Berlin Tour by Public Bus Line 100 or 200

An insiders’ tip to explore Berlin easily and on budget is to take the public bus 100 or 200. A ride on this double decker bus is a "Must Do" for each tourist. Head to the upper deck in the front of the bus.  In inclement weather this is a good option. Go one way on the 100 and the other way on the 200. 

The bus departs several times per hour from Zoologischer  Garten train station and ends at Alexanderplatz train station. Bus stops are numerous, so you will get a good overview of Berlin’s central district.

Walking Tour of Unter Den Linden

Walking Tour:

Start at Reichstag Building and visit the dome at the top for a view of the city. You can see the towers at Teufelsberg in the distance. After leaving the Reichstag and just prior to passing through the Brandenburg Gate walk south to view the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Walk through the Brandenburg Gate to Unter den Linden and the new US Embassy will be on your right and the French Embassy will be on the left. The Hotel Adlon will be second building on the right after the US Embassy. The next block on the right will be the Russian Embassy. Big, but not much to look at.

When you reach Friedrichstrasse, walk to the right until you reach Galeries Lafayette turn left and walk one block to the Gendarmenmarkt which is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin. When facing the Main Building, the German Church (picture below) is on the left and the French (Huguenot) is on the right. Return to Unter Den Linden via Markgrafenstrasse veering to the right when the street ends, you will pass by Bebel Platz where the Nazi book burning took place in 1933.

German Church

Kollwitz @ Neue Wache

The next building on the right on Unter den Linden will be the Berlin Opera. Across the street will be the Neue Wache, a Memorial to War Dead and houses a Statue by Käthe Kollwitz (above). The next area is the Museum Insel and the Berliner Dom. This finishes this tour.

I have left out Checkpoint Charlie as to me it is only commercial but if you want and have the inclination you can continue on Friedrichstrasse from above to UBahn Kochstr or on another day combine a visit to the Jewish Museum with Checkpoint Charlie as they are near to each other.

Rough Budget

 

The following is a rough budget for a trip to Berlin and a 7 day stay.
I have presented 3 cases, apartment stay and round trip flight
from Miami to Berlin, hotel stay and flight and a Cruise to
Barcelona and 1 week stay.  I have calculated this on what I consider
a frugal budget. Also food can be considered a wash with what would be
spent at home.
BERLIN BUDGET	For  Flight from Miami + 1week in Berlin
Apartment
6/2/2011
		Euros	$ @ 1.45/E
Apartment	7 nights	420	$              609
Basis 60 Euros/Night	Cleaning	30	$                44
	Commission	15	$                22
Taxi from Airport		15	$                22
Taxi to Airport		15	$                22
Transportation - Public		54.4	$                79
Meals - misc Groceries - Allow 10 Euros/day		70	$              102
Meals - Restaurant	30Euros/day	210	$              305
Souvenirs	Not Inc.		$                     -
Attraction Entrance Fees	Not Inc.		$                     -
Round Trip Airfare	2 Persons		$           1,800
Airberlin MIA-TXL	4/21-4/28
May schedule not available yet
Total Estimated Budget			$           3,003
Estimated cost to add an additional Week			$           1,094
BERLIN BUDGET	For  Flight from Miami + 1week in Berlin
Hotel - Budget
6/2/2011
		Euros	$ @ 1.45/E
Hotel	7  Nights	420	$              609
Basis 60 Euros/Night
Taxi from Airport		15	$                22
Taxi to Airport		15	$                22
Transportation - Public		54.4	$                79
Meals - Restaurant	50Euros/day	350	$              508
Souvenirs	Extra		$                     -
Attraction Entrance Fees	Extra		$                     -
Round Trip Airfare	2 Persons		$           1,800
Airberlin MIA-TXL	4/21-4/28
May schedule not available yet
			$           3,039
Estimated cost to add an additional Week			$           1,195
BERLIN BUDGET	For  Cruise from Ft Lauderdale + 1 week in Berlin
Hotel - Budget
6/2/2011
		Euros	$ @ 1.45/E
Hotel	7  Nights	420	$              609
Basis 60 Euros/Night
Taxi from Airport		15	$                22
Taxi to Airport		15	$                22
Transportation - Public		54.4	$                79
Meals - Restaurant	50Euros/day	350	$              508
Souvenirs	Extra		$                 -
Attraction Entrance Fees	Extra		$                  -
Cruise - RCCL Liberty	for 2 Persons Cat M inside		$           1,584
Tips			$              322
Taxi Port to Airport		30	$                44
Air Fare Barcelona - Berlin		160	$             232
One Way Airfare	2 Persons	666	$              966
Airberlin TXL - MIA	4/21-4/28
May schedule not available yet
Total Estimated Cost 14 day Cruise + Berlin Stay			$           4,386
Difference to add 14 day cruise is			$          1,347
Cost per Night for Cruise			$               96
Cost per Week for Cruise			$              674
That is $96/night for room, meals and snacks, entertainment nightly, and
no or minor time change struggles.  Time changes over 6 day period.
In 14 days there are 6 one hour time changes