Travel guide: Berlin.
Ok, so I definitely prefer to have structured information when it comes to travel advice. I do appreciate how well people can describe coffee using all terms from the Treasures but I like something clear, precise and unambiguous. So let me begin.
Travel background
3 Uni student.
25-30 January.
Tickets - £70 from London, ~ £150 from Moscow
Accommodation: Schulz hotel Berlin (east side). 400 Euros in total, i.e approx. 133 euros per person. Breakfast not included.
Hotel
We have searched booking.com and Airbnb very carefully and this one seemed to be perfect for us. The location is good, Ostbahnhof is just across the road with 2 supermarkets in the basement. 10 minutes to Alexanderplatz by train, around 40 minutes on foot. The area is lively, yet safe. Mercedes Benz Arena and The Berlin wall with famous murals just next door.
No pubs and bars, no cafes as well. On the positive note- guest kitchen with all the appliances. Usually, pretty empty during breakfast time.
Staff is friendly and helpful, rooms are cleaned every day, soap provided. Though the cleaners may knock at 8 am if you don’t put the sign. No wardrobe, just shelves. This wasn’t a huge issue for us, even though we had quite a bit of stuff.
One night we bought a bottle of wine and asked the bartender from the hotel bar to open it for us. No questions asked.
Overall, great accommodation for a reasonable price. You can definitely find something cheaper but further from the center.
Public Transport
Group travel cards are the best things. 20 euros for unlimited day travel for a group up to 5 people. Buses, trains and metro (S and U Bahn) in the chosen zone. But there is a trick. Not all the machines are S/U Bahn ones. Some of them are made for railway tickets. So, if there is not an option to buy just normal ticket, go to the destination window and type Berlin Hauptbahnhof, it will give you the choice of zones ( A-B or A-C) and you can purchase the normal day travel card.
Although there are no gates at the station entrance, I highly recommend purchasing a ticket. The fine can be up to 100 euros.
Food and drinks
Berlin is full of good food and coffee. The latter is pretty expensive, not sure why.
My personal favourites are:
- “Zeit fur Brot” Great coffee and pastries. Very small sitting are and usually pretty full. 📍Roza-Luxemburg Station.
- “What do you fancy, love?” Worth going for a coffee and bagel (altogether about 7 euros). Love the design but space is quite limited as well. 📍see above
- “Chupenga”. Great Chipotle. Portions are huge and it has a very London vibe. Grab lunch there after visiting Checkpoint Charlie of the Jewish museum. 📍 Charlottenstrasse, 4
- “Vapiano”- very well known great Italian food. Especially good in Berlin. 📍various around the city.
- “Coffee Fellows”, pricy, but still good coffee. 📍various around the city
- “Hummus and Friends. Best hummus, hands down” 📍next to the New Synagogue at Oranienburger str.
Also, do not miss salad bars in supermarkets, they offer a great selection and usually have a small cafeteria nearby.
Must see
- The museums' island. The Berlin Dome is gorgeous. The rest of the museums are up to you but a combined ticket gives you entry to all of them for about 12 euros for students.
- The Jewish Museum. Highly recommend. It is very modern inside and definitely worth exploring, even if you are not into history.
- The memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a landmark, but do not forget to go to the information center below ground level. It’s free and powerful. Real stories, real people and real picture of those who didn’t make it. Please refrain from climbing the blocks while at the memorial. It is disrespectful.
- Potsdam. The New and the Old Palace. Comfortable shoes are a must but the palaces are gorgeous inside and outside.
- The area around Roza-Luxemburg Platz. Great Place to walk and get special gifts.
- Europa-Center station area at night. The colours and lights make this place a little Berlin’s Times Square.
- The Reichstag. The entrance to the dome and rooftop is free but make sure you pre-book your free ticket. Bring a photo ID and be ready for airport-like inspection. Audio Guides are also free and available in all major languages.
And last but not least the Brandenburg gate and the Memorial to Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten.
Tips and advice
Go to pubs, try German beer, fall in love or don’t.
Walk, walk and walk, breath clean Berlin air.
Try the best german rye bread. Available in every supermarket.
Oranienburger str. has a lot of cool cafes and restaurants.
Berlin is a broken city which was rebuilt from scratch. It was divided for 30 years and looks like it does not have a clear purpose. But that’s the beauty of it. The moment I got out of the airport and took a bus to the city center- I felt like I’m home, I felt this sense of belonging and. Berlin is welcoming and has its own free-spirit. It is ugly and chaotic from time to time but if you open your heart for it- Berlin will love you.