Berlin tour: practical guide for visitors

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< Up	Travel / Tours / Berlin / Guide
Guide for visitors to Berlin


Sections:	Introduction
	Tour to Berlin
	Visa
	Money
	Travel to Berlin
	Public transport
	Electricity
	Police
	City tours
	Further information
	Links

INTRODUCTION

This page is a guide to some of the practical issues to consider if you are planning to travel to Berlin. You may find it helpful to buy a guidebook:

	Berlin (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (guidebook, illustrated with many pictures) Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Date: January 2005		Berlin (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides) Author: Juergen Scheunemann Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Date: April 2004
	"Time Out" Berlin (guidebook) Editor: Dave Rimmer Publisher: Time Out Group Ltd Date: July 2004

You can also request some free brochures from the website of the German National Tourist Office: http://www.germany-tourism.co.uk.
Particularly useful are the following: Item 3104 - Berlin City Map ; Item 4028003 - Berlin from A to Z
You should order these at least a week before you travel, so that you can receive them in the post before you leave.

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TOUR TO BERLIN

The photos in this section were taken during a tour to Berlin starting in London.
For futher information / booking details for these tours, click here: Berlin by air

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VISA

To check if you need a visa to travel to Berlin from the UK, see: http://www.german-embassy.org.uk/visa_information.html

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MONEY

The euro is the currency used in Germany. The main notes are for 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. There are coins for 2 and 1 euros, and for 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents

It is a good idea to obtain some euros before travelling. You can get them from banks, post offices, some large department stores and from bureaux de change. You may need to order the currency a day or two in advance. Note that if you are joining a tour, you may need to pay in euros for accommodation or excursions at the start of the trip.

If you have a credit or debit card, check with your card issuer or bank to find out if you can use the cards in cash machines or shops in Berlin.
Note that if you use a credit card you will normally be asked to enter your 4-digit PIN, so make sure that you know what this is.

Euro notes

Euro coins

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL TO BERLIN

(1) Air
The main airports in Berlin are Tegel (TXL; also known as Berlin International; north-west) and Schönefeld (SXF; also written Schoenefeld and also known as Berlin Brandenburg; south-east).
Cheap flights to Berlin from the UK may be available from the following companies:
Air Berlin (to Berlin Schönefeld or Tegel, from London Stansted or Manchester): http://www.airberlin.com
Easyjet ( to Berlin Schönefeld, from London Luton, London Gatwick, Belfast, Bristol, Liverpool or Newcastle): http://www.easyjet.com
Ryanair (to Berlin Schönefeld, from London Stansted ): http://www.ryanair.com
Berlin airport information: http://www.berlin-airport.de.

Air Berlin plane at Stansted Airport

(2) Coach
To book a Eurolines coach ticket from London to Berlin: Shop/Company/NationalExpress

(3) Train
To plan a journey by train, see: Travel/Transport/Train

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ACCOMMODATION IN BERLIN

To book a place at a hostel or cheap hotel in Berlin, click here: Accommodation in Berlin

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PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN BERLIN

The easiest way to travel around Berlin is is to use the U-Bahn (underground) and S-Bahn (overground) local transport services. There are also tram and bus services. Berlin in divided into three zones: A (central Berlin), B (outer Berlin) and C (suburbs).

You may want to buy a Tageskarte ("one-day ticket"). If you are part of a group of 4 or 5 people who want to travel together, a cheaper option may be to buy a ticket called a Kleingruppenkarte ("small group ticket"). Either of these tickets is valid on all public transport in the zones covered. A ticket for zones A/B is enough for most sightseeing, but you may need to buy a ticket for zones A/B/C if you plan to go to more distant destinations such as Potsdam Palace or Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Alternatively, a WelcomeCard (2-day or 3-day cards are available) allows you to travel throughout zones A/B/C and also gives you discounts on some tours, museums, theatres, clubs and restaurants.

You need to validate your ticket when you first use it. You do this by putting the ticket into one of the red machines at the entrance to the platform (enter it slowly into the machine face up, in the direction shown by the arrow on the ticket). The date and time will be stamped: a one-day ticket will then be valid until 3am the following morning. Ticket inspectors often get on and off the trains, trams and buses: if you cannot show a ticket which has been properly stamped you will have to pay a fine.

U-Bahn

S-Bahn

Tram	Validating your ticket

ELECTRICITY

The voltage in Germany is 220V, which is similar to that in the UK. The electrical sockets are different, however, so you will need to take an adaptor plug with you if you want to use British appliances (for example, to recharge your mobile phone or camera batteries, or to use your own hairdryer).

Adaptor plug for British appliances

A German electrical socket

POLICE

Be careful about pickpockets in busy areas. Make sure that you are covered by travel insurance while you are in Berlin. If you are the victim of a crime, report it at once to the police and obtain a statement listing what was taken and when. In an emergency you can dial 110 to call the police, or 112 to call the fire brigade or an ambulance.

CITY TOURS

You may want to join a tour when you are in Berlin. The main sites in the centre can be seen by taking a walking tour: there are several tours available with English-speaking guides (for example, both bus and cycling tours are organised by Insider Tour). If you prefer to sit down during your tour, you can take a boat trip on the river or a city tour by bus. Alternatively, bus route 100 is a frequent service which follows a circular route in the centre of Berlin, passing most of the main attractions - you do not receive a commentary on this bus, but it is a convenient way to travel and will not cost you any more if you have already bought a one-day ticket for public transport.

To book a local tour starting in Berlin, click here: Tours in Berlin

* For photos and further information about places you can visit in Berlin, see: Travel/Tours/Berlin.

Walking tours

Boat trips

Berlin City Tour (commentary in German/English)

Bus 100 follows a route which passes the main attractions

FURTHER INFORMATION

Useful websites:
Berlin tourist information: http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/index.en.php
Bock auf Berlin (young person's guide; in German): http://www.bockaufberlin.de
New Berlin Tours: http://www.newberlintours.com
Berlin Trails: http://www.berlin-trails.com
City guide: http://www.berlin.world-guides.com

Weather forecast for Berlin:
See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0050

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LINKS

Visit Berlin: Travel/Tours/Berlin
Further information about visiting Berlin: Travel/Tours/Berlin
Visit Germany: Travel/Tours/Germany
Useful links connected with Germany and the UK: Links/Germany

Home page: Home

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© UK Student Life 2002-2009

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