If you’re thinking of visiting Berlin on a city break here’s some information and tips to help you make the most of your trip:
Getting there
City breaks to Berlin offer great flexibility as Aer Lingus fly twice daily from Dublin. Schönefeld Airport lies about 24 minutes outside of the city and the flight time of a little over two hours won’t eat into your precious vacation too much.
Getting from the airport
From Schönefeld, the 171 bus runs from the airport to Rudow, where you can transfer to the U-Bahn (underground rail) to get into central Berlin. Alternatively, the S-Bahn (suburban rail) lines S49 and S9 take about 45 minutes to get into city centre. If you want to get the bus, the Airport Express goes to Hauptbahnhof, Zoologischer Garten, Friedrichstrasse, Alexanderplatz and Ostbahnhof every half an hour or a taxi to the city will set you back €30-€40.
Hotels in Berlin
As with most capital cities there is a huge selection of hotels in Berlin from budget to luxury. Click here for a list of hotels in Berlin.
Getting around
Public transport in Berlin operates on an honesty system. There are no barriers at train, tram or bus stops, though underground inspectors will fine you up to €40 on the spot if they catch you without a ticket. You can get pretty much anywhere in the city 24 hours a day thanks to Berlin’s excellent transport system, an interconnected network of underground rail (U-Bahn), suburban rail (S-Bahn) buses, trams, and ferries. For more information see www.bahn.de or www.bvg.de.
If you’re a cyclist, you’re in luck! Berlin is a bit of a cyclist’s dream in that it’s largely flat with lots of dedicated cycle paths and plenty of green areas and rivers to glide along. If the weather is good, it’s one of the nicest ways of seeing the city.
So what does Berlin have to offer?
Berlin is a vibrant city with an exciting and entertaining cultural life where both young and not so young are well catered for.
At first glance, Berlin can seem a little sprawling but it is in fact very accessible, on foot or using the excellent public transport system. A good starting point to get your bearings when new to the city is the area around Alexanderplatz. From here you can begin to explore the Mitte “centre” district.
You can take a free walking tour departing at 11am from outside the Starbucks on Unter den Linden (near the Brandenburg Gate). The tour takes in all the most notable sites including the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial and Checkpoint Charlie. The tour finishes on Museumsinsel (Museum Island) which contains five museums and is known as “Athens on the river Spree”.
For a stunning view over the city visit the roof top terrace of the Reichstag building, just two minutes from the Brandenburg Gate. As an extra bonus, entry is free!
If you want to see the infamous Berlin Wall, visit the East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain which is the longest and best preserved section. The best way to get there is by getting the U-Bahn or S-Bahn to Warschauer Str.
Since the fall of the Wall, Berlin has become one of the most stimulating cultural centres in Europe. It’s a city of many faces and is increasingly becoming a destination for families thanks to a wealth of green spaces that includes the sprawling Tiergarten, the Sunday flea market at Mauerpark and the Volkspark Friedrichshain.
