Travel Tips For Berlin

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We had a few days in Berlin, and time was of the essence to see and do as much as possible. We learnt a few things the hard way, and this is a brief post to share what the guide book didn't tell me.

Tip 1:
We hadn't booked the tickets to the Reichstag before we arrived, but went on our first day as it was high on our list. On arrival, we discovered that we couldn't get in and the first available tickets were for the Sunday, four days later and the day of the Marathon, so no use to us.

We returned to the hotel disappointed, and mentioned it in passing to the concierge. She announced "I can book you a table around 3.30 at the café on the roof for coffee and cake." And she did. The next day we zipped through the separate line for security, without the lengthy wait for our timed session, and went straight to the top for afternoon tea. It is pricey but worth it for the speed and ease. Then we strolled through the dome like the rest of the tourists, at our leisure.

Tip 2:
I arrived at the Pergamon Museum to join the end of a very lengthy and slow moving queue. I stood for over an hour in line, waiting to get in. I watched a number of smart people, in the know, stroll up, show their pre-ordered online tickets to a guard at the side of the queue, and walk straight in. If you buy your tickets online prior to arrival, you have a timed arrival slot and you walk straight in. If you don't, you stand in line for possibly over an hour. If you don't buy your tickets online, at the very least, go early and go first thing. The other museums on the island don't have the same sort of queues.

Tip 3:
Always have enough change in coins to buy a train ticket. Twice in the week I ended up needing to buy a train ticket where the machine only took coins. Both times I had to go and buy something to break the notes I had. No one would give me change. It's rare, but it happened to me twice, which if you are in a hurry, is an unnecessary stress.

Tip 4:
Plan your day a little in advance, and that way you know if you need a day ticket or just the singles. The day ticket is great value if you will be doing four or more trips.

Tip 5:
Walk into the alleys and arcades. For us, it feels like trespassing, but you will walk into a building complex to discover shops & restaurants in the inside courtyard. This is the appeal of Berlin, it takes you awhile to adjust the way you look at things and see it properly.

A few hours after we arrived, we were looking for somewhere for lunch, and couldn't find anywhere to eat. It was odd. We were in one of the main tourist spots but there were only a couple of chain restaurants in view. A few days later, having sought out a number of famous restaurants hidden away in an old Jewish school and inside an apartment complex, we realised we hadn't really been looking properly on our first day, and had missed what was right before our eyes.

Practicalities:
Reichstag http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits
Pergamon Museum http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/pergamonmuseum/home.html

Further reading:
Das Stue http://www.weekendnotes.com/das-stue/
Nola's http://www.weekendnotes.com/nolas-am-weinberg/
Café Am Neuen See http://www.weekendnotes.com/cafe-am-neuen-see/
Enjoy the Outdoors in Berlin  http://holidazeandhellidaze.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/enjoy-outdoors-in-berlin.html



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