Actually your hotel is about 200m away from the one of ars20 *lol*. So read the infos I gave to his location and use these links (active for 48h). Map: http://www.stadtplandienst.de/fastlink.asp?key=8cbc82f939dda686745cf40f091eefcd Aerial pic: http://www.stadtplandienst.de/fastlink.asp?key=53ade2ed64eb788929758cc29e75411f Regarding your problems with maps and public transportation I will set up a small guide. Just give me 30-60min time as I am having breakfast right now.
*2 General information: As Fevernova99 asked for an instruction how to find public transportation infos to a given address in Berlin, I will try my best. The main problem is of course that not all of the websites I use have English navigation, still you should be able to find all the infos needed. I will use Fevernova99's address as an example: Bayreuther Strasse 42 · D-10787 Berlin or better Bayreuther Str. 42 (better use the abbreviation "Str.") 10787 Berlin Map: I normally use only one website that is easy and fast to handle and is IMHO unmatched on the internet. http://www.stadtplandienst.de/ has high resolution maps of Germany. The (German :-/) navigation is easy and fast. Go to the mentioned URL. At the top of the website there are 3 boxes named "PLZ", "Ort" and "Straße oder Objekt/Ortsteil". PLZ: That is what is called in the USA zip code. In Germany it is always 5-digit and in Berlin it always starts with "1" (example: 10787) Ort: Simple. The city where your address is located (ex: Berlin) Straße oder Objekt/Ortsteil: Normally you insert the name of the street. Still you can also use citiy districts or famous objects. If you use street names make sure to write it exactly like "Bayreuther Str. 42". -> click "Go" You will get to the map of the address you were looking for. The screen should look like this: http://www1.schwatzgelb.com/fotos/stadtplandienstde01.jpg (screen shot) (1) By clicking on the 5x5 box you can cover a wider area of the asked address. Especially for broadband user a must. (2) Here you can zoom in or zoom out or even change from map style to aerial overview (Luftbild) (3) For a link to this map (free are only 48h-links ;-/) click the drop-down menu ("Link setzen für") and choose "48 Stunden kostenlos". A URL will appear. (4) Check whether the house number is the one you typed in. Sometimes the website changes the house number during the serch process. (5) At the left bottom there is an overview map. In our example you will see whole Berlin and a mark where your address is located. Finding the station nearest to your location: Normally you should find a S-bahn or metro (underground or in German U-Bahn) station on the map you got at stadtplandienst.de. http://www1.schwatzgelb.com/fotos/stadtplandienstde02.jpg Here that would be either (metro station) "Hansaplatz" or (S-Bahn station) "Tiergarten". With this info go to the metro/S-Bahn map: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/Common/Document/field/file/id/68 It might be a bit of work to find the station, but combined with the small overview map of stadtplandienst.de you should have no problem. Connections - Query Page Then you can start to use the query offered by Berlin transportation union (BVG) to find connections at day and night: http://www.fahrinfo-berlin.de/fahrinfo/bin/query.bin/en?L=bvg&ld=bvg4&L=bvg&seqnr=1&ident=91.0299261.1145784102&
*3 General information: German-English/English-German translator: A great easy to handle online translator is leo.org: http://dict.leo.org/ende?lang=en&lp=ende&search= English navigation makes it really easy to use.
My Berlin map of choice: http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/_html/index.html Type in your address and you're good to go.
That actually is the same engine. Berlin.de pays Euro Cities AG, the owner of stadtplandienst.de money that they can use their engine. ;-)
Any suggestions about how to evaluate the Hotels listed on the OC website? I look at the descriptions for the lower priced hotels (E100-150 or 150-200) and they seem fine, but I have no insight about what those really mean. I'm traveling with my 9 year old and I'm willing to take some risks, but I would not like to be in a dangerous neighborhood and I'd like to have some minimum level of comfort, especially since he is likely to be worn out by the travel! Any insights would be appreciated?
at least for the dangerous neighbourhoods, I wouldn't worry in Berlin. Especially for the world cup I don't expect any bigger problems.
As stated in this thread, there aren't really dangerous areas in Berlin. Still if you can manage try not to book a hotel in the outer skirts of Berlin. Doesn't mean that the outer districts are generally dangerous (only a few are a bit shady) but in downtown Berlin you are more or less 100% sure that you are safe plus you are in the middle of the heat and near to the stadium and all the tourist sights. Downtown means (simplified): Districts like Mitte, Charlottenburg, Zehlendorf, Prenzlauer Berg, Tiergarten, Schöneberg, Wilmersdorf:
Tripadvisor has many traveller ratings about hotels in Berlin: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g187323-Berlin-Hotels.html I have not checked these listings since I live in Berlin myself . But for past trips to other cities this site was always quite helpful to me.
What? You mean that there aren't any gun toting crack dealers in Berlin? Now I'm not sure if I want to come and visit!! I mean, what is a trip to the big city if you can't witness at least one murder!! What is the world coming to...
Berlin is a safe city. I woked alone at night there on the first night I was there and had no problems. And I'm a minority too (Asian).
http://www.helterskelterhostel.com/ anyone been on that hostel? anyone knows cheaper palce than 22 euros for one night?
I emailed my hostel and got no response, so I come to you all. What is the best method for paying for Berlin city transport? I know here in Madrid you can buy 1, 3, 5, 7 or month passes, but what about in Berlin? I checked the website and it seemed that you could only buy a 48 hour pass or something like that, and yada yada. I will be there 16 days (on and off) but would like an unlimited pass of some sort - its less stressful. What are my optins?
There are 1, 2, 3, 7 day or month passes: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Index/folder/709 http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Index/folder/710/name/For+Visitors The prices depend on the fares zones you want to travel in. Fares zone are these: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Detail/folder/706/rewindaction/Index/id/2898/name/Fare+zones Usually AB is enough except if you want to visit Potsdam. The Olympic Stadium is in zone B. The BVG site has also timetables, maps and journey planner you can check out: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Start
The weekend of the Final we're staying at Aparthotel Flughafen Schonefeld. As the name suggests it's near Schonefeld airport. Call me sceptical, but I'm worried what it will be like because it's so cheap (78 Euros per night for 3 people). Does anyone know what this hotel is like? Is it in a bad area? Is that cheap for Berlin or is that the normal rate for a 3 star hotel?
location, location, location. In German there is a saying: 'Am Arsch der Welt', 'on the ass of the world'. It means that you are in the middle of nowhere, which applies perfectly to Flughafen Schonefeld. My guess is that the hotel is fine, and that it is only that cheap because it will take you ages to get anywhere.
Yeah, in the middle of nowhere but only a 30 minutes ride to Friedrichstr.. So not that bad, I think.
Hello, Great thread! I am going ot be staying at a hotel at this address: Kurt-Weill-Gasse 7 / 12627 Berlin Could you please tell me 1) Which is the closest "main" station a)Zoo b)Ostbanhoff c) Spandau I did a little browsing and it seems that it is Ost. seems to be it. Can somebody confirm. 2) Approximate time of travel to the stadium. THANKS
Kurt-Weill-Gasse is very far in the east / north-east of Berlin located near the U-Bahn-station "Hellersdorf". Ostbahnhof is definitely nearest of the stations you mentioned. But be aware that the all new Berlin central station (Berlin Hauptbahnhof or Berlin HBF), which is located near the Reichstag is starting to work tomorrow (on the 28th of May). Most of the far distance trains will start/end there in the future. For connections you may check out this side: http://www.fahrinfo-berlin.de/fahrinfo/bin/query.exe/en?L=bvg Just enter Hellersdorf and Olympiastadion for example. This trip will take you 1:09 hours with 1 change or 0:59 hours with 2 changes (since the stadium is located in the west of Berlin). Or enter Hauptbahnhof instead of Olympiastadion - you will find that it takes between 33 and 41 minutes to get there (23 to 26 minutes to Ostbahnhof).