10 hours in Berlin: What do I do?
Jul 9th, 2016, 05:48 AM
#1
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10 hours in Berlin: What do I do?
Hello!
In early October, I am going to London for a week with my husband. My husband and I are flying home separately, and on the return flight back to the US, I will have a twelve hour layover in Berlin Tegel Airport. My layover is from 9:55 PM on a Saturday until 9:15 AM Sunday. I have never been to Germany before, and I am considering leaving the airport for a few hours after I land, and exploring Berlin.
How feasible is it to get to Berlin from the airport? Would it be worth it to make the trek into the city for just a few hours? I enjoy walking around cities and exploring. Would there be people out and about from 10:30 PM-1:00 AM? Restaurants open? Any suggestions about where to go? Thank you for all your help!
In early October, I am going to London for a week with my husband. My husband and I are flying home separately, and on the return flight back to the US, I will have a twelve hour layover in Berlin Tegel Airport. My layover is from 9:55 PM on a Saturday until 9:15 AM Sunday. I have never been to Germany before, and I am considering leaving the airport for a few hours after I land, and exploring Berlin.
How feasible is it to get to Berlin from the airport? Would it be worth it to make the trek into the city for just a few hours? I enjoy walking around cities and exploring. Would there be people out and about from 10:30 PM-1:00 AM? Restaurants open? Any suggestions about where to go? Thank you for all your help!
Jul 9th, 2016, 08:38 AM
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Where are you spending the night anyway? Because TXL is so close to the city, there is little merit in staying near the airport.
TXL is very close to the city. Here are the direct bus options: http://www.berlin-airport.de/en/trav...port/index.php
Of course, you can also take a taxi to anywhere. It is not that far from the city.
You probably have more choices of late night places by sticking to busy places for example, Gendarmenmarkt, etc. When I get out of a concert at Berlin Philharmonic concert hall past 10pm, Portsdamerplatz still has many people walking around and restaurants around Sony center are open past midnight. Beer hall type of places stay open even later.
Did you have to take these flights? I try to avoid this kind of hard to use itinerary when offered by booking engines. I play with the flights to place a long layover during more usable time such as arriving in Berlin much earlier in the day without increasing the airfare. Of course, the airlines can decide if it is a layover or an expensive stop over. I do this all the time at AMS. Booking engines try to send me to AMS late in the evening for an early morning flight back. I usually change to a noon arrival at little or no additional cost.
TXL is very close to the city. Here are the direct bus options: http://www.berlin-airport.de/en/trav...port/index.php
Of course, you can also take a taxi to anywhere. It is not that far from the city.
You probably have more choices of late night places by sticking to busy places for example, Gendarmenmarkt, etc. When I get out of a concert at Berlin Philharmonic concert hall past 10pm, Portsdamerplatz still has many people walking around and restaurants around Sony center are open past midnight. Beer hall type of places stay open even later.
Did you have to take these flights? I try to avoid this kind of hard to use itinerary when offered by booking engines. I play with the flights to place a long layover during more usable time such as arriving in Berlin much earlier in the day without increasing the airfare. Of course, the airlines can decide if it is a layover or an expensive stop over. I do this all the time at AMS. Booking engines try to send me to AMS late in the evening for an early morning flight back. I usually change to a noon arrival at little or no additional cost.
Jul 9th, 2016, 08:43 AM
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Obviously you won't be able to see much unless you are planning to stay out most of the night walking around and plan to get little sleep. Presumably you will get a hotel so will have to factor in time to check in, check out, and get between the hotel and the airport (unless you get a hotel right at the airport, if that's even possible at Tegel).
Berlin is a lively city, and I'm sure on a Saturday night you will have no trouble finding bars open at very least and I'm sure you would find food. If you are adventurous, you could walk around outside - Berlin has lots of "outdoor museum" stuff that's "always open" e.g. Checkpoint Charlie, where you can walk around and read/see pictures. The outdoor part of the Berlin Wall memorial (obviously the adjacent museum would be closed) should be accessible - just outside to Nordbahnhof U-Bahn station. Inside the station itself there are interesting plaques and photos telling the story of how people tried to escape through the Wall during the cold war. Not sure how late that station is open or how late the trains run.
But if you want something simple and easy ("I saw a part of Berlin!"), the easiest thing might be taking the bus from Tegel to a hotel near the Brandenburg Gate - lit up at night - walk around a bit, grab some food, get some sleep, and take the same bus back to Tegel the next morning. I stayed near Unter den Linden and took the early bus (very early - at 4:20am according to my 2014 trip report) to TXL and it was easy, frequent buses, etc.
Berlin is a lively city, and I'm sure on a Saturday night you will have no trouble finding bars open at very least and I'm sure you would find food. If you are adventurous, you could walk around outside - Berlin has lots of "outdoor museum" stuff that's "always open" e.g. Checkpoint Charlie, where you can walk around and read/see pictures. The outdoor part of the Berlin Wall memorial (obviously the adjacent museum would be closed) should be accessible - just outside to Nordbahnhof U-Bahn station. Inside the station itself there are interesting plaques and photos telling the story of how people tried to escape through the Wall during the cold war. Not sure how late that station is open or how late the trains run.
But if you want something simple and easy ("I saw a part of Berlin!"), the easiest thing might be taking the bus from Tegel to a hotel near the Brandenburg Gate - lit up at night - walk around a bit, grab some food, get some sleep, and take the same bus back to Tegel the next morning. I stayed near Unter den Linden and took the early bus (very early - at 4:20am according to my 2014 trip report) to TXL and it was easy, frequent buses, etc.
Jul 9th, 2016, 08:44 AM
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Bars stay open until they feel like closing so you'll have ample opportunity to wet your whistle.
Restaurants? Definitely stop by a Döner imbiss and get a Döner kebab. They will definitely be open very late.
Restaurants? Definitely stop by a Döner imbiss and get a Döner kebab. They will definitely be open very late.
