A Trip To Berlin
Nov 27th, 2011, 12:48 PM
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A Trip To Berlin
My two friends and I decided it would be a good idea to save up some money and take a trip to Europe over the summer. We are graduating from high school in May and since we were freshman we have always wanted to take this trip before we all went our separate ways. We are planning on coming up with the money ourselves with just a little help from our parents so we decided one week in one destination would be best for our budget. After doing some research Berlin looks like an awesome place to visit and experience. I have already looked into flight tickets and hostels to stay at and the money we would spend on that comes to about $1400. With food, transportation around the city, and the famous Berlin nightlife I estimated another $1000 would be necessary. I could use any advice possible. Where should we stay? What is a must see? Where should we go to eat? What are some fun bars and nightclubs? Am I being realistic with my estimated budget? Really anything and everything would be helpful. Thank you.
Nov 27th, 2011, 01:04 PM
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www.wombats.at Berlin best for young guys...
eurocheapo.com/berlin good tips
Airberlin.com best price points for air currently
farecompare.com great tips best to wait book Tues PM late Jan.
Have fun!
eurocheapo.com/berlin good tips
Airberlin.com best price points for air currently
farecompare.com great tips best to wait book Tues PM late Jan.
Have fun!
Nov 27th, 2011, 03:12 PM
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I'd definetely do some research on other forums, too, e.g. Lonely Planet's Thorntree should give you access to an audience with fresher memories of that kinda trip you plan to do.
There are literally hundreds of hostels in the city, but it's good that you start to plan and shop around early as the best places usually sell out first.
Whether or not your budget will suffice also depends a bit on your expectations. You can get a bed in a dorm for €10 a night, but maybe you want a bit more luxury and share a bigger individual room in a hostel.
You should also look into apartment rentals. If you are willing to stay a bit away from the tourist hotspots, you should find your own place for €50/night. The obvious downside would be that you meet fewer people your age than in a hostel- which can be a great place for making friends and getting information where the places are to spend the nights.
Is that $1K for other than flights and hostel per person or for all three of you?
A weekly pass for public transport costs around €27.
Street food starts at €2 for the infamous, ubiquitious noodle boxes or around €3 for the famous curry wurst (sausage) with fries. In not so fancy places, €2 buys a beer, €3-4 in "better" ones.
As those prices are not that cheap it is a somewhat common procedure at the beginning of the night to resort to convenience stores for some beer and start the night in some park or along the river with other people who hang there. This custom is commonly known in German as "vorglühen" (which roughly translates to "pre-heating") and saves a bit of the budget for bars later.
Anyway, as you probably have done the most important part of the research, i.e. that as 18yo you can drink yourself silly day and night, you may want to take into account that your peers from Berlin are two years ahead of you in that field.
And losing control and peeing yourself in the subway due to more alcohol than blood in your veins is seen as a bit childish through the eyes of someone,and especially the female someones, who have been there at age 16.
But no matter what your new friends tell you, drugs are still illegal, even in Berlin. Only very little quantities of soft drugs like pot are tolerated, possession of anything else can extend your stay at no costs for accomodation.
When you dance the night away, chances are good that you can buy a few pills here and there. Again, ecstasy and the likes are also illegal, even in smallest quantities. That stuff comes from somewhere East and you have no clue what's in there.
Gawd, I sound like my mother.
Nevertheless, when all things go South and one of you guys gets into troubles, dial 112 free from any phone (which is the pan-EU wide equivalent of your 9-1-1) and get an ambulance. And no, doctors or hospital staff cannot report you to the police for any kind of substance abuse.
What kind of bar or nightclub will be good is hard to foresee as clubs come and go.
The most famous of all is the Berghain near the Ostbahnhof (Berlin East railway station) with a very strict door policy (one of the few clubs that got a door policy) and you never know why or why not you made it.
In general, parties or clubs get busy rather late. Usually it's a waste of time to get there before midnight. Until then you usually kill that time at pubs or bars. On weekends, most busy places don't really close and some are busy 72 hrs from Friday thru Sunday non-stop. But usually the action dies down around 5-7 am.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll have a great time. And last May is was steaming hot in the city so you should watch the weather forecast and take your swimming pants with you as Berlin also got some good beaches on the lakes and river.
There are literally hundreds of hostels in the city, but it's good that you start to plan and shop around early as the best places usually sell out first.
Whether or not your budget will suffice also depends a bit on your expectations. You can get a bed in a dorm for €10 a night, but maybe you want a bit more luxury and share a bigger individual room in a hostel.
You should also look into apartment rentals. If you are willing to stay a bit away from the tourist hotspots, you should find your own place for €50/night. The obvious downside would be that you meet fewer people your age than in a hostel- which can be a great place for making friends and getting information where the places are to spend the nights.
Is that $1K for other than flights and hostel per person or for all three of you?
A weekly pass for public transport costs around €27.
Street food starts at €2 for the infamous, ubiquitious noodle boxes or around €3 for the famous curry wurst (sausage) with fries. In not so fancy places, €2 buys a beer, €3-4 in "better" ones.
As those prices are not that cheap it is a somewhat common procedure at the beginning of the night to resort to convenience stores for some beer and start the night in some park or along the river with other people who hang there. This custom is commonly known in German as "vorglühen" (which roughly translates to "pre-heating") and saves a bit of the budget for bars later.
Anyway, as you probably have done the most important part of the research, i.e. that as 18yo you can drink yourself silly day and night, you may want to take into account that your peers from Berlin are two years ahead of you in that field.
And losing control and peeing yourself in the subway due to more alcohol than blood in your veins is seen as a bit childish through the eyes of someone,and especially the female someones, who have been there at age 16.
But no matter what your new friends tell you, drugs are still illegal, even in Berlin. Only very little quantities of soft drugs like pot are tolerated, possession of anything else can extend your stay at no costs for accomodation.
When you dance the night away, chances are good that you can buy a few pills here and there. Again, ecstasy and the likes are also illegal, even in smallest quantities. That stuff comes from somewhere East and you have no clue what's in there.
Gawd, I sound like my mother.
Nevertheless, when all things go South and one of you guys gets into troubles, dial 112 free from any phone (which is the pan-EU wide equivalent of your 9-1-1) and get an ambulance. And no, doctors or hospital staff cannot report you to the police for any kind of substance abuse.
What kind of bar or nightclub will be good is hard to foresee as clubs come and go.
The most famous of all is the Berghain near the Ostbahnhof (Berlin East railway station) with a very strict door policy (one of the few clubs that got a door policy) and you never know why or why not you made it.
In general, parties or clubs get busy rather late. Usually it's a waste of time to get there before midnight. Until then you usually kill that time at pubs or bars. On weekends, most busy places don't really close and some are busy 72 hrs from Friday thru Sunday non-stop. But usually the action dies down around 5-7 am.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll have a great time. And last May is was steaming hot in the city so you should watch the weather forecast and take your swimming pants with you as Berlin also got some good beaches on the lakes and river.
Nov 27th, 2011, 04:46 PM
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Well I know that young men can have enormous apetires (I remember my brother and friend empyting the fridge of an weekend's worth of food in one night) - so if yuo have large appetites be prepared. (Luckily i Germany portions are much larger than they are in many other places in europe).
As for nightlife - beer in student places in reasonable. Hard liquor is very expensive (perhaps 3 times what it is in the us - except for really upscale bars). So I would suggest looking at some Let's Go Guides and the Thorntree section of the Lonely Planet web site - to find places that will fit a student budget (which won;t go far with $100 dinners and $25 drinks.)
As for nightlife - beer in student places in reasonable. Hard liquor is very expensive (perhaps 3 times what it is in the us - except for really upscale bars). So I would suggest looking at some Let's Go Guides and the Thorntree section of the Lonely Planet web site - to find places that will fit a student budget (which won;t go far with $100 dinners and $25 drinks.)
Nov 27th, 2011, 05:27 PM
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A few other bits of information for your planning:
I would be looking at a hostel (which you are) rather than an apartment. Yes, the week-long stay can be cheaper when in an apartment, but you'll enjoy your trip more by having the opportunity to meet other travellers in the hostel, plus keeping an apartment clean for a week with 3 guys isn't something you want to be concerned about on hols. (yes, yes, I know, gross generalisation, but worth considering in your plans). Wombat City Hostel is great, good location and nice staff/amenities. Other hostels to consider are Baxpax, Plus Berlin or Inn-Berlin. The Generator is also good, but might be a bit too far from the action for you (it's only a 15min tram ride from Alexanderplatz, so keep it in mind if you have trouble booking the others).
Sightseeing - as you've already found, so much to see and do (and eat: Walking/City Tours - do the hop-on-hop-off bus tour around the city on your first day to get your bearings and to hear more about the sights. New Berlin tours for walking are fairly good and free, Berlin Walks have a selection of different tour types depending on your interests (minimal cost depending on tour type - the Third Reich tour might interest you).
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial - a moving part of European history; located just north of Berlin; reached by S-Bahn from Berlin then bus/walk
Other things to add to your list: Reichstag (getting to the dome is a little harder now with security, but book well in advance and you'll get up), Memorial to the Murdered Jews Of Europe (the outdoor memorial and the museum underneath), Topography of Terror (well put together history lesson), Fernsehturm (the TV Tower - go up it and spend time with a drink in your hand watching the scenery), Currywurst (as noted by Cowboy, a Berlin food institution, must be tried at least once), Museum Insel (Museum Island - take your pick from the mass of museums located in this area, but definitely go to the Pergamon), walk along Unter den Linden from the Museum Insel to Brandenburg Gate (and stop at many sights along the way (Neue Wache,Deutsches Historisches Museum/German History, Bebelplatz, Gendarmenmarkt area, Homboldt University, German Opera House, Pariser Platz, embassies).
As for nightlife, there's plenty to choose from, ridiculous amounts in fact:
Check out Sternradio (Alexanderplatz 5, Mitte district - some nights are good, some not so much), StrandBar Mitte (Beach Bar) in Summer is a cool place to hang out for a while, depending on the music on the night, the club called Berghain which Cowboy also mentioned(named after suburbs Kreuzberg & Friedrichshain)is located near Ostbahnhof, try it if you want, but as he said the door policy (a v foreign concept in Berlin) is just odd. Also definitely go to Tacheles Complex if you want a taste of alternative Berlin. In Prenzlauer Berg, you could start at one end of Schoenhauser Alle (start at Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn station, stop for a Currywurst at the Konnopkes Stand to fuel up!) and make your way towards Mitte and you'll find bars, clubs, beer gardens, etc to keep you occupied. The Kulturbrauerie on Schoenhauser Alle is great for live music and late nights. Or in Mitte,try Delicious Doughnuts - a bar with great drinks, good vibe and just the right side of seedy. Stays open late (around 4am towards the weekend, earlier if it's quiet) and if you arrive after midnight you'll have to be buzzed in.
$1000 for a week (per person I'm gathering) will go fast on food, drink and nightlife, so the more you can save the less stress when you're there. Although Currywurst is blessedly cheap so you won't go hungry! And as nytraveler mentioned, portions are huge (when you sit in a beerhall/restaurant) so that's a bonus. Have a look at the menu at Brauhaus Lemke (in Hackescher Markt under the railway lines) and see if that grabs you as it's more Berlin than Bavaria (which many beerhalls can be - see Brauhaus Mitte for that). Of course Kebabs (as in Doner, not Shish) are also a staple of Berlin (and Germany for that matter) and can be found everywhere.
I would be looking at a hostel (which you are) rather than an apartment. Yes, the week-long stay can be cheaper when in an apartment, but you'll enjoy your trip more by having the opportunity to meet other travellers in the hostel, plus keeping an apartment clean for a week with 3 guys isn't something you want to be concerned about on hols. (yes, yes, I know, gross generalisation, but worth considering in your plans). Wombat City Hostel is great, good location and nice staff/amenities. Other hostels to consider are Baxpax, Plus Berlin or Inn-Berlin. The Generator is also good, but might be a bit too far from the action for you (it's only a 15min tram ride from Alexanderplatz, so keep it in mind if you have trouble booking the others).
Sightseeing - as you've already found, so much to see and do (and eat: Walking/City Tours - do the hop-on-hop-off bus tour around the city on your first day to get your bearings and to hear more about the sights. New Berlin tours for walking are fairly good and free, Berlin Walks have a selection of different tour types depending on your interests (minimal cost depending on tour type - the Third Reich tour might interest you).
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial - a moving part of European history; located just north of Berlin; reached by S-Bahn from Berlin then bus/walk
Other things to add to your list: Reichstag (getting to the dome is a little harder now with security, but book well in advance and you'll get up), Memorial to the Murdered Jews Of Europe (the outdoor memorial and the museum underneath), Topography of Terror (well put together history lesson), Fernsehturm (the TV Tower - go up it and spend time with a drink in your hand watching the scenery), Currywurst (as noted by Cowboy, a Berlin food institution, must be tried at least once), Museum Insel (Museum Island - take your pick from the mass of museums located in this area, but definitely go to the Pergamon), walk along Unter den Linden from the Museum Insel to Brandenburg Gate (and stop at many sights along the way (Neue Wache,Deutsches Historisches Museum/German History, Bebelplatz, Gendarmenmarkt area, Homboldt University, German Opera House, Pariser Platz, embassies).
As for nightlife, there's plenty to choose from, ridiculous amounts in fact:
Check out Sternradio (Alexanderplatz 5, Mitte district - some nights are good, some not so much), StrandBar Mitte (Beach Bar) in Summer is a cool place to hang out for a while, depending on the music on the night, the club called Berghain which Cowboy also mentioned(named after suburbs Kreuzberg & Friedrichshain)is located near Ostbahnhof, try it if you want, but as he said the door policy (a v foreign concept in Berlin) is just odd. Also definitely go to Tacheles Complex if you want a taste of alternative Berlin. In Prenzlauer Berg, you could start at one end of Schoenhauser Alle (start at Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn station, stop for a Currywurst at the Konnopkes Stand to fuel up!) and make your way towards Mitte and you'll find bars, clubs, beer gardens, etc to keep you occupied. The Kulturbrauerie on Schoenhauser Alle is great for live music and late nights. Or in Mitte,try Delicious Doughnuts - a bar with great drinks, good vibe and just the right side of seedy. Stays open late (around 4am towards the weekend, earlier if it's quiet) and if you arrive after midnight you'll have to be buzzed in.
$1000 for a week (per person I'm gathering) will go fast on food, drink and nightlife, so the more you can save the less stress when you're there. Although Currywurst is blessedly cheap so you won't go hungry! And as nytraveler mentioned, portions are huge (when you sit in a beerhall/restaurant) so that's a bonus. Have a look at the menu at Brauhaus Lemke (in Hackescher Markt under the railway lines) and see if that grabs you as it's more Berlin than Bavaria (which many beerhalls can be - see Brauhaus Mitte for that). Of course Kebabs (as in Doner, not Shish) are also a staple of Berlin (and Germany for that matter) and can be found everywhere.
Nov 27th, 2011, 06:29 PM
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Berlin is a great city! Made for young people. Read as much as you can about the history and the architecture of any city you'll ever travel to and the rest will fall into place.
Since you're young, you won't need too much German but do yourself a favor and learn as much as you can. You won't be lost in all of the conversations going on around you. It can be a powerful tool to know another langauge and be an American. People just assume you don't speak their langauge.
You'll find food, you'll find beer, you'll find fun things to do along with new friends to do them with. Knowing about the place makes it enjoyable. Don't just settle for the recent history, although that's very interesting. Dig deep.
Like others have said, don't make a fool of yourself on alcohol.
Since you're young, you won't need too much German but do yourself a favor and learn as much as you can. You won't be lost in all of the conversations going on around you. It can be a powerful tool to know another langauge and be an American. People just assume you don't speak their langauge.
You'll find food, you'll find beer, you'll find fun things to do along with new friends to do them with. Knowing about the place makes it enjoyable. Don't just settle for the recent history, although that's very interesting. Dig deep.
Like others have said, don't make a fool of yourself on alcohol.
Jan 5th, 2012, 05:15 AM
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Can anyone help me to find a hotel in Berlin that is not crazy expensive, but really fabulous??? Heckers Hotel? Has anyone heard of it?
I don't want to pay more than $250.00 American dollars, and I really would like to have breakfast included. We have 4 nights in Berlin.
I don't want to pay more than $250.00 American dollars, and I really would like to have breakfast included. We have 4 nights in Berlin.
Jan 5th, 2012, 09:53 PM
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Hi alison...
I'd suggest that you open a new thread with your question. Not all Fodorites that could contribute will notice or open this somewhat older thread.
It can also help if you gave an example what you consider 'fabulous', i.e. if that means 5 star luxury for you or a good hotel outside the norm or a spectacular location...
I don' t know the Heckers Hotel, but the Melia in Mitte on Friedrichstrasse has been getting solidly enthusiastic reports here.
Except for peak seasons at two to three major conventions, 250 USD should offer a lot of options in the city.
I'd suggest that you open a new thread with your question. Not all Fodorites that could contribute will notice or open this somewhat older thread.
It can also help if you gave an example what you consider 'fabulous', i.e. if that means 5 star luxury for you or a good hotel outside the norm or a spectacular location...
I don' t know the Heckers Hotel, but the Melia in Mitte on Friedrichstrasse has been getting solidly enthusiastic reports here.
Except for peak seasons at two to three major conventions, 250 USD should offer a lot of options in the city.
Jan 14th, 2012, 07:35 AM
#14
Circus Hostel and Circus Hotel in Berlin are getting rave reviews (Tripadvisor etc.) and especially the hostel prices are great. (I got a jr suite at the hotel for 100 euros). Check them out....
Jan 14th, 2012, 07:55 AM
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I just heard a report on BBC News on NPR which suggested that the cheapest and good food in Berlin can be had at employee canteens. The two exceptions are the Bundestag and the Police Headquarters canteen. The example given with an interview of the manager was the Berliner Ensemble canteen. Meals cost as little as 5 euros.
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