Arriving in Tegel on Thursday, Need help!?
 

I'm arriving in Tegel Airport on thursday, around 4.30pm. I then would want to catch a bus to any trainstation to verify my railpass (and make some reservation), then go to Nordbahnhof (the bus stop I need to get for my stay). Questions:

1. Can I make reservation at Nordbahhof on eurail trains? Or must I make it specifically at Westbahnhof and only westbahnhof? Keep in mind I will reach this place maybe 5,6pm in the evening (when the station may be closed).

2. I need a pair of gloves and a scarf really badly and hope to buy some on the first night itself. Maybe even a jacket. Can you give a suggestion on where to buy? Maybe a at a H&M chain or somewhere closeby? (Would it be closed by then too?)

3. Suggestion to some guides for the next day. Really indecisive on wether I should take the Brewer's Tour, NewBerlinTour or alternatively just take a bus and roam Berlin on our own.

Would really appreciate any help. Thank you.

You can purchase tickets/make seat reservation on any train at any DB (DeutscheBahn) train station.

Form Tegel, Express bus X109 takes you to the Zoo Bahnhof in about 15-20min.

Zoo Bahnhof is a major transportation hub for western Berlin - you can connect to subway, S-Bahn and bus lines all over Berlin from there.

Train stations are open far later than 6pm, as trains run at all hours of the day.

I'd recommend you catch the X109 bus to Zoo, buy your tickets, then find your way to your hotel.

Hey thanks, another question, where is zoo station in relation to nordbahnhof? or are they one and the same?

I need to make reservations not only for train usage in Germany, but practically the whole europe, eg to Brussels, to Amsterdam, to Luzerne, etc etc. Can I make reservations here too?

Here's the Berlin public transport website with maps, etc.

http://www.bvg.de/

>I need to make reservations not only for train usage in Germany, but practically the whole europe, eg to Brussels, to Amsterdam, to Luzerne, etc etc. Can I make reservations here too?

Are you sure you really need all these reservations? Most trains in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland etc. don't require them (except night trains).
You can probably make reservations for NL, Belgium, Switzerland etc. in Zoo but don't sweat it. With as little time as you plan for each city you don't want spending all the time in a ticket hall.

As to getting from Zoo to Nordbahnhof - you will have to change at Friedrichstrasse.

Hey thanks, well yes, I am planning to make reservation on night train (a total of 4 of them). So i think it is a safe bet to make the reservations in the train station so I wouldn't have to worry about what to do next.

What about normal train? I could just hop on, off right? Without needing to purchase anything? I have a railpass.

I think it is a better idea to reach hauptbahnbof first. then to nordbahnhof to my accomodation, right?

>What about normal train? I could just hop on, off right? Without needing to purchase anything? I have a railpass.

Exactly. The exception are French-based high speed trains (TGV, Thalys, Eurostar); these require a reservation.

>I think it is a better idea to reach hauptbahnbof first. then to nordbahnhof to my accomodation, right?

No. The S-Bahn to Nordbahnhof does not go through Hauptbahnhof. The south-north line (where Nordbahnhof is on) crosses the east-west line (where Zoo and HBf are on) at Friedrichstrasse. They built the Hauptbahnhof in the middle of nowhere.
The line network of Berlin is here:

http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/Bvg/D...BVG+Liniennetz

Thanks altamiro.

So I can make my reservations in Nordbahnhof as well (I think making the night train reservation is the best option)?

Also, railpass holders are entitled to free rides on one of the lines, either U or S bahn, I forgot. How can I use it to my advantage?

Is this a German rail pass? I believe you're entitled to use this on the S-bahn only. And the pass must be validated for that day, I think. It's cost-ineffective unless you have long-distance travel planned for that day.

I'm pretty sure that if all fails the reervations desk at Hbf opens until 10 pm (as of last October). But don't take my word for it.

Re shopping, I think that shops close around 7 pm in Berlin, but again, I'm not a 100% sure. You may want to pick up a copy of Time Out Berlin and flip through.

Well, I checked online and I am more than certain that the Eurail Office on the underground floor of Westbahnhof(apparently there's 2 there), opens till quite late. So:

1. From Tegel- how to get to Westbahnhof?

2. From Westbahnhof- how to get to Nordbahnhof?

I checked online at www.eurail.com, where to buy, buy in Europe and this was the listing for Berlin.

BERLIN
Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Europaplatz 1
10557 Berlin

Opening hours:
Mon-Sun 06:00 am - 10:00 pm

As described above simply take the TXL bus from Tegel to the Hbf. Use this link http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Start to give you directions from Hbf to Nordbahnhof.

There isn't any Westbahnhof in Berlin. There's a Westkreuz S-Bahn station.

Sorry, I meant Hauptbahnhof exactly! Got mixed up with another train station in another countru we're visiting. Thanks for all your help, they were really helpful!

I just found out that in Zoo station, there's a euraide office too. Can I make my reservations at euraide offices and also have my tickets verified there?

How can I check what time does the euraide office close?

I know Zoo garden is located not too far from the main shopping district of Berlin, and I think I should be in good time for shopping at KaDaWe right (considering I arrive in Tegel at 4.30pm). If not mistaken KaDaWe closes 10pm on thursdays

I don't know the answer about the office, but the U-bahn stop for KaDeWe should be Wittenbergplatz. Doublecheck this before you head out there. The wesbite claims 10 pm close for Thursdays and Fridays.

As I understand it, you will already have a railpass. You want to validate the railpass, then make reservations for certain trains. You can do this at any rail station. You don't have to find the Euraid office. If your hotel is near the Nordbahnhof, then that is probably the most convenient place to do this. The stations will be open much later than 5 or 6 p.m.

that's true! In berlin now, i went to hauptbanhof to try to make reservations on all 4 of our night trains, only 2 had seats, the other two were full.

Then I went to zoogarden to try ask about th two remaining trains, and got the seats! I did this around 8, 9pm. In a DB office.

Thanks guys, for helping me.

I didn't speak a word of german, the lady didn't speak a word of english, still it worked out fine!