Berlin in April
 

Hi all,

So I need some advice. I am thinking of trying to go to Berlin Germany the middle of April. I will be leaving from Newark, NJ and looks like the airfares are around $600 RT. I have a cousin who lives there, but I am not sure if I could stay with him, so I may look into a small apt or maybe renting a room. Of course, I will be on a real tight budget.

So my questions are, if I was based in Berlin, what is close to the city that I could see, i.e., any castles, etc. Could I get away with not renting a car, is the public transporation good like Switzerland?? Would it still be really cold there??

Any suggestions or ideas would be really appreciated. I know nothing about Germany, never have been there, do not speak the language, but just love to travel to Europe. Of course I would visit with the long lost relatives, but would not be looking to stay with them since I never met before (expect of my cousin who I met for the first time in April here in the US). Tell me how I can possibly do this cheaply.

I know I should probably pay off some bills instead or something, but, there will always be bills and I just want to TRAVELLLLLLLLLLL.

thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi, eald...

How many days are you planning to travel?

Probably only have around 7 full days there.

I admire you your enthusiasm for travel! Berlin will be a nice place and perhaps flowers will be budding,, and blooming. April is a good time to travel,, less tourists, not long lines to see things, accommodations less money etc.
Just some looking at a map can tell you places to go,,, and googling that area of Germany., and reading up on Germany guides and books,,, perhaps from your library.
Am sure the trains and busses are excellent,
Your cousin can help you on things to see...and for sure tell you about the average temperature middle of April.
Should be a fun week for you!

Even though you're probably itching to see all of Germany, I'd probably just stay in Berlin the entire week and take day trips from there. It will save money on your travel expenses, too.

I was in Berlin for 9 days this year (my second trip there), and didn't get to do everything I wanted to do.

You will love it.

For daytrips, you could visit Potsdam or the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg could be overnighters.

You could also venture into the Harz Mountains and see incredible towns like Quedlinburg, which is about 3 hours by train. Again, you'd want to stay overnight.

Maybe 5 days in Berlin, with 2 days as an overnight somewhere?

Or, you could pay off those bills, save more money, and visit next year for a longer stay and include other regions of Germany, too!

Gute Reise!

I suggest going to the Pergamon museum in Berlin. Also of interest are the Jewish Museum and a whole bunch of excellent art museums.

We booked through Priceline for our stay last month and got a good price at the Courtyard Marriott.
We didn't want to take a chance on renting a private room or apt b/c the euro could have gone either way. You could save money on the room by sharing it with friend. It was very near the Jewish Museum. Within walking distance to Checkpoint Charlie.

Public transportation is excellent. You don't need a car.

For hotel search, use www.hrs.de. You may enter a price limit.

If you want to stay really cheap, search Google with the keywords Berlin hostel.

Castles:

- In Berlin, Charlottenburg.
- In Potsdam, Sanssouci, Neues Palais and Cecilienhof.
http://www.potsdam-tourism.com/
- Schwerin has one of the most beautiful castles in Germany. Easily accessible by train. http://www.schloss-schwerin.de

Have a read at this Berlin city guide and info on transport to get a better idea:
http://www.waytostay.com/area-info-Berlin-en-222.htm
It also has a selection of studio apartments for small budgets for you.
I really love Berlin Im going back in two weeks so will post anything interesting I find!

I'd recommend Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp as a daytrip, too. Easy to get to (for the most part) and extremely powerful.

My friend & I went last Mar & had a GREAT time. We're budget travelers and found prices to be better than the rest of Germany. We rented an apt in a very good & safe location, just a blk from U- & S-Bahn, supermarket, shopping center, & many inexpensive restaurants.

I typed up my travelog & would be happy to send it if you want . . . just email me at [email protected].

We LOVED Berlin!
Sandy (in Denton)