Berlin in one day...how on earth???
 

We will be in Berlin for only one day as we will be on a cruise ship. We have a train ride from and back from the ship. So much to see and we can't do it all! Do we walk the park and see the memorials, then Reichstag and then Cathedral. Get on metro to see berlin wall and checkpoint charlie? Yikes, I NEED help! There are four of us. A private guide?

https://city-sightseeing.com/en/3/be...SAAEgJ3a_D_BwE

Most here disdain HOHO buses but if just in city one day seems a perfect way to go and get off and on and have commentary in between.

Another possibility would be to save Berlin for another trip when you can devote a few days to it and simply visit Rostock for the day. It's a lovely little town. Warnmünde is pretty crowded/touristy but Rostock is completely different.

I agree with trophy wife. You really can't 'do' Berlin in your very short time. I'd visit Rostock myself.

So why plan a trip to a destination with inadequate time ?

My first cruise was to the Baltics with a stop in Warnmunde (for Berlin), which was the reason we picked that particular trip. It was hours in to Berlin from the port, and hours back. We had an excellent lunch and a very short time in Berlin itself. Had I known then how little we would see, and how long we would have to travel in order to see it, I would not have gone to Berlin. Princess cruises is now advertising two other variations of Baltic cruises--one that is round trip St. Petersburg and the other that is round trip Berlin. Both of these will allow more time at the start or end of the cruise to see those cities, and are quite appealing.

Not my planning for sure. We are on a cruise and they stop for one day.

Are you doing the Holland America Baltic Cruise? We went on it last June -- the only cruise we've done other than Alaska. On one hand, it's a good way of sampling several places that would be difficult to see in one trip on your own but on the other hand you have their scheduling and time restrictions to accept. It is, however, something of a luxury to be in the same bed for 12 nights on a trip. I know you'll have a great time!

We have a train ride from and back from the ship.

Do you know round-trip duration of that train ride? How many hours will you actually have IN Berlin to fill?

How frustrating not to be able to spend much more time in Berlin. We had four nights and didn’t see everything we wanted.

I am joining friends on a similar cruise with this one day scheduled in "Berlin"--actually Warnemunde. Whether on a cruise line excursion or on your own, the train trip is 3-plus hours in each direction. The ship is in port until later than most of the other ports. As others have said--6-plus hours of travel for probably less time than that in Berlin is frustrating. Our group is planning to visit Rostock, which is about 20 minutes from the port by local train.

For a 6 hour round-trip train ride, even with a relatively long day in port, I don't see how there is time to go to Berlin (or at least not time to see much once you are there).

It sounds like you would only have 2-3 hours or so, at most?

We took the Princess Baltic cruise this summer. We used SPB Tours instead of doing it on our own, or using the ship tours. We rode in a very comfortable Mercedes van seating about 20 people or so. I don't remember exactly, but 3 hours seems a bit long. But I could be wrong here. Our tour stopped at or we walked to all the following: The Olympic stadium, Kaiser Wilhelm Church and the area of the Christmas market bombing, the Holocaust memorial, Brandenburg Gate, the Bebelplatz, Altes museum, Reichstag, the Berlin Wall and museum, and a quick stop at Checkpoint Charlie. Our tour guide was a charming American ex-pat who really gave us a great overview of the history of the city. We also had a lovely lunch on an outdoor patio to break up the long day. I would have loved to see more of Berlin, but was glad for the opportunity to see what we did. Certainly much,much longer in the cith than the 2-3 hours some have suggested. (lunch alone was an hour).

There are many well reviewed tour companies that have similar excursions. We were extremely happy with SPB Tours.

Nope, we are on Viking Ocean cruise. Done their river cruise to Russia and loved it. Trying the ocean cruise but just not liking the one day itineraries!

I have read it is about 3-3.5 hours each way on the train. I think about 4 hours in Berlin.

Are you on a Viking cruise? I think we will look at Rostock as well.

I guess it just depends how badly you want to see a glimpse of Berlin.

I personally would never take a 7 hour train ride for 4 hours of sight-seeing.

This is not a "one day" trip. Look at the train schedule at www.bahn.com. Even the 7 hour train trip is wishful thinking. The trains don't run that frequently requiring wait times in addition to time to buy train tickets.. Also realize a train trip to Berlin requires changing the train at least twice each way during the day time. Several of train changes are tight, meaning, if you miss connections, you can further add to the travel time whittling your stay in Berlin to nothing.

That would be my beef with cruises in general. After 2 extremely full days in St. Pete (still not enough) it would have been nice to regroup during a day at sea, but no, it's Helsinki the next day, so we wound up giving it short shrift.

I think it depends on your expectations and planning.
One poster mentioned private tours that pick you up at the cruise port and drive you to Berlin and do a city tour.
That saves at least an hour each direction.
Drive time is 2.5 hours and that motorway from Rostock to Berlin is rarely crowded.

In Berlin, you can see a lot in one day - when you skip museums and focus on the central districts and can customize your tour.

Reichstag to Potsdamer Platz via Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial and Topography of Terror is just a 20 minute walk (excluding visits).
Optional: Brandenburg Gate museum - it's just a multimedia thing, but it does not take much time, and you can incorporate it as a time to relax for 20 minutes or so.
https://brandenburgertor-museum.de/en/

I'd skip the Reichstag cupola because there can be lines at security. For a view of the central district you can use the observation platform at Potsdamer Platz instead - no lines there usually.
https://www.panoramapunkt.de/en/welcome.html

Instead of Checkpoint Charlie, which is not much more than an intersection with fake photo ops, your tour should stop at the Berlin Wall Memorial site. Where you can actually see a reconstructed part of the wall, with all the fortifications included.
Berlin Wall Memorial

From Potsdamer Platz you can take the subway for two stops to Gendarmenmarkt, one of the nicest squares in town, before your van picks you up again and drives you down Karl-Marx-Allee to see the Stalinist baroque boulevard of the former GDR. If you go by train, I'd skip the latter.

If you still have time and/or need a bite to eat, your driver can take your from Karl-Marx-Allee via Oberbaum bridge to Kreuzberg - to see a different shade of the city. Walk up/down Oranienstr. from Görlitzer Bahnhof and see where most of the younger folks hang out.

maybe from a high viewpoint :D

3-3.5 hours each way from ship to city center.

Thanks trophywife007 for your replies. I agree, 2 days in St. Pete NOT long enough. We went on a wonderful Viking river cruise to Russia almost 3 years ago. We stayed another 2 days in St. Pete and glad we did. This trip, our visa is still good so we will do it on our own.

We are on a cruise...NOT my idea of travel to see a city in a day. We are there for about 5 hours...Trust me, I plan and usually take our time to see where we are traveling but not this trip.

Viking Ocean Cruise

Are you on a Viking cruise? I think about 3.5 hours each way into and out of Berlin.

I visited Berlin for 3 times, but I never liked this city. It's too noisy, too dirty. One day is enough to understand this.

You will "see" Berlin" and that's all which is a shame.

Yes, Viking